DIY rusty body repair

In detail: DIY repair of a rusty body from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Sooner or later, corrosion can appear on any car, and the sooner you start fighting it, the less the body will suffer. But how to get rid of rust so that it no longer appears on the affected area and at the same time the car returns an attractive appearance? We have prepared a step-by-step description of the process of removing rust with subsequent protection of the body from corrosion in the article.

Before removing rust spots from the body, you must thoroughly wash it so that the surface of the car is perfectly clean. The fact is that the affected areas are poorly visible on a dirty surface; moreover, without observing this requirement, it is impossible to qualitatively perform the subsequent finishing and protection of the metal from corrosion.

If the corroded area is difficult to access due to other parts, they must be dismantled. This can be a bumper, molding, turn signal, emblem, etc. In addition, the surfaces around the area affected by rust must be pasted over with masking tape so as not to damage them during work and not to stain with paint. This completes the preparatory actions.

In order to quickly and efficiently get rid of rust on the car body at home, you need to prepare the following set of tools:

  • an angle grinder or even an ordinary electric drill with a special attachment in the form of a metal brush;
  • sandpaper with abrasives P120, P600 and P1000;
  • rust converter of the "Tsinkar" type;
  • degreaser;
  • polyester resin for lamination and fiberglass.
  • anticorrosive primer;
  • fiberglass putty;
  • putty without filler (finishing);
  • dye.
Video (click to play).

I must say that on sale there are repair kits for combating rust, such as "Tsinkor-Auto". They contain three components - a rust converter, a degreaser and an anti-corrosion coating, usually made from zinc. Such kits allow you to eliminate small foci of corrosion.

As you know, there are two methods of combating corrosion:

The greatest effect can be achieved by combating rust in a complex manner. Therefore, further we will apply both methods at once.

We start with mechanical treatment of rusty places. To do this, it is better to use a grinder or an electric drill, since it is quite difficult and long to clean it yourself. Rust must be removed together with old paint and a layer of old primer, i.e. it is necessary to work until a clean shiny metal appears, not only in the area affected by rust, but also in the area around it, about a centimeter or two wide. When the surface is cleaned, sand the top with P600, if necessary, sand the hard-to-reach areas by hand.

If you do not have a power tool on hand, you will have to remove the paint by hand. To do this, use a P120 grain sandpaper. Then sand with P600. If the metal is rotten through and through, it is necessary to expand the hole to a “living” metal. Then treat the prepared surface with a rust converter. A chemical agent will allow you to get rid of even microscopic traces of corrosion.

Do not use a coarser sandpaper than P120, as this will leave deep scratches on the surface that will need to be putty.

Shake well before using. Then, using a spray bottle, brush or even a rag, apply the liquid so that the surface is thoroughly moistened.After that, stop working and wait until the composition is completely dry. Next, brush the surface with a wire brush to remove any remaining transducer that has not reacted, as well as transformed sandpaper.

To obtain the greatest effect, the procedure must be repeated. At the end of the work, the treated area must be thoroughly rinsed with water and then wiped dry with a rag. Please note that this is a must and cannot be ignored.

Using this principle, treat all rusty spots on the surface of the car.

Most often, corrosion appears on doors under moldings, where dirt and moisture accumulate, as well as on sills. Therefore, remove all attachments in these areas, as rust may be hidden underneath.

So, we have successfully coped with the removal of rust. Now you need to immediately start anti-corrosion treatment of the prepared area, otherwise, after a few days, new traces of corrosion will begin to appear on the surface. We start work by wiping the metal with a degreaser. To do this, simply soak the rags in the liquid and then wipe the brushed metal with them.

Next, you need to apply an anti-corrosion primer to the surface. It not only protects the metal from corrosion, but also improves the adhesion between the base and the putty or paint and varnish material. The primer is applied with a spray gun or a regular brush. After the first coat has dried, apply a second coat and then a third. Read more about the use of primer in the manufacturer's instructions. The fact is that different soils have their own nuances that must be taken into account when applying them. Thus, prime all corrosion-free areas.

Anti-corrosion primer helps to stop the development of corrosion. Therefore, if necessary, after applying it, you can take a break from work, but it is still not worth tightening too much.

After that, you need to close up the holes, if, of course, there are any. Use fiberglass filler to seal the small hole. Apply it with a spatula as on a regular solid surface. Due to its rather thick consistency and the presence of fiberglass in the structure, it will not fall into the hole.

If the hole is larger, 2-3 cm in diameter, you can glue masking tape on the back of the metal. If the area of ​​the hole is large, i.e. more than 3–4 cm in diameter, it can be sealed with glass mat, which is glued with polyester resin. To do this, first cut a patch of glass wool so that it overlaps the undamaged metal by 5-10 centimeters. Then mix the resin with the hardener, as a rule, the latter is added in the amount of 3% of the resin amount.

Keep in mind that the “pot life” of the resin is about 10 minutes, after which it hardens and sets. Therefore, immediately after mixing, apply it with a brush to the prepared surface and attach a fiberglass patch to this area. Smear the surface of the patch with resin so that it is completely saturated with it. After the resin hardens, it must be sanded with sandpaper to remove any large irregularities.

If the damage to the body is insignificant, the surface does not even need to be putty, it is enough to apply several layers of primer, after which you can start painting.

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Then apply a thin layer of finishing or universal putty to the surface, trying to smooth it as neatly as possible. After drying, clean the coating with “zero” sandpaper. Next, the surface must be thoroughly cleaned of dust. So that stains do not appear under the paint and the paint itself adheres well, apply another layer of primer to the surface. After hardening, the soil must be sanded with “zero” sandpaper, previously soaked in water.

After that, the prepared surface must be painted.To repair a small area, you can use spray paint. If you need to touch up a very small area, you can use a repair pencil with paint or paint in small tubes, which is sold with a brush, like women's nail polish. On this, in fact, the repair of the car body is completed. The only thing is that you can apply varnish over the paint and then polish it.