How to Repair Rust on a Car

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

Introduction

Sooner or later, rust on cars is inevitable. However, if you lot deal with rust early on, you can stop information technology from spreading and squeeze a few extra years out of your vehicle.

Rust repair isn't hard, simply it is time-consuming (mostly waiting for primer and pigment to dry between steps). Plan to spend most $100 on supplies like sandpaper, primer, masking tape and poly sheeting, a tack rag, polishing compound and impact-upwards pigment and clear coat. Cull a at-home, overcast 24-hour interval and block out the full day to fix the most common rust spots on the hood and doors.

ⓘ

Project step-by-footstep (9)

Step i

Become Shopping for Supplies

  • Kickoff, observe the car manufacturer'southward pigment code.
    • Note: The paint lawmaking can exist in a variety of places on the body, in the engine compartment or trunk, or other places. Use either of these online resources to find instructions on how to locate your paint lawmaking: automotivetouchup.com or duplicolor.com.
  • Buy automotive touch-up pigment in pints and quarts to use in a spray gun, in aerosol cans, or in roller ball applicators.
    • Pro tip: Even if you know how to apply a spray gun, mixing automotive paint with a reducer to lucifer the temperature and humidity weather can be mighty tricky. Nosotros don't recommend it. Instead, purchase aerosol cans for larger repairs and rollerball applicators to fix scratches.
    • Note: Most late-model vehicles were painted with base of operations coat/clear coat paint. The base of operations coat contains merely the paint and binding resins-the articulate coat is but the gloss.
  • Purchase equal amounts of both base coat and clear glaze.
  • Y'all'll as well need an epoxy self-etching primer to bite into the bare metal and a lacquer primer to concur the paint.
  • Buy 40-, 600- and 1,000-grit sandpaper, a sanding cake, grease and wax remover, poly sheeting, painter's record, a tack rag and a microfiber textile.

Step 2

Mask Off the Repair Area

  • Tape the leading edge of poly sheeting a few anxiety away from the repair then you'll accept room to blend the touch-upwardly paint into the good areas.

Mask Off the Repair Area Car Repair 4

Step 3

Remove the Rust

  • Crack off whatsoever blistered pint with a scraper.
  • Sand through the rust spots down to the bare metallic, using xl-grit sandpaper.
  • Enlarge the sanded area so you'll have infinite to feather the edges.
  • Switch to 120-grit sandpaper to plumage the edges of the repair area.
  • Complete the feathering with 220 grit.
  • Utilize a tack rag to remove particles from the unmasked area.

Remove the Rust Car Repair 2

Stride 4

Make clean with Detergent

  • If the rust has created pits in the metal, you can fill up them at present with body filler or wait until the epoxy primer dries and apply multiple coats of filler primer.
  • Clean the unabridged 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 any remaining dust or lint.
  • Apply the paint manufacturer's prep solvent.

Clean with Detergent Car Repair 3

Step 5

Apply Epoxy Primer, Then Filler Primer

  • Spray the filler primer in heavier coats to embrace the unabridged repair surface area.
  • Motility the can away from the surface slightly and blend it into the surrounding painted area.
    • Pro tip: Self-etching epoxy primer provides a potent bond to bare metal, so use it as your kickoff coat.
  • Spray ii to three medium coats, allowing the recommended wait time listed on the characterization (usually 15 minutes) between coats.
  • Wait a full hour for the epoxy to dry to the touch (longer if information technology'southward boiling outside).

Apply Epoxy Primer, Then Filler Primer Car Repair 5

Step vi

Sand the Primer

  • Starting with moisture 600-dust sandpaper, smooth the primer and plume the edges.
  • Switch to wet one,000-grit sandpaper to final-sand the entire repair, including the blended areas.
  • Launder with clear water and let dry.
  • Wipe the dried epoxy primer with a lint-free cloth.
  • Utilise 2 to three heavier coats of lacquer filler primer, allowing drying time between each coat.
  • Permit the lacquer primer dry until it'south dry to the touch—at to the lowest degree 1 hour—before sanding.
  • Sand drips and sags with 320-grit sandpaper.
  • Then final-sand the entire repair area.

Sand the Primer Car Repair 6

Footstep 7

Employ the Colored Base of operations Coat

  • Holding the spray can nigh 12 in. away from the surface, spray the repaired area.
  • Start at the bottom of the repair and apply the color coat in left-to-right rows, overlapping each pass by nigh one-third.
  • Build the color slowly into the repair and surrounding areas in ii to three coats.
  • Allow about 10 to 15 minutes between coats.
  • Allow the base of operations coat to dry, until it's dry out to the impact, at least 60 minutes.
    • Pro tip: Don't sand the base of operations coat (especially metallic colors) unless you lot've created sags. In that case, sand lightly so respray the touched-upward areas.

Apply the Colored Base Coat Car Repair 7

Step 8

Spray on the Articulate Coat

  • Apply several coats of clear glaze, allowing the recommended drying fourth dimension between coats.
  • Gradually work the clear coat into the surrounding painted areas to achieve a smoothen blend line.
    • Note: This is the hardest part 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 lot'll take to permit it dry for at to the lowest degree 48 hours before attempting to ready information technology with fine-grit sandpaper and polishing compound. Then you'll have to respray the sanded surface area. And then practice spraying on a scrap piece of paper-thin to get a feel for the nozzle and the speed of application.
  • Let the clear glaze dry out for several hours before driving the vehicle and at least 48 hours before buffing.

Spray on the Clear Coat Car Repair 8

Footstep 9

Buff the Repair

  • Using an old cotton T-shirt or microfiber cloth and buffing compound, hand-vitrify the repaired area.
    • Pro tip: Don't use a polishing automobile for this step. Wait at least xxx days before waxing.