wetsanding door jambs / water drainage

[bmxpegan411]

Hi Guys,

I'm in the process of prepping the door jambs on my 1996 Honda Del Sol and I'm curious, is it a good idea to wet sand them since water will find its way down into all of the holes? I assume that it will all drain out somewhere, but my car is rust free (rare in southwestern PA) and I don't want to chance any pooling or anything that may cause an issue down the road. Last night I taped them all off before giving it a shot, but would like some of your opinions/suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[crashtech]

I think plenty of clean water and clear drain holes actually can slow corrosion by washing out salty debris. More is better, hose the crud out of the bottoms of the doors til it runs clear, then set it out in the sun to dry. You'll also get a cleaner paint job because junk surprise won't be blowing out and landing in your paint.

 

[black88coupe]

Agreed.

I think plenty of clean water and clear drain holes actually can slow corrosion by washing out salty debris. More is better, hose the crud out of the bottoms of the doors til it runs clear, then set it out in the sun to dry. You'll also get a cleaner paint job because junk surprise won't be blowing out and landing in your paint.

 

[bmxpegan411]

Agreed.

thanks for the replies. The thing I see in my head is water pooling in there and not really evaporating. I'll have to show pics of the spots I'm talking about, but on a Honda Del Sol it's under the side skirts. If water were in a glass in an area that doesn't get sun, wouldn't it not really evaporate for a long time? If i get water in a spot like that I'm worried about it sitting as the car won't move for probably another month. Am I just being a little paranoid? (live in southwest PA where Hondas are nothing but rust and rot, lol)

 

[GJSZ51]

Rinse it well, blow it out with air, rinse again, blow again, etc, until it is clean and dry, then park in the sun for a day...

 

[crashtech]

I'd like to see a pic of the area. Vehicles are generally designed NOT to have areas where standing water can build up, so it may either be a design flaw, or the drain is plugged up with something.

 

[bmxpegan411]

I'd like to see a pic of the area. Vehicles are generally designed NOT to have areas where standing water can build up, so it may either be a design flaw, or the drain is plugged up with something.

Here's a pic. I'm referencing the holes going along the bottom there, the square ones. On these cars there are side skirts that cover them, and the holes have clips to hold the skirt on.

 

[crashtech]

Yeah, we call those the rocker molding clip holes. Your rockers should have a place to drain, I would worry if they didn't. If it does end up holding water, you can definitely find some rubber plugs along the bottom of the rocker that can be removed for drainage, but I don't think you will need to do that. If by chance you do need to, they will likely be covered in stone guard and paint, and some seam sealer should be used to glue them back in when you are done. Really they should drain, I believe there are some places where there are gaps or slots between the inner and outer rockers where water should be allowed to drain out.