any tips for rust repair to the lower area just in front of the rear tires along with part of the rocker panel under the sliding door. I'm thinking of cutting original metal off and welding in the repair panel. I've never done it before, but am willing to give it a try. I'll have to buy a wire welder, I've welded before just not body repair panels.

Does anyone have any better repair strategies.

thanks

 

If you've not welded thin guage steel before then take a few lessons before you end up with even more holes than you started with

 

How bad is it? Use rust eater on it if not to bad! Thats what i will do on my gt4.

 

Yes welding thin metal with standard rod welder is hard and involves using thin rods like 2mm etc., and very low amps. MIG welding is easier and not so likely to get blow through. TIG welding is like gas welding without panel buckling.
Practice, practice, practice results in good welding especially on car body panels. To avoid blow through on butt welds add a second skin behind the join. But don't try welding rust, get it all cut out.
There maybe repair panels available as at motorfactors.
Saying that I've yet to see a rusty Voyager, think yours has been used as a submarine somewhere by the sea.
Good Luck...

 

Must agree with all the above, plus a few additions:--

Is the rusty steel structural or just ancilliary? If it's structural, you'll have to be professional, and there is nothing easy about electric welding on thin steel, esp. rusty thin steel. You'll have to assume an MOT tester will be looking! You say you've never welded before, so it might be an idea to entrust that to a pro. Really, welding is a highly skilled business.

Ancilliary is a different matter. You can't weld or braze rusty steel, all the rust must be ground off to bright metal first. I've brazed many a job on such as steel doors with a carbon arc welder and it's been successful (the brass rod flows like solder) except you have to be sure your face is well covered due to the vicious ultra-violet from the arc. And like all electric arcs, you must use the right goggles. You need two hands for this, one for the arc-tool, one for the brazing rod.

If you're just filling with common filler, any rust needs to be "killed" with the phosphoric acid as in many so-called 'rust killers' on the market such as Naval-Jelly etc. These just turn the rust to black rust which is stable. Again, you need to grind off as much rust as possible. Forget wire brushing alone, the wire just skids over the rusty surface, but it's good as a starter. This is certainly a case of "preparation, preparation, preparation" being what it's all about.

As a primer, you have a choice of red-lead or white-lead. Lead primer is really needed after you've been dealing with rust. The rust problem stays away much longer with lead primer.

I lived and drove throughout the 1960s and 1970s when rust was the big monster gremlin, not mechanical ones which were easy and cheap in comparison to fix.
The Chrysler stuff is not known for being a rust-bucket motor, in fact the ones I've seen are pretty good that way.

Be very aware of setting fire to something in your welding adventures. There is the serious danger near petrol tanks, but diesel tanks are not a problem. The high temps. will also ruin paint, so you may have to contemplate repainting some parts.

Leedsman.