4 Things To Know About Rust & Your Vehicle
by Phillip Herrera
If you have had the same vehicle for several years, you need to start watching out for rust, especially if you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow. Rust spots often develop on areas of your car where the paint is exposed or worn off and where salt and deicers are applied to the road.
Thing #1: How Rust Spots Develop
Rust develops when the bare metal on your vehicle is exposed to three different ingredients. Rust needs iron, water, and air to start the process of oxidation, more commonly referred to as rust. Bare metal can become exposed on your vehicle as the paint on your vehicle wears down. Bare metal can also become exposed on the bottom of your vehicle when the protective coating on the metal parts wears down.
Thing #2: What to Do About Small Rust Spots
When you spot some rust that is only about as big as a quarter, you have a small rust repair job. Small rust spots are easy for an auto body shop to treat. They will sand down the area where the rust spot is, exposing the metal again. Then, they will put primer over the metal spot, and finally paint over the area. This should stop the rust from spreading.
Thing #3: What to Do About Large Rust Spots
If you don't spot the rust right away, and it spreads over a more extensive area, the repair process is going to include a few more steps. Large rust spots are more than a cosmetic issue; they often indicate the presence of deeper structural damage.
With large rust spots, the damaged section of metal is cut and removed from your vehicle by an auto body technician. Then, they use a bonding material to replace the damaged section. After that, they sand, prime, and paint the area, much like they would do with a small rust spot. This should save your vehicle from further damage.
Thing #4: How to Protect Your Car from Rust
There are a few things you can do to prevent your vehicle from developing rust and needing auto body work done in the first place. To start with, wax your vehicle at least twice a year to protect the paint and the metal. Take your car through the carwash in the winter, and get the undercarriage cleaned. You can also get the undercarriage of your vehicle coated with a rust repellant spray.
Rust spots develop most often on older vehicles, which are located in cold climates where deicers and salt are commonly applied to the road. Rust, even small amounts, can be damaging to your vehicle. Once you remove rust spots from your vehicle, do the steps in point number four to protect your car from developing further rust spots.
For more information, contact an auto body repair shop.
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About Me
When I decided to restore my old car, one of the things that I was excited about was repainting the car. I spent a lot of time researching how to do the paint job properly because I wanted to be sure that it looked professional. I learned a lot about tips and tricks to create a quality finish, and when the car was done, I knew I had to teach others what I learned. This blog is my chance to share my tips and help others to feel better prepared to paint their own restoration projects. I hope the information here helps you to do just that.