How to Repair Rust on a Auto

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 you lot deal with rust early, yous can stop it from spreading and squeeze a few actress years out of your vehicle.

Rust repair isn't difficult, merely information technology is time-consuming (mostly waiting for primer and paint to dry between steps). Program to spend nigh $100 on supplies similar sandpaper, primer, masking tape and poly sheeting, a tack rag, polishing compound and touch-up paint and clear coat. Choose a calm, overcast mean solar day and cake out the full solar day to fix the about common rust spots on the hood and doors.

ⓘ

Project step-by-step (9)

Pace 1

Become Shopping for Supplies

  • First, notice the machine manufacturer'due south paint code.
    • Note: The paint code can exist in a variety of places on the trunk, in the engine compartment or body, or other places. Use either of these online resource to observe instructions on how to locate your paint lawmaking: automotivetouchup.com or duplicolor.com.
  • Purchase automotive touch-upwardly paint in pints and quarts to use in a spray gun, in droplets cans, or in roller brawl applicators.
    • Pro tip: Even if you know how to employ a spray gun, mixing automotive paint with a reducer to match the temperature and humidity conditions tin exist mighty tricky. We don't recommend information technology. Instead, buy aerosol cans for larger repairs and rollerball applicators to fix scratches.
    • Annotation: About late-model vehicles were painted with base glaze/articulate coat pigment. The base coat contains just the pigment and binding resins-the clear coat is just the gloss.
  • Buy equal amounts of both base coat and clear coat.
  • You'll also need an epoxy self-etching primer to bite into the blank metal and a lacquer primer to hold the paint.
  • Buy 40-, 600- and 1,000-grit sandpaper, a sanding block, grease and wax remover, poly sheeting, painter's tape, a tack rag and a microfiber textile.

Step 2

Mask Off the Repair Area

  • Record the leading edge of poly sheeting a few feet away from the repair so you lot'll accept room to blend the touch on-up paint into the expert areas.

Mask Off the Repair Area Car Repair 4

Pace 3

Remove the Rust

  • Fissure off any blistered pint with a scraper.
  • Sand through the rust spots down to the bare metal, using twoscore-dust sandpaper.
  • Enlarge the sanded expanse then you'll have space to feather the edges.
  • Switch to 120-grit sandpaper to plume the edges of the repair area.
  • Complete the feathering with 220 grit.
  • Use a tack rag to remove particles from the unmasked area.

Remove the Rust Car Repair 2

Footstep iv

Clean with Detergent

  • If the rust has created pits in the metal, you can fill them at present with body filler or wait until the epoxy primer dries and apply multiple coats of filler primer.
  • Clean the entire unmasked area with a grease-cutting dishwashing detergent, followed by make clean rinse water.
  • Permit it dry.
  • Wipe the area with a lint-free cloth to remove whatsoever remaining grit or lint.
  • Apply the paint manufacturer's prep solvent.

Clean with Detergent Car Repair 3

Footstep five

Utilise Epoxy Primer, And then Filler Primer

  • Spray the filler primer in heavier coats to cover the entire repair area.
  • Motility the tin can away from the surface slightly and blend it into the surrounding painted area.
    • Pro tip: Self-etching epoxy primer provides a strong bond to bare metal, so utilize it as your first coat.
  • Spray two to iii medium coats, assuasive the recommended wait time listed on the label (normally 15 minutes) betwixt coats.
  • Wait a full hour for the epoxy to dry to the touch (longer if information technology'due south humid outside).

Apply Epoxy Primer, Then Filler Primer Car Repair 5

Step six

Sand the Primer

  • Starting with wet 600-grit sandpaper, smooth the primer and feather the edges.
  • Switch to wet one,000-grit sandpaper to final-sand the entire repair, including the composite areas.
  • Wash with articulate h2o and let dry.
  • Wipe the dried epoxy primer with a lint-free cloth.
  • Apply 2 to three heavier coats of lacquer filler primer, allowing drying fourth dimension between each coat.
  • Let the lacquer primer dry until it'south dry out to the touch—at least one hr—earlier sanding.
  • Sand drips and sags with 320-grit sandpaper.
  • Then final-sand the entire repair area.

Sand the Primer Car Repair 6

Step 7

Apply the Colored Base Coat

  • Holding the spray tin nigh 12 in. away from the surface, spray the repaired area.
  • First at the lesser of the repair and apply the colour glaze in left-to-right rows, overlapping each pass by well-nigh ane-third.
  • Build the color slowly into the repair and surrounding areas in two to 3 coats.
  • Let about 10 to xv minutes between coats.
  • Allow the base coat to dry, until it's dry to the touch on, at least hour.
    • Pro tip: Don't sand the base glaze (especially metallic colors) unless you've created sags. In that case, sand lightly and then respray the touched-up areas.

Apply the Colored Base Coat Car Repair 7

Step 8

Spray on the Clear Coat

  • Employ several coats of clear coat, allowing the recommended drying time betwixt coats.
  • Gradually work the clear coat into the surrounding painted areas to achieve a smooth blend line.
    • Notation: This is the hardest role because all articulate coats run easily and that will ruin the look of your paint task. If you create a run in the clear coat, you'll have to permit it dry out for at to the lowest degree 48 hours before attempting to fix it with fine-grit sandpaper and polishing chemical compound. Then you'll have to respray the sanded area. And so practice spraying on a scrap piece of cardboard to get a experience for the nozzle and the speed of application.
  • Let the clear coat dry for several hours before driving the vehicle and at least 48 hours before buffing.

Spray on the Clear Coat Car Repair 8

Pace 9

Buff the Repair

  • Using an old cotton T-shirt or microfiber cloth and buffing compound, hand-buff the repaired area.
    • Pro tip: Don't utilize a polishing machine for this stride. Await at least thirty days before waxing.

Originally Published: December 31, 2022