How to Permanently Remove Rust From Cars

Unattended rust can develop into several problems. Blisters and ugly rust stains along with the eventual complete destruction of metal body parts can and will occur unless rust is eliminated. Simply covering it up with a fresh coat of paint will not prevent these damaging effects from happening. Fortunately, there are several products on the market to eliminate rust, and the procedure is simple to complete.

Things You'll Need

• Sand paper assortment
• Rust converter
• Primer
• Mineral spirits
• Paint

Instructions

1. Begin removing rust by sanding the area with 120-grit sand paper. On large flat surfaces, using a sanding block will prevent waves from occurring. Smaller areas or rounded surfaces can be sanded using a flexible sanding block or by hand. Be sure to sand an area about an inch around larger than the rusted area to allow for paint blending.

2. Wipe the area clean with mineral spirits and pour a little rust converter into a cup. Using a small brush, apply a liberal coat of rust converter to the bare metal, completely covering the rusted area. Never apply the rust converter directly from the can; doing this can prevent the chemical reaction from occurring and cause incomplete conversion. Allow the product to completely dry. When dry, the converter becomes a stable, sandable primer.

3. Prepare the surface for paint by sanding with 400-grit sandpaper and covering the entire area with a smooth coat of sandable primer. Wait the time indicated on the can for drying, and sand smooth with 400-grit sandpaper. Alternate sanding and spraying until the surface is built up to be even with the rest of the paint and sanded smooth. Final sanding is done with 600-grit sandpaper.

4. Wipe the entire surface to be painted with a cloth soaked in mineral spirits. This will remove any oil and sanding dust that might damage the final paint.

5. Spray 2 to 3 light coats of paint to cover the sanded area with a little overlap, and allow to dry. Check the results, and sand any area that has blemishes, like runs or dirt, then spray one final coat of paint.