Repairing Rust Spots on Car

How can I repair rust spots on an old car? I want to do it at home.

By patricia a dufresne from Canada

Answers:

Repairing Rust Spots on Car

I've watched my husband work on our cars, and what he does is; first he sands the area very well using sandpaper made for metal. We have an electric sander, so that makes the job a little easier. Try to remove as much of the rust as you can. My husband sands down to the bare metal in an effort to remove all of the rust. Then he covers the rust spot with a two-part auto body repair product such as Bondo (follow the directions on the package to mix it).

He puts the product on with a plastic putty knife, covering all of the rust, and then smooths it out as much as he can. If the rust has caused a hole in the metal that is large enough to give you problems when you try to fill it, you can put a piece of metal screen behind the hole and then apply the Bondo or whatever product you choose.

After the body filler has dried, he sands it to remove all the irregularities, and then he sands it again with a finer grit sandpaper to make it as smooth as possible. After he is done sanding, he cleans the area very well and then sprays on a coat of primer. When the primer dries, he adds a finish coat. You can buy small cans of spray paint to match almost every car color in your local automotive supply store, as well as, in the auto department at Wal-mart.

The salesperson should also be able to help you choose the best product for your needs, and maybe give you a little free advice on how to use it. Good luck. (05/04/2009)

By Patricia Eldridge

Repairing Rust Spots on Car

It can be done, but it won't last and the color won't match. Maybe a year or do. First you have to wash and de-wax the area to be repaired. Then sand the area to remove the rust and sand beyond the rust area into the old paint. You may have to use a coarse then a fine grit sandpaper. Because you do not have a spray gun you will have to use aerosol paint spray cans.

Spray the sanded area with a primer. When dry scuff with a nylon pad then apply the top coat. You have to determine whether to use lacquer or enamel paint. Also the paint in the spray can is the closest match possible. You old car paint most likely has faded so you will not get a perfect match.

When one tries to do this type of repair it doesn't last very long. To get a good job I would let a body shop give an estimate to see how much it would cost and to see if it is feasible to spend the money. A autobody supply store should also be of help. You can find them in the yellow pages. (05/04/2009)

By Deanj