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Rust removal and rust treatment tips

Rust is metal's 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 protected by a layer of paint, the oxygen cannot penetrate into metal. 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 rectified the better it will be. A rust spot will need to be thoroughly treated. Here are some steps that where the rust in the vehicle can be scraped off. Sand down the rust spot until you get back to bare metal. Cover the area with a rust inhibitor which will act as an undercoat/key for the next stages. 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. Cover the area with paint and then finish with some cutting paste and a clear coat.

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 damaged metal and weld in a new panel. Doors can usually be replaced cheaply from the junk 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 six 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. Carazoo.com 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.

Broken rubber seals in the car usually can cause the rust to settle in. One frustrating area to get rust is around the windscreen. Old cars that have gone in for a windscreen replacement requires extensive work to the frames due to rust caused by ingression of water.