Author Topic: Removing/Preventing Rust on 96 Civic Wheel Wells  (Read 1269 times)

CestMoi

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Removing/Preventing Rust on 96 Civic Wheel Wells
« on: May 31, 2017, 11:40:17 AM »
Hi! The back wheel wells on my 96 Honda Civic have started to rust, which I know is a common problem with older Hondas. The car used to be garaged, so the rust progressed pretty slowly, and it was only on one wheel well. But now that I keep the car outside in a public garage, both wheel wells have started to rust, and it's rusting more quickly.

When the problem was on only one wheel well, I scraped the rust down with a metal brush, then applied a product called "Permatex Rust Treatment" over the rusted area. After that dried for 24 hours, I applied Honda paint over the area. This seemed to keep the rust at bay for a couple of months, after which I noticed a new area of rust starting on the outskirts of the treated area. Now the other wheel well has also begun to rust.

Is there a relatively inexpensive way to prevent the rust from getting worse? Preferably a solution that doesn't require lots of electric tools and a separate garage to work on the car?

Thanks in advance.

the_fella

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Re: Removing/Preventing Rust on 96 Civic Wheel Wells
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2017, 12:04:50 PM »
The key to doing rust work is to be 1000% sure you have removed ALL of the rust and cleaned the area well. Rust is caused by exposing bare metal to oxygen and moisture. I would suggest using an angle die grinder (or something similar) to remove the rust. This will expose bare metal. Sand the area to be level with the surrounding finish. Make sure you clean it up very well. A tack cloth can work well after you've removed most of the debris. It couldn't hurt to rub the metal down with acetone (this may eat paint, though, so don't get it on the paint). Acetone readily evaporates in air. Once the area is dry, spray a bare metal primer on the metal. Make sure it's designed to be sprayed onto bare metal, as many primers are not. If it's designed for this, the container should say. Once the first layer has dried, I'd spray another layer or two over this. You can then lightly sand this and spray your base coat over it. Once you've done all of this, I'd highly recommend checking the entire panel for rust, and giving any rust you find the same treatment. I'd also highly recommend spraying rubberized coating onto the back of the panel, and any holes that are in it (that are supposed to be there). If you have enough, you might also consider spraying some onto the underside of the car. You're going to have to make sure any area you spray this onto is clean, though.

 

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