RUST
The Classic Celica is getting old now so the chances of some rust is pretty high. The most common trouble spots for early Celica's are-
The best way to prevent rust is to ensure that all the drain holes are kept clear. Rust cannot start unless there is both water and air. So, get rid of the water and the problem is gone.
Below are pics of the rust my Celica had at the base of one of the rear quarter panels. It is pretty typical in most Celica's. There are several ways of repairing rust, but the best method other than a new panel is to cut it out and weld in a new section of metal.
I started by removing all the paint from the problem area. If your wondering why the muffler is red, its because it's from Tracey's Celica and is on mine now until I get the engine sorted out properly.
The next step is to cut the rust out. The edges of the rusted area is usually very thin, so it's better to cut it all out to the point where your back to good metal. I did this with a grinder and then file the edges neatly afterwards.
Once the rusted area has been removed its then a matter of making up another piece to go in its place. I used 0.9mm thick galvanised sheet metal. Galvanised iron is not really good for respraying, but for a small area like this its just a matter of sanding or lightly grinding the galv coating off. I used it because galv is better on the inside of the panel to prevent rust.
As you can see the rust was in the corner so I joined to pieces together to get the right shape.
Then I just tack welded it together with a TIG welder. Once joined it was just a matter of filing it to fit exactly into the hole in the base of the quarter panel.
There you have it. The new piece is TIG welded into position and then the welds are sanded back flush with the rest of the panel. Should last for years!
