Things You'll Need:
- electric hand held grinder
- 150 grit sanding wheel
- sand paper
- auto body filler
- blue painter's tape
- high quality auto body primer
- paint
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Step 1
First, use an electric hand held grinder with a 150 grit sanding wheel to remove as much rust as possible from the vehicle's surface and create a smooth, level surface where the paint is chipped away. Sand the spot until you cannot feel a difference between the painted and unpainted surface with your fingers. Don't overdo it with the metal grinding wheel. The wheel can quickly remove more than you intend. Take your time.
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Step 2
Next use 150 grit hand sandpaper to remove any remaining rust and perfect the smooth transition between the painted surface and the bare metal.
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Step 3
Use Bondo or another body filler to fill any dents, gaps or really deep pock marks left over from the rust that were unsafe to remove with the grind.
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Step 4
Use blue painter's tape to tape off the area to be painted.
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Step 5
Apply a high quality auto body primer. Apply three thin coats of primer. Wait about 10 minutes between each coat. Let dry and cure over night.
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Step 6
Once the primer has fully dried lightly hand sand the area with a piece of 150 grit paper to smooth the surface. Do not attempt to remove any paint.
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Step 7
Apply paint in very thin coats. Use at about three coats. However, if you can match the paint perfectly, you may want to use more so that the paint blends seamlessly. If you don't have a perfect color match use only a few coats so that the repaired area is not obvious. Let the paint dry for at least two hours between coats. Allow to completely dry overnight.
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Step 8
Give your entire car a wash and wax to help blend the repaired area with the rest of the car.
