Fixing rust on a car -- do it ourselves???

[KBecks2]

My husband's car has some rust spots developing.  I was thinking we would take it in for repair, then came across this article:

http://www.wikihow.com/Repair-Minor-Rust-on-a-Car

Have you ever repaired rust on your vehicle?  We have never done anything like this before.  I am not certain we can pull it off in terms of complete rust removal. 

Anyone know how much rust removal costs by a body shop?   His car is very old, 200k+ miles but it is still running well and we should take care of what we have, even if we are going to sell it down the road. 

Likewise, my van has a bumper (plastic) that is cracked and doesn't look good.  I have let it be, but i would like a better looking bumper -- but, I like keeping money in the bank.

Let me know what you know about rust -- THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[Spork]

I have fixed minor rust spots... much like the article you linked suggested.  If it is just surface rust and isn't bubbling and flaking, I think it is fine.

In my case, the cars were either beaters (and I didn't care what the final outcome looked like) or they were in inconspicuous places (under the hood, etc).   I didn't bother with color matching... I just got a good coat of rusty metal primer on there after sanding to bare metal.   I still have one of them that was treated this way > 30 years ago.  It seems to be working.

[Transmatic]

What make and model is your husbands car? I ask because some vehicles, like Chevy and Dodge trucks, are known for having rust problems due to bad paint that was used by the manufacturer.

Spork provided some great advice. I'd also advise you to look at different products that you can spray directly on to the rust, such as Rustoleum's rust stop, which can be sprayed directly on the problem area with little to no prep.

As Spork mentioned, if it's just surface rust I wouldn't be too concerned although it never hurts to try and slow the progression of the rust. The most important thing you can do is ensure that you rinse your vehicle (especially underneath) often in the winter time to keep all the salt from the winter road conditions off your vehicle.

With 200k miles, I'm not surprised you are seeing some rust. It happens. I have a 1999 Chevy picky up truck that I use to operate a side business. The old Chevy's are known for having rust issues. I touch up around the rear wheel wells and the rocker panels about 3 times a year just to help slow it down. However once the bad rust starts, there isn't a whole lot you can do short of cutting the section out and replacing then painting.

[frugaliknowit]

It depends on how old the car is and how bad the rust is.  If we are talking about multiple rust spots, deeper than the surface, you probably want to seek professional advise (get some estimates) before doing the youtube repair.  If the car is very old with 200K on it and not much useful life left in it, it might make sense to leave it and let it rot.

[KBecks2]

The car is a 2001 Acura TL and the rust is by a rear wheel.

[warfruit]

If this is not just surface rust (and I doubt that it is), it would be very costly to repair - you'd be looking at welding new metal onto the panel and painting a large part of the car.  If it's not /in/ the metal, you might get away with sanding it away, possibly using filler, and repainting.

For a car from 2001, the likelihood of it being an economical repair is tiny.  Usually rust on the arches looks nasty, but doesn't have any huge impact to the vehicle (like, say - rusting brake pipes). 

If you want it fixed primarily for looks, then bear in mind that car body work is quite a skill, and sometimes you can make things look a lot worse :-)

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

We've been rocking some stellar rust on our 200K+ mile 1996 Honda Odyssey for the last few years. We were worried the Boston winters would eat away at the rust (through ice and ice melt), but so far so good. It's just rust and it doesn't seem to impact the performance of the vehicle at all. I think the rust is going to outlast the car at this point...

So my two cents is to just ignore it.

[William]

I'm going to fix the rust (similar to yours) that's starting on my car.  I'll document it on my blog.

But until then, poke at the rust with a screwdriver.  If the screwdriver goes through, you'll have to patch in a new panel.  If it doesn't you can grind it down, fill it with body filler, and respray.

The biggest concern is that you fix this bit and notice more... and more... and more.  At what point then do you call it quits?

I've analyzed my car and the rust I have is pretty darn contained (I think lol) so I'm going to tackle it.  It should be fun!

But, yes, body work is an art.  I've painted a car and it's much harder to get right than most people would think.

[ragnathor]

​Hi all,

I decide​d to resurrect this thread since it was relevant rather than start a new one.

I have a fairly small bit of rust on my car from when my roof got dinged up (?hail, not sure how) a few months ago. Its a 2009 Camry with 60k miles. I don't care about the aesthetics, but I was told if I don't take care of it it can cause me bigger problems later. If I'm keeping this car another 10+ years I wonder what some of the more experienced readers here think about whether it will become a problem and if I should fix it.

Thanks!

[BlueMR2]

But, yes, body work is an art.  I've painted a car and it's much harder to get right than most people would think.

Especially today.  The newer, more environmentally safe paints are much harder to get a good finish with.  High end cars are coming from the factory (where the best equipment is) with orange peel that years ago would have been considered unacceptable from even your local shade tree body guy.  Defects are the new normal in painting.  :-)