Over the next few days I have to see if I can repair this very rusty trunk floor in the 1988 car I am working on.
The first picture is of as found state and the second pic is after I cleaned it up a little and opened up areas that were really thin.
Water enters from behind the side ventilation boxes. Below them are foams, that are not tight.
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My 89 had rust too but the previous owners had stored a blanket and cardboard and yes had a water leak—
The original Jaguar carpet with integral natural fiber pad soaked and retained water— a good solution to prevent that retaining water would be to install under the carpet what they use in the building trade for drainage. The products look like steel wool have loft and flex but are made of plastic and wont retain water and would separate carpet from steel and come in different thickness
product:
entangled mesh style rain screen drainage products used behind siding.
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. The side ventilators I removed and resealed but take note I don’t recall but they may have had one way flaps to prevent water getting in… and or I did install some thin rubber to act like a flap on those then resealed with good quality closed cell neoprene foam weatherstrip tape and good flexible caulk… the lower part of the floor had 2 or 3 open drain points and you should retain drain points at the lowest parts of trunk pan — . any rust that remains should be conversion coated - and or phosphated to stabilize the remaining rust… not sure of paint I used it may have been Bill Hirsh miracle paint–very tough-one part-moisture cured polyurethane paint—…
And I installed a trunk cigarette lighter socked tapping off the OPTIONAL AUX fuse box that was not installed in my car but the connection socket was there so as to power a small portable fridge in trunk etc…
good luck
i have been tackling a leak into my trunk this week. I was lucky as only a bit of surface rust. I think i have found the source of the leak from the rear panel. The panel in front of the latch is a double wall panel and water can get through the screw holes holding the plastic trim down - and this builds up before seeping past the unsealed seam. I had a small rust hole on the right hand side of the panel. I derusted and treated and sprayed rust primer through all the accessible holes, top and from inside the trunk - the screw holes that hold the finisher on. I will fill with wax oil and seal all the holes up with seam sealer and hope that stops the water coming in. I had both the vent boxes off - wishing id put some sealant on the foam seals now.
Nice job there mate!
Nice work - i take it thats cut from a donor car - or are you an expert metal worker 