Rusting on a car can be a severe problem, causing paint distortion and serious damage to your beloved vehicle. Apart from being ugly, iron oxide can cause corrosion, resulting in vehicle structural damage. This means that damage to the appeal of a car is expected.
However, restoring the underlying chassis will be substantially more costly if the ‘damage’ spreads far. Getting rid of rust on your car is thus about more than simply appearance; it’s also about improving safety and extending the life of your vehicle.
How to fix a rusted car?
Fixing rust spots on the car isn’t difficult, but it takes time (mostly waiting for primer and paint to dry between steps). Supplies such as sandpaper, primer, masking tape, and poly sheeting, as well as a tack rag, polishing compound, touch-up paint, and clear coat, should cost around $100. To treat the most common rust spots on the hood and doors, choose a quiet, cloudy day and block out the entire day.
Step 1: Prepare the car
To mix the touch-up paint into the good portions, you need to tape the leading edge of the poly sheeting a few feet away from the repair.
With a scraper, remove any blistered pints. Using 40-grit sandpaper, sand through the rust patches to the bare metal.
Step 2: Make a sanded area bigger and clean the car
Make the sanded area bigger so you can feather the edges. Then, Feather the margins of the repair area with 120-grit sandpaper. Usually, 220 grit is used to finish the feathering.
Remove particles from the exposed area with a tack rag.
Use a grease-cutting dishwashing detergent to clean the entire uncovered area, then rinse with clean water and allow to dry.
Step 3: Wipe away dust
Wipe away any remaining dust or lint with a lint-free cloth before applying the paint manufacturer’s prep solvent.
Step 4: Apply epoxy primer
Apply epoxy primer first, followed by filler primer. Filler primer should be sprayed in thicker applications to cover the entire restoration area. Blend the can into the surrounding painted area by moving it slightly away from the surface. Use a self-etching epoxy primer as your initial layer to ensure a solid connection to bare metal. Spray two to three medium coats, waiting the required time between coats (typically 15 minutes). Allow an hour for the epoxy to dry to the touch (or longer if the weather is damp).
Step 5: Apply lacquer filler
Wet 1,000-grit sandpaper is used to grind the epoxy primer. Allow drying after washing with clean water. Wipe the cured epoxy primer clean with a lint-free cloth before applying two to three coats of lacquer filler primer, leaving time for each application to dry. Allow at least one hour for the lacquer primer to dry to the touch before sanding.
Step 6: Sand the whole repair
Use 320-grit sandpaper, sand drips, and sags, then sand the entire repair area to a smooth finish. Smooth the primer and feather the edges with wet 600-grit sandpaper. In the end, sand the whole repair, including the blended areas, with wet 1,000-grit sandpaper.
Step 7: Spray the repaired area
Spray the repaired area while holding the spray can about 12 inches away from the surface. Begin at the bottom of the repair and apply the color coat in left-to-right rows, roughly one-third overlapping each pass. In two to three coats, gradually work the color into the repair and surrounding areas.
Allow 10 to 15 minutes between coats after that. Allow at least 60 minutes for the base coat to cure until it is dry to the touch.
Step 8: Applying clear coat
Apply many clear coats, allowing enough time for each coat to dry between coats. Gradually work the clear coat into the surrounding painted areas to achieve a flawless blend line. Allow several hours for the vehicle to dry before driving it and at least 48 hours before polishing it.
Step 9: Hand buff the mended area
Hand-buff the mended area using a buffing compound and an old cotton T-shirt or microfiber cloth; repeat the process in case you are dealing with rust spots on a car again.
Bottom line
If you don’t think of yourself as a DIY master, you have Schneider’s Auto Wrecking Ltd experts to help you with vehicle maintenance. Besides, if your car is damaged beyond the rust, you can also get assistance to buy used auto parts to fix the functionality of a vehicle. Either way, we are here to help with any kind of vehicle maintenance.