Rust is the equivalent of cancer for vehicles, often spreading quickly and eventually rendering the entire vehicle inoperative. Examine your vehicle’s body for rust spots on a regular basis, especially if you live in an area where salt is used to clear winter roads. The most common areas damaged by rust are wheel wells and panels behind the tires where dirt, debris and moisture are trapped to encourage rust formation. Small bubbles beneath the paint are a sign of rust and may hide extensive damage.
Find It and Deal with It
• Carefully use a razor blade, putty knife or flat-head screwdriver to scrape away loose paint from the rusting area. Be careful not to mar undamaged areas nearby.
• Scrape away all chips and scales of rust, checking both sides of the area for damage. You must remove all loose rust.
• It’s OK if you poke holes in the rusted area as you remove the damage. Remember, all rusted metal must be eliminated. Keep cutting the rotted metal using tin snips or a coarse file to reveal 1/8-inch of undamaged metal around the hole.
• Use a wire brush and 60-80-grit sandpaper to clean the exposed metal, sanding until you see solid shiny metal.
• Gently sand with a 150-220-grit sandpaper and feather out the area into the good paint around it.
• Use a plastic brush to clean the area with warm water and gentle soap to remove grime. Dry thoroughly.
• Check again for rust areas and use a rust remover compound (such as Naval Jelly) to remove rust from any pitted areas that you can’t reach with sandpaper.
• Sand all affected areas once again with a fresh sheet of 150-220-grit sandpaper, then wash and dry it again, allowing it to cool and dry completely.
• Apply a first coat of primer as soon as possible to inhibit rust from forming again.
