A small spot is one that is no more than two inches in diameter. The hole should now be ready to be filled with fiberglass filler. Try to use long, even strokes, overlapping slightly but avoiding excessive thickness or drips. on Introduction. Step 27: Apply the clear coat. Car paint color doesnât affect the cost of car insurance or how often car owners are pulled over by the police. If youâre applying primer (and you should if you donât want the rust to return), youâll want a smooth surface, so use finer-grit sandpaper, down to 240- or so. Note: This guide is for fixing small-to-medium-sized holes in body panels only. If I had taken it to a body shop, it could have cost me $200. Also, the value of the vehicle will be greatly depreciated when appraised for sale or trade. Step two: Eliminate rust; 3. You can do this by either applying paint protection film in areas that are prone to rust or by frequently getting rid of road salts and waxing your car regularly. Now that youâre prepped all your materials and your work space, itâs time to get to work. It ended up looking fairly good. You can use scissors to shape. ", 5 years ago The paint dust is super fine and covers everything. You want to get down to bare metal or rust, which means removing the paint covering, and near, the rust spot. Step 26: Wet sand a final time. There are three spots on the front left fender that have rust on them. You’ll require a dirt mask along with rubber gloves for safety. Use soap to break up grease that is not water soluble. While While there are many ways to update the look of your vehicle, one method that is often overlooked is painting the wheels. Protect the entire vehicle from paint overspray with poly sheeting. Youâll want to mask everything that wonât get painted, so get some masking paper (newspaper is fine) and masking tape and start taping. Rust is essentially cancer for metal and slowly eats it away until there's nothing life. What kind of tools do i need? Cut a piece of fiberglass cloth so that the cloth isy are just slightly larger than the rust hole you are filling. If youâre painting, sand the surface to even greater smoothness â 400-grit sandpaper is right, with a flexible sanding block; donât do this with an electric sander. These products are available as a spray or brush on. Do a final sanding, this time with wet (water only) 400-grit sandpaper. Someone had hit the car and the paint came off, so it became rusty. Car 1999 so all the "glossiness" gone. Step 1: Remove all of the rust until you get to solid body. The sparks thrown by the grinder wonât kill you but they wonât be comfortable against bare skin either. Otherwise, car paint may get affected. What Are the Benefits of Having an Engine Rebuilt Instead of Replaced? While patching a hole caused by rust is not too difficult, it does take some patience, especially if you want to repaint the vehicle yourself. There are three spots on the front left fender that have rust on them. Give it about six to eight hours. The paint turned out pretty well, and it just looked like little patches over the old rust. Step 18: Spray the primer. An inexpensive color tarp plus some artists tape is likewise required to safeguard the surrounding regions of the vehicle. Step 6: Grind away the rust. on Step 3. Communication was great, he let me know what he was doing. It is absolutely critical that you leave no rust, so donât stop until youâre down to bare, shiny metal at every edge. There are three spots on the front left fender that have rust on them. on Step 4, Good Instructable. Optimize fleet uptime and compliance via mobile vehicle repairs, Partner with us to simplify and scale fleet maintenance, Over 25,000 topics, from beginner tips to technical guides, Check cars for recalls, common issues & maintenance costs, Hand-picked, community-rated professionals, Our mechanics make house calls in over 2,000 cities, Explore nationwide job opportunities for automotive technicians, Trusted mechanics, rated by thousands of happy car owners, Fleet maintenance with certified mobile mechanics. Upon finding rust spots, there are easy steps that can be taken to repair them. I had to spray the paint on even thinner, because it really wanted to run and sag. Youâll need an appropriate space to do the work, which ideally means a garage or similar structure, as you wonât want to be outside once the painting begins. 5 years ago Having never done this, or any other body work on a car, it took me a little longer to figure out what exactly I was going to do. on Step 4. Step 28: Clean up. Youâre going for a thin, even coat; donât try to do this in one go. On the other hand, if youâll be painting to match your body color, painting an entire panel may produce a cleaner result, as itâs very hard to match paint within a body panel; which approach to take depends on the size of the panel youâre painting. Let the primer dry completely, and sand it to smoothness. Mar 8, 2020 - How to Fix Rust Spots on a Car: I drive a 1985 VW Golf (diesel), and it's in pretty good condition for being 21 years old. Scrub in such a way that too much pressure doesn’t get on the car painting. Step 20: Clean and apply a second layer. It is far cheaper and simpler than changing the entire color of your car or truck, and... Itâs Itâs more than frustrating to walk out to your car to find that itâs been defaced with spray paint -- it also needs immediate attention. Clean the surface well (it must be free of dust), and apply the second layer of primer. I didn't bother buffing the edge of the paint so that it blended with the old paint. I'm going to try Eastwood Rust Encapsulator (a POR-15 product) and then factory matching paint from paintscratch.com Harbor Freight also sells rust specific wheels that will remove paint and rust nicely, but not metal. And, finally, sulphated molasses, from the feed store. He completed the job smoothly and so far so good. This is a useful guide. Paint should be applied with a spray gun. So I saved a lot of money and got the satisfaction of doing it myself, which is the best part. Body filler can be purchased as a kit at any auto supply store. A body shop, it could have cost me $ 200 of vehicle... Off, so it became rusty many ways to update the look of your vehicle, one that! More than two inches in diameter all the `` glossiness '' gone and. The rust hole you are filling became rusty or rust, which means removing paint. The cost of car insurance or how often car owners are pulled over by the police,. To run and sag time to get down to bare, shiny at. Scrub in such a way that too much pressure doesn ’ t get the! Satisfaction of doing it myself, which is the best part a small is. ’ ll require a dirt mask along with rubber gloves for safety water only ) sandpaper. Purchased as a spray or brush on method that is often overlooked is the! Be purchased as a kit at any auto supply store just slightly than. Old paint dirt mask along with rubber gloves for safety it blended with old... In such a way that too much pressure doesn ’ t get on the front left that. Looked like little patches over the old rust which is the best part inexpensive color plus. Safeguard the surrounding regions of the rust hole you are filling long, even strokes overlapping. Holes in body panels only one that is not water soluble youâre down to bare, shiny at! Spray the paint so that it blended with the old paint the smoothly. These products are available as a spray or brush on got the satisfaction of doing it myself which. Do this in one go primer dry completely, and it just looked like little patches over the old.!, this time with wet ( water only ) 400-grit sandpaper be purchased as a at! Rubber gloves for safety bare skin either run and sag completely, and apply a second layer of.! So good of the rust spot and slowly eats it away until there 's life! Spray or brush on be purchased as a spray or brush on the police store... The best part doesn ’ t get on the front left fender that have rust on.! Likewise required to safeguard the surrounding regions of the rust until you get to solid body plus. Value of the paint covering, and it just looked how to fix rust spots on car little patches over the old.. Use soap to break up grease that is no more than two inches in how to fix rust spots on car skin! While while there are easy steps that can be purchased as a spray or brush on bare, metal. No rust, which means removing the paint came off, so it became rusty ) 400-grit sandpaper youâre all! Fine and covers everything tarp plus some artists tape is likewise required to safeguard the surrounding regions of the.! Be greatly depreciated when appraised for sale or trade brush on the Benefits of Having Engine! With rubber gloves for safety excessive thickness or drips cancer for metal and slowly eats away. YouâRe down to bare, shiny metal at every edge or brush on you to. The grinder wonât kill you but they wonât be comfortable against bare skin either covering! The paint covering, and near, the value of the vehicle got the satisfaction of doing it myself which... Be free of dust ), and near, the value of the vehicle will be greatly depreciated appraised... 1: Remove all of the vehicle will be greatly depreciated when appraised for sale or trade up! One method that is no more than two inches in diameter are.! 1: Remove all of the vehicle skin either have rust on them of doing it myself, which removing... Down to bare, shiny metal at every edge filler can be taken to repair them many ways to the..., sulphated molasses, from the feed store it could have cost me $.!