Rust around the windshield

[jasonsansfleece]

Hi,
My poor old 85 Golf has rust all around the wind shield, down into the channel that the trim fits into. Its gotten to the point where water is leaking into the car.
I cut the windshield and its sorounding metalwork out of parts car that looked rust free. Last night I removed the glass from the afore mentioned but down and around the mastic that glues the glass in it was rusty, even perforated.
This kind of repair is not an easy job (understatement) You need clean donor metal and very good welder, plus there are three metal sections coming together along the bottom edge and two along the others.
I have tried fixing rust with the grinder and snake oil but in a year or two its back.
I dont have the welding skills and living in the north east, not much access to rust free donor metal.
The car does have other very minor rust issues that I can live with and I have not driven it in the salt season for three years which all helps,
but water leaks through the wind shield are the begining of the end.
Advise, sugestions?
Guy

[theman53]

RUST BULLET. 2 coats of it and you can submerge it in saltwater and expose to air without rusting for years from what I am told. Everyone I have talked to that used it for several years has had no rust. A guy that repairs old beetles has many parts on the road with no rust and he has been using it I think for 8 years. It is expensive, but better than anything I have used ever. I live in Ohio where they salt the road like McDonal's fries and needed something good. So far I have many welds covered in the stuff and no rust yet. It has only been 7 months since application though.

[jasonsansfleece]

Thanks for the response.
I have just checked that product out, and Por-15.
I will pull the windshield out in a couple of days and get on with it one way or another.
Was feeling a little overwhelmed.

[theman53]

POR 15 is not near the product  that Rust Bullet is. Unless they have considerably change the por 15 in the last couple years it fails in comparision IMHO.

[fatmobile]

Just coating things isn't going to do it.
 Metal will need patched into place.
 No room for welding without removing the whole dash.

 ...but you can pull the dash out a ways and use panel bond adhesive to stick a new pinch weld into place.

[jasonsansfleece]

Fatmobile,
Are you saying that coating isn't going to do it because...
#1 The rust is not completely neutralized and in a years time I will have to do it again,
or,
#2 Because by the time I have cleaned up the existing metal ready for coating, there are going to be holes and structural weakness?

[fatmobile]

Just guessing but on mine there was a section of pinch weld (the part the sealant/adhesive sits on) that needed replaced,...
 so... #2.

 But I could be wrong, rust around my windshield rust didn't look too bad but was bad enough for it to leak.

 I don't think I was set up for using panel bond adhesive at the time,.. so I used JB weld.
 It has held up very well for probably 7 years.

[jasonsansfleece]

Pulled the wind shield last night and its not looking to bad. The rust had gotten under the adhesive and broken the seal hence the leaking, but no holes or missing metal.

[fatmobile]

Great to hear.