Spring Auto Body Rust Repair Tips

Auto body rust repair is a common concern with older cars in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Dents or scratching can wear away paint and expose metal to the weather. Living in a snowy environment like what we see in St. Peters, St. Charles, O'Fallon, and Lake St. Louis, Missouri may also add to the possibility for rust damage, as road salt and other ice removal accelerants may cause rust damage over time. However the rust formed, keep these rust repair tips from Jungerman CARSTAR in mind to restore your car body to like-new condition:

Inspect Your Vehicle’s Surface Carefully

The first step in adequately dealing with auto body rust is determining the extent of the damage. If you've got a vintage car, you may think about going over all surfaces of your vehicle with a fine tooth comb. This is because rust doesn't always materialize as dark-red discoloration. Instead, what you should be looking for are little bubbles in the painted surface of the automobile. If these bubbles can be found, it's likely that rust is hiding underneath.

Removing Rust

Auto body rust repair is almost always better dealt with by the auto body pros, such as those at Jungerman CARSTAR in St. Peters, Missouri. However, if you've got some car repair experience and the patch of corrosion is no greater than four inches in diameter, then it might be feasible to eliminate the rust yourself. To do so, you’ll want to utilize a sanding disc with 100-grit sandpaper on the affected area. Working slowly, sand away the rust, along with the immediate area neighboring the corrosion. This will create an even plane for paint adhesion.

Additional Sanding

Once the rust has been gotten rid of, it is recommended that you sand the spot with sequentially finer grit sizes. For instance, a second pass may include 120-grit sandpaper and a third pass might benefit from a 150-grit sandpaper. Once sanded carefully, tack cloth is recommended for removing any metal or dirt debris.

Priming and Painting

Three to four light coats of self-etching primer are suggested for auto body rust repair jobs. Before priming, block off the encompassing body paint by using newspaper and masking tape. Wait about five to ten minutes before applying each consecutive coat. Then, hold off until the day after to apply the paint. Apply the paint in a similar, light-coated manner. After five or six coats, leave the paint to dry out overnight, then come back and take away the newspaper and masking tape. A wash and wax may be helpful once the repair is finished.