How to Repair Rust on a Car

As long as vehicle body panels are made from steel, they're going to rust.

Introduction

Sooner or later, rust on cars is inevitable. However, if y'all deal with rust early on, you lot can end it from spreading and squeeze a few extra years out of your vehicle.

Rust repair isn't hard, merely it is fourth dimension-consuming (mostly waiting for primer and paint to dry between steps). Plan to spend about $100 on supplies like sandpaper, primer, masking record and poly sheeting, a tack rag, polishing chemical compound and touch-up paint and clear coat. Cull a calm, overcast twenty-four hours and block out the full day to fix the most common rust spots on the hood and doors.

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Project step-by-step (9)

Step 1

Go Shopping for Supplies

  • Starting time, find the car manufacturer'south paint lawmaking.
    • Note: The paint code can be in a variety of places on the torso, in the engine compartment or trunk, or other places. Utilize either of these online resource to find instructions on how to locate your paint code: automotivetouchup.com or duplicolor.com.
  • Buy automotive touch-upwards paint in pints and quarts to utilize in a spray gun, in aerosol cans, or in roller brawl applicators.
    • Pro tip: Even if you know how to use a spray gun, mixing automotive paint with a reducer to match the temperature and humidity conditions can be mighty catchy. We don't recommend information technology. Instead, buy droplets cans for larger repairs and rollerball applicators to fix scratches.
    • Annotation: Most belatedly-model vehicles were painted with base coat/articulate coat pigment. The base coat contains but the paint and binding resins-the clear glaze is only the gloss.
  • Buy equal amounts of both base coat and articulate glaze.
  • Y'all'll also demand an epoxy self-etching primer to bite into the bare metal and a lacquer primer to hold the paint.
  • Buy 40-, 600- and 1,000-dust sandpaper, a sanding cake, grease and wax remover, poly sheeting, painter'south tape, a tack rag and a microfiber cloth.

Step ii

Mask Off the Repair Area

  • Tape the leading border of poly sheeting a few anxiety abroad from the repair so y'all'll have room to blend the touch-up paint into the good areas.

Mask Off the Repair Area Car Repair 4

Step 3

Remove the Rust

  • Cleft off any blistered pint with a scraper.
  • Sand through the rust spots downwardly to the bare metal, using 40-dust sandpaper.
  • Enlarge the sanded area so you lot'll have space to plumage the edges.
  • Switch to 120-grit sandpaper to plume the edges of the repair area.
  • Complete the feathering with 220 grit.
  • Apply a tack rag to remove particles from the unmasked area.

Remove the Rust Car Repair 2

Step four

Clean with Detergent

  • If the rust has created pits in the metal, you can fill them now with body filler or await until the epoxy primer dries and apply multiple coats of filler primer.
  • Clean the unabridged unmasked area with a grease-cut dishwashing detergent, followed by clean rinse h2o.
  • Permit it dry out.
  • Wipe the surface area with a lint-free cloth to remove whatever remaining grit or lint.
  • Apply the paint manufacturer's prep solvent.

Clean with Detergent Car Repair 3

Step five

Apply Epoxy Primer, Then Filler Primer

  • Spray the filler primer in heavier coats to cover the unabridged repair area.
  • Move the can abroad from the surface slightly and blend it into the surrounding painted area.
    • Pro tip: Self-etching epoxy primer provides a potent bond to blank metal, and so utilise information technology every bit your first coat.
  • Spray two to three medium coats, assuasive the recommended look time listed on the label (usually fifteen minutes) between coats.
  • Wait a full hour for the epoxy to dry to the impact (longer if it's humid outside).

Apply Epoxy Primer, Then Filler Primer Car Repair 5

Step 6

Sand the Primer

  • Starting with moisture 600-dust sandpaper, smooth the primer and feather the edges.
  • Switch to moisture 1,000-dust sandpaper to last-sand the unabridged repair, including the blended areas.
  • Launder with clear water and permit dry.
  • Wipe the stale epoxy primer with a lint-gratis cloth.
  • Employ two to three heavier coats of lacquer filler primer, allowing drying time between each coat.
  • Let the lacquer primer dry out until information technology'southward dry to the bear upon—at least 1 hour—earlier sanding.
  • Sand drips and sags with 320-grit sandpaper.
  • Then final-sand the entire repair area.

Sand the Primer Car Repair 6

Pace 7

Apply the Colored Base Coat

  • Holding the spray can virtually 12 in. abroad from the surface, spray the repaired expanse.
  • Commencement at the bottom of the repair and employ the color glaze in left-to-right rows, overlapping each laissez passer by about one-third.
  • Build the color slowly into the repair and surrounding areas in two to 3 coats.
  • Allow about 10 to 15 minutes between coats.
  • Allow the base coat to dry out, until it's dry to the impact, at least 60 minutes.
    • Pro tip: Don't sand the base coat (especially metallic colors) unless you've created sags. In that case, sand lightly then respray the touched-up areas.

Apply the Colored Base Coat Car Repair 7

Stride eight

Spray on the Clear Coat

  • Utilize several coats of clear coat, assuasive the recommended drying time between coats.
  • Gradually work the articulate coat into the surrounding painted areas to reach a smooth blend line.
    • Note: This is the hardest part because all clear coats run easily and that will ruin the look of your paint job. If yous create a run in the clear coat, y'all'll take to allow it dry out for at least 48 hours before attempting to ready it with fine-grit sandpaper and polishing compound. Then you lot'll have to respray the sanded area. So practice spraying on a scrap piece of cardboard to get a feel for the nozzle and the speed of application.
  • Let the clear coat dry out for several hours earlier driving the vehicle and at least 48 hours before buffing.

Spray on the Clear Coat Car Repair 8

Step ix

Buff the Repair

  • Using an former cotton wool T-shirt or microfiber textile and buffing compound, hand-buff the repaired expanse.
    • Pro tip: Don't use a polishing machine for this step. Wait at least 30 days before waxing.

Originally Published: December 31, 2022