The appearance of rust on your vehicle can be frustrating. However, if the damage is deep and widespread, the best way to fix it is to have it restored by a professional auto repair service. For extensive repairs, you may be required to replace certain parts or sections of your vehicle. This condition may be too complicated for your DIY skills.
For smaller damages, you can try fixing it yourself. However, before you start to repair your vehicle, always make sure that you wear the proper safety gear including goggles, rubber gloves, and face mask.
Here are some of the steps you can follow.
- Assess the damage.
For minor repairs, you may just need to sand the surface to get rid of the rust. You can paint over the sanded portion to refurbish it. However, if the rust has already created a hole in the metal, you should use a body filler to fill in the gap. Once the filler becomes hard, you can use a primer and paint to restore it.
- Grind it.
This effectively removes the rust. If you want a smoother metal surface, use a sandpaper to even out the area.
- Prime it.
After grinding and sanding, apply a primer. You can follow the instructions on how to apply primer on the affected area.
Just mix car soap and water and wash the affected areas before painting on it. Make sure you seal and tape the area around the affected part. Then start priming it. Wait at least two minutes in between coatings before applying the second layer of primer.
- Paint it.
Let the paint sit for at least 24 hours before you remove the taped areas. Before applying the paint, test it on a sample area first so that you can see if the color will match your car’s paint.
- Apply a wax over it.