So I notice the seal on my luggage rack was detaching from front rack, damn 3M weatherstrip adhesive failed me (see here for glue on pics). So I pulled off the luggage rack to re-glue the seal and I was shocked, shocked I say, to find some rust spots on the roof under the seal. Pic below is after I scuffed with Scotchbrite pad.
Was it just abrasion by the seal on the metal roof? No, looking at the seal I could see bits of rusty metal embedded in the rubber. Bloody hell, looks like metal filings trapped between the rubber and the roof. A lot of filings were created when I was cutting up the roof to add the pop top, and I thought I had cleaned them all up before installing the luggage rack. I’m sure I did, perhaps some fell through the drain holes in rack and lodged themselves under the seal. In any event, it was my fault .
I masked off and painted some POR15 over the affected parts. I scrubbed the embedded rusty bits from the seal and re-glued it back on the rack, this time using clear silicone caulk.
While I had the rack off, I glued on some stainless mesh on the underside of the (5) drain holes. Some have used little stainless filters that you find on some garden hose connections, but as I had the stainless mesh… I used “Automotive Goop” to glue the mesh onto the fiberglass and that glue worked very well.
But that rust, what a pain.
shooftie 
#1 by wolfhamgreywesty on August 7, 2012 - 6:03 pm
I noticed similar rust spots in that lip below
the headlight grill. It was bits left from drilling
a hole from the SA headlight install. Was sure
I had vacuum and blew them all out. I cleaned
the area well and covered in Fluid Film
#2 by albell on August 7, 2012 - 6:09 pm
Bill.
annoying isn’t it? I too thought I had got all of the filings, but I didn’t. It’s a good lesson.
cheers
ab