Rust Trap Warning

[Lennym1984]

I've seen a few 987s on Facebook recently with visible rust bubbling around the passenger side vent (one was a 2012 model which I found surprising) and so whilst replacing my side vents with black ones, I thought I'd investigate a bit.

 

Sure enough, when looking inside the very edge of the panel, I could see the beginnings of some flaking paint on one of the lugs. In essence the little rubber bits which hold the vent seal to the bodywork trap moisture against the edge and overtime cause the paint to fail and the corrosion to take hold. You will not see this unless you remove the vent and then look around the edge with a mirror but overtime it'll creep until you end up with the bubbling rust that these people were showing. At this point, it'll be too late as the metal will have perforated.

 

If you catch it early like I have it's a super simple repair (rub off the rust and cover with a decent paint - I used epoxy mastic). Make sure you remove all of the rust and rub back both sides of the panel until you are happy that you have caught it all. The edge in question is not visible with the vents in place and so you don't need to worry too much about making it perfect

 

Mine had only just started and was a light surface rust. I could probably have left it for another ten years without any major issues but obviously it pays to treat rust early and if you catch it before it has perforated (and ideally before it has worked its way round to the visible portion) its no big deal.

[Blissya]

Good advice, will have to have a look on YouTube for how to remove vents and check! 

 

[GlosRich]

Also top inside edge of the tailgate. It rubs on the rubber seal between it and the roof, and goes through the paint and starts rusting.