Rust removal and rust treatment tips

"A little RUSTic charm"

Rust is metals version of cancer.

Once it gets hold it takes over eating into more and more of the metal. Rust needs Oxygen and moisture to perform its stuff.

When metal is protect by a layer of paint the oxygen cannot penetrate. However a stone chip is all it takes to start off the process.

Initially rust will bubble up the surface of the metal gradually eating deeper and deeper. The earlier it is caught the better it will be.

A rust spot will need to be thoroughly treated.

1) Sand down the rust spot until you get back to bare metal.

2) Cover the area with a rust inhibitor which will act as an undercoat/key for the next stages.

3) Fill the depression caused by sanding with filler, smooth and sand off. (If the depression is only small you may well get away with a thicker coat of paint.

4) Cover the area with paint as per our stone chip repair guide and then finish with some cutting paste and a clear coat.

Rust is essentially a form of metal cancer and should be dealt with immediately. If allowed to get a hold the repair becomes more costly and difficult.

When the rust is a little more serious, for example on wings and the bottoms of doors your only real option is to cut away the damage metal and weld in a new panel. Doors can usually be replaced cheaply from the breakers yard and repainted which is usually easier than a repair.

 Front wings are also easy to replace and paint. Anything on the rear wing and structural areas with rust will need a new panel welding in to properly sort it.

Be sure to cut the rust thoroughly away and then cover the area with a rust inhibitor to prevent further damage from forming whilst you are working on the area.

Rust prevention is far easier to do than rust repair. The most obvious way to guard against surface rust is to apply a wax coating every 6 months. See our article on wax and polish for more information on this.

In addition to this there are a number of corrosion inhibitors on the market which are typically sprayed under the car and behind panels. TorqueCars would recommend this is applied in a number of thin coats. Special care should be taken to prevent the drain holes in the bottom of the panels from getting clogged up.

It would be a good idea to place a piece of blunt wire through each drain hole to ensure that it is not blocked. The last thing you want to do is to allow water to collect inside the panel or door.

Many leaks can be a sign of rust, usually they are just caused by broken rubber seals but the area should be fully investigated for rust. One frustrating area to get rust in is around the windscreen. We have known cars that have gone in for a windscreen replacement to require extensive work to the frames due to rust caused by ingression of water.

If you require any more information on the treatment of rust or general care of your car please join us in our friendly forum where our resident enthusiasts will be able to provide tips and advice. 

If you liked this page please share it with your friends, drop a link to it in your favourite forum or use the bookmarking options to save it to your social media profile.

Check out TorqueCars new YouTube channel, and see their awesome new content...

Feedback

Please use our forums if you wish to ask a tuning question, and please note we do not sell parts or services, we are just an online magazine.

Help us improve, leave a suggestion or tip

Your Constructive comments on this article





TorqueCars Forums

Join TorqueCars our sister site to read over 300,000 posts on modified and tuned cars and tips.

This will also allow full access to their car project features, gallery and some and exclusive member only areas.




Forum Hot topics



Rebore Engine

Increase engine displacement with a rebore.
Read more...

Turbos Vs Superchargers

Comparison of Turbo’s and superchargers
Read more...

Chrome Paint

Custom car Chrome paint effect
Read more...

Engine Dress Up

Engine styling dress up kits hoses, dress up parts and engine covers
Read more...

Oil Change

How to do a DIY oil change on your car.
Read more...

Irmscher Corsa

Latest Corsa Gets An Irmscher Make Over
Read more...

MPG Calculator 2

MPG calculator UK miles per Gallon – calculate MPG
Read more...