Fender TAG ID Restoration Options?

[Moparfiend]

My fender tag is rusted. Whats the best way to restore it? I was thinking muriatic acid bath but wanted to hear from you gents that have done it successfully or know someone who did. My luck the acid would disolve the whole thing lol.

Thanks MF

 

[R413]

Evaporust is very gentile. Won’t eat metal like muriatic. Works better in warmer weather.
Glass bead blasting is nice also.

How bad is it?

 

[DeltaV]

My fender tag is rusted. Whats the best way to restore it? I was thinking muriatic acid bath but wanted to hear from you gents that have done it successfully or know someone who did. My luck the acid would disolve the whole thing lol.

Thanks MF

You might mean preserve, not restore?

 

[moparnation74]

Muratic acid....lol.....

Evaporust as noted above...

 

[dadsbee]

Just don't forget it in the Evaporust.... I forgot about two U joint saddles and 4 bolts, for about a month, and the bolts are now 3/16 instead of 1/4" !

I media blasted mine with glass and repainted and it came out mint.

 

[69L48Z27]

I did glass beading as well. Dusted with sealer and lightly painted, one coat clear. To much material is not good, you lose the detail quickly. Original appeared to a coat or two of the original single stage. I saw no evidence of primers.

 

[Moparfiend]

Just don't forget it in the Evaporust.... I forgot about two U joint saddles and 4 bolts, for about a month, and the bolts are now 3/16 instead of 1/4" !

I media blasted mine with glass and repainted and it came out mint.
View attachment 721928

I burn toast too often maybe glass bead would be tthe best....

 

[Moparfiend]

Muratic acid....lol.....

Evaporust as noted above...

Hey I thought there was no such thing as a bad or stupid question. I must be trippin again from a 70’s flashback man cuz all I see are stars.

 

[Moparfiend]

You might mean preserve, not restore?

Yes that would be correct Mr. Pennington

 

[Moparfiend]

No all I goota do is find someone with a sandblaster as buying and storing a blast cabinet just for a fender tag seems a bit ludacris just like that rapper...

 

[Moparfiend]

Evaporust is very gentile. Won’t eat metal like muriatic. Works better in warmer weather.
Glass bead blasting is nice also.

How bad is it?

Baaaad to the bone! Not sure I guess I will find out lol

 

[PurpleBeeper]

I do not recommend muriatic acid (20% hydrochloric acid) or Evaporust (phosphoric acid, not sure %). IF you can find it, what you should be looking for is oxalic acid. It will eat iron/steel rust and not touch the metal at all....it won't even take off the paint. You'll need about a 5% or so solution, use distilled water & let it soak for several days up to a week....then rinse, dry & repaint or the bare metal will rust again. HOPE THIS HELPS!

 

[Moparfiend]

I do not recommend muriatic acid (20% hydrochloric acid) or Evaporust (phosphoric acid, not sure %). IF you can find it, what you should be looking for is oxalic acid. It will eat iron/steel rust and not touch the metal at all....it won't even take off the paint. You'll need about a 5% or so solution, use distilled water & let it soak for several days up to a week....then rinse, dry & repaint or the bare metal will rust again. HOPE THIS HELPS!

It does help thanks! Amazon has it for $15 for 2 lbs. what else can I use this for? Can I use it for like trunk surface rust etc?

oxalic acid

 

[Moparfiend]

Cuz it was asked

 

[moparnation74]

Hey I thought there was no such thing as a bad or stupid question. I must be trippin again from a 70’s flashback man cuz all I see are stars.

I agree on the trippin part......

 

[moparnation74]

Just don't forget it in the Evaporust.... I forgot about two U joint saddles and 4 bolts, for about a month, and the bolts are now 3/16 instead of 1/4" !

I media blasted mine with glass and repainted and it came out mint.
View attachment 721928

Wasn't your tag originally painted on the car? I can see where it was lifted....That one screw should be the phosphate look......

I can say I have not left parts in ER over a week let alone a month but that's funny the size changed that much....

 

[dadsbee]

My tag was originally hung from the visor AFAIK coming down the Lynch Road line and probably got very little paint. No bends,, ding in corner is inspection stamp. Inner fender had FULL B5 paint under it when I removed it. Previous repaints of the car never had the tag removed. Not sure how they did screws.. both painted or both bare if they hung tags.

 

[Photon440]

I do not recommend muriatic acid (20% hydrochloric acid) or Evaporust (phosphoric acid, not sure %). IF you can find it, what you should be looking for is oxalic acid. It will eat iron/steel rust and not touch the metal at all....it won't even take off the paint. You'll need about a 5% or so solution, use distilled water & let it soak for several days up to a week....then rinse, dry & repaint or the bare metal will rust again. HOPE THIS HELPS!

The material data sheets for Evaporust specifically state "Contains no solvents, acids, bases or hazardous ingredients" so I'd think no phosphoric acid. Besides, phosphoric acid solutions are converters that turn rust black, not remove it. Evaporust uses a chelating agent to remove iron oxide, like a molasses solution but much faster. The tip you made about using oxalic acid is a good one; an oxalic acid solution is a chelating agent. Perhaps that is what is in Evaporust?

 

[moparnation74]

My tag was originally hung from the visor AFAIK coming down the Lynch Road line and probably got very little paint. No bends,, ding in corner is inspection stamp. Inner fender had FULL B5 paint under it when I removed it. Previous repaints of the car never had the tag removed. Not sure how they did screws.. both painted or both bare if they hung tags.
View attachment 722011

Man that one corner just looks like it was lifted.......

My X tag was hung which was at LR....

The screws were installed prior to paint on cars that had the tags hung from the windshield area....They were not screwed down all the way of course but enough to keep them in place.....

 

[dadsbee]

So two Blue screws is correct!