POR-15 Starter Kit

Back when I was working on my Lotus I heard a lot of talk about rust prevention treatments. Since the Europa has a fiberglass body I was only interested in the steel frame. All of the discussion boiled down to four alternatives, 1) Powder coat, 2) Por-15, 3) Zinc-chromate primer topped with a modern two-part top coat, and 3) Rustolium. My goal was to get my old Lotus roadworthy and enjoy it, so speed and cost were important. Since the frame was in excellent condition I decided to go with Rustolium. It brushes on easily and I have the option of spray cans for smaller, more visible parts. Clean-up is easy using mineral spirits.

While researching rust repair for my E9 I again found POR-15 mentioned. The word-of-mouth was not always good. People complained about the cost, health risk, and limited shelf life after opening. Some said it dried to a soft, delicate film easily scratched and chipped. Some just did not like the way it looked.

What really got me interested was some information on using the POR-15 family of products to repair rust damage. My E9 has a badly rusted area along the top edge of the trunk, leading Up to the rear window. It looks just like the examples I found surfing the POR-15 web site. Fabricating and welding in a new panel is far beyond my skill level, so I decided to give POR-15 a try.

I just got back from my favorite auto paint supply store, Redline Automotive, who happen to be one of Honolulu's leading POR-15 dealers. I picked up a starter kit and a tube of putty. This Sunday I'll try it on the trunk and report on the experience.