Getting every last scale of iron oxide out of a car that had it by the ton must be as satisfying as the moment the priest exorcises the demon from the afflicted. Few dare attempt and fewer still do a proper job of the task. Being skilled with a welder and having the desire to see a project through helps, but to eradicate all of the rust out of a vehicle, you have to be almost monk-like. If that’s the case, the only thing that Scotty is missing is the toilet bowl haircut and the brown robe, because he’s been hard at work patching up this Valiant station wagon (think Dodge Dart longroof) and in this video, you will see the last bit of rot get dealt with once and for all. That’s it. The final piece. Hours upon hours of cutting, grinding, trimming, tacking…done.
It’s nowhere near the last bit of welding, for sure. There are entire swaths of sheetmetal that need to be put back into place, there’s paintwork, and powertrain and the whole other eight yards in-between. But rust? It’s done. And somewhere, in a peaceful setting devoid of the smell of ionized air and hot metal, Scotty is having a cold drink and a long, drawn out break. He has succeeded.
