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Put my tailgate down yesterday and noticed some rust in the part that is covered where you can't see it when the tailgate is closed. It's not bad, just a little spot. Can I just sandpaper it down then seal it? Thanks.
they start to rust in that seam in the bottom, inside the 'gate also. not much you can do but treat/repaint what you can see. my truck originated from colorado and the whole bottom edge along the seam is rusty. tried treating it with extend (rust-converting primer) and then calking it. no luck. but its the only rust ive got externally showing on a 13 y/o truck (in the rust belt ) so i guess i should be so lucky. when dad's '74 3/4 ton ford was 5 years old both rear wheel edges on the box were ate out and the cab corners were gone by the time it was 10 years old.
One of the problems with rust is that if you leave one itty bity active amount of it then the rust (aka, cancer) comes back once again. It will all begin as a *zit* under your paint. Reparing cosmetic surfaces for rust is such a drag; it makes panel replacement look pretty cost and time effective (this work is done in the home shop, of course). Much of the rust can be prevented by proper vehicle bathing/hygene habits in the winter months, especially if you live in a salt belt.
Last edited by CowboyBilly9Mile; Jul 31, 2006 at 03:08 AM.