Rust Under Trunk Seal

[Zambuzan]

So to my dismay I found some nicely hidden rust on my Fl car.

I've wanted to replace my trunk gasket for some time but didn't see an immediate need. I had some free time today so I peeled it off to replace it and this was what I found:

These areas are right on the lip where the trunk seal sits.

I've started chipping away at the spots and discovered some holes.

So how do I go about fixing these areas? Anyone have any experience on this specific repair? And what can I do to prevent this in the future?

Should I try to fill in the holes with bondo and a self-adhesive patch?

Thanks.

[Zambuzan]

More pic. :(

[e30davie]

Short term: keep wire wheeling until there is no rust left, hit it with some rust converter then some paint. put the boot seal back on as best you can. That should stop it going any further for a while.

Long term: Cut it out and weld a new bit of metal in, prime and paint.

[AndrewBird]

Those holes are small enough they could be welded up, no metal cutting required.

[Zambuzan]

Thanks for the suggestion guys. I ended up taking it to a friend who just welded some tabs and used bondo to smoothen everything out. Not the prettiest repair but it got the job done.

And I ordered a new OEM trunk seal. Does anyone know if I have to put down some silicone so the trunk seal does its thing and seals properly?

Thanks.