How To Repair Rust On A Car
Cars will rust sooner or later. However, if you deal with rust early, you can prevent it from spreading and get a few more years out of your vehicle. Unlike repairing leather car seats with crack rust repair is not difficult to fix, but it is time-consuming. Choose a calm, cloudy day and set aside the entire day to address the most prevalent rust areas on the hood and doors. DIY rust repair is probably only worth it if you intend to perform a lot of it. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
Let’s see how to repair rust on a car!
Step By Step Process To Repair Rust On A Car
Gather the Right Tools & Materials
You may already have many of the following in your toolbox. Those you don’t have are readily available at your local hardware or auto parts store.
- Respiratory mask, tape, and safety goggles
- Automotive clear coat
- Rust-resistant primer
- Various sandpaper with a sanding block
- Autobody filler
- A grinding wheel
- A circular power drill or sander with a sanding disk
- Hammer
Mask Off The Car Rust Repair Area
Use a poly covering to keep the whole car from getting paint on it. Cover the engine and frames with poly sheeting while you paint the hood. Cut the poly sheeting to fit the door hole and tape it to the door jamb where it will go. Make sure the last piece of masking tape is at least a foot away from the repair area. It will give you room to mix the touch-up paint into the good spots.
Remove Paint and Rust
Using an angle grinder with a flapper wheel, take off the old paint and rust from the area that needs fixing. You can use coarse 80-grit sandpaper and a wire brush to do the same job by hand, but it is much harder to get a good job done. Brush off as much dirt, grime, and rust as you can with the wire brush in places where the grinder can’t go. You could choose to employ a rust converter, which goes beyond paint to dissolve rust while leaving a protective black covering chemically.
Note: You can clean the area with a detergent to get rid of any rust bits and make it even smoother after you sand it down. Before you move on to the next step, make sure the place you just cleaned is dry.
You can cut a patch from leather that matches and glue it on once the holes are filled. Use sandpaper to smooth out any rough spots on the patch or the old seat if you need to before moving on to the next step.
Apply Automotive Primer
Hold the gun or spray can about 12 inches away from the metal and spray steadily from left to right. If you need to make more than one pass, make sure that each swipe covers the same area by about half as much as the last. You may choose to apply a second coat of primer depending on the size of the area you’re painting, although this is not required for most minor jobs.
Time To Paint
After the primer has dried, lightly sand it with fine-grit sandpaper to provide a flat surface for the paint to adhere to. To ensure a smooth car rust repair, match the paint color to the vehicle. To find the specific color code for your car:
- Go to an auto parts store or contact the manufacturer.
- Using a spray gun, apply the paint to the repaired area in thin, equal layers.
- Allow each coat to dry before applying the next.
- Follow the manufacturer’s directions for the drying time.
Make the Paint Shinier
Go the extra mile to make the painted area shinier and more evenly blended with the surrounding paint if it turns out well or if there’s a noticeable change from old to new paint. However, this can mean making another trip to the parts store.
If the paint is rather smooth, you may be able to use a polishing product to shine it simply. If it’s slightly coarser, you may want to start with 400–1500 grit fine wet sandpaper, which is meant to be used in conjunction with water to assist in achieving a smoother surface. Finish it with a clear-coat spray, which comes in a container similar to spray paint, to give it a great gloss. You might also wish to polish it afterward.
How To Prevent Car Rust?
- Do regular checks for rust and wax regularly.
- Clean the bottom of your car.
- Make sure that you clean and dry your car.
- Put your vehicle somewhere with shade.
- When you see a dent or scratch, fix it right away.
Bottom Lines
Now that you’ve learned how to remove rust from an automobile make sure it doesn’t happen again. Keep the metal free of corrosive salt and filth, and make sure there are no scrapings that have exposed the metal. As long as you follow these recommendations, your car will be protected from rust for many years.
If you require rust repair on your vehicle, we recommend contacting a competent rust repair specialist in your region. And this is where Exotic Auto Services can assist. Contact us today for a free estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does WD-40 remove rust?
Most people associate WD-40 Multi-Use Products with lubricants. However, it was first employed as an anti-corrosive in the aerospace sector to keep spaceships from rusting. WD-40 may eliminate rust from metals such as iron, chromium, and stainless steel.
What are some home remedies for automotive rust?
Make a paste of two parts baking soda and one part lemon juice, then apply it to the rusty area with a sponge and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Scrub the metal with a brush or steel wool to remove any rust.
Can you paint over car rust?
Unfortunately, the answer is, “it depends.” Light rust on the vehicle’s surface can be remedied with a paint job, but only if the proper technique is followed; it is not as simple as painting over the rust to hide it.