Repairing Rust on Auto Body
All car manufacturers admit even brand new cars rolling out of their production line have some rust in its body. The rust could be somewhere in hard to reach areas of cars’ metal joints, corners and insides of double walls. Rust will only show after a number of years and for rust coming from the insides of double walls would appear only when the sheet metal is about to rust out. From the inside, rust would have eaten away the metal and the paint starts to bubble and chip off. This is one thing car owners do not want to encounter.
Minor or mild or rust can be addressed by cleaning it off with steel and bronze wire brush. Doing it manually instead of using power tool is advised. Too much abrasion with power grinders or sanding wears away metal sheet not rusted. Note that rust has tentacles where rust could start from. They look like small roots of a plant. Sometimes, real small roots or tentacles can be suppressed or killed by rust converters or rubbing alcohol. Applying immediately primer paint with brush or spray within 24 hours after drying gives better results.
Rusted out metal not essential to body structure strength and support can easily be repaired with aluminum, fiberglass or carbon fiber patch. Those essential to body support and strength have to be welded with new metal sheet of the same thickness. Again, with double wall patches for body support or strengthening will leave the other side bare from rust protection. Services of a rust-proofing expert will need to be employed to rustproof hard to reach areas.
Easy to reach areas repaired from rust can easily be protected from advanced rusting by applying protective coats of rust converter, primer and coats of color paint. Using non-metal or aluminum patches prevents rusting of the repair. Therefore, areas of metal adjacent to the repaired area should have been treated well and properly with anti-rust. Cotton balls with rubbing alcohol works wonders if it could be inserted in far reaching inside areas where air hardly gets into. Rubbing alcohol has mild antirust properties. It will evaporate from cotton balls and spread throughout a sealed area providing alcohol tainted air with rust protection properties.
Outside visible auto rust is easier to fix compared to those hard to reach and see areas. Pinhead sized rust holes can easily be sanded and repaired with Bondo auto body filler. If rust damage can be repaired inside and out, it will be better. Repairing rust damage only on one side will be temporary and could be worse in the long run. Repairing rust-outs larger than golf-ball size is best to be done by a tinsmith. Tinsmiths usually cut a larger portion to be replaced with new sheet or galvanized metal. Welding metal to metal also offers better rigidity and strength especially to support frame work.
