How to remove rust from car?

Question

I've got a few minor surface rust spots on my car (to be expected with a Ford!) One on the front passenger sill where the paint has peeled away a bit and the metal has begun to rust, and a couple of tiny wee bubbles on both rear arches I think. There's also a minute one on the very front of the bonnet. All guides I find online say to sand/grind the rust away till you get to clean metal, then clean, prime, paint, polish, standard procedure. I'm not particularly fussed about it looking good (nearly a 10 year old car), I just want to nip it in the bud and get rid of the rust before it spreads and becomes a problem (had a Ford go to car heaven due to rust in the past).

So can I just have at it with a normal wire brush and sandpaper? Don't really wanna go messing about with actual tools and the like, and don't wanna mess about with chemicals aside from the cleaning and the painting.

As I say, I'm not fussed in the slightest about it looking patchy when I'm done, it's black anyway so shouldn't be too noticeable.

Answer 1

Those "tiny wee bubbles" of rust showing up on your rear fenders is coming through from the inside of the fender. Rust has already eaten through MOST of the metal and is just now sticking its ugly head out into the sunlight. Rust is like a cancer, and the ONLY permanent cure for it is to COMPLETELY remove it and replace the damage with fresh, clean metal. If you attempt anything less, the rust WILL eventually come back and it will cost even more to clean it up.

Answer 2

The best way to deal with it is to sand down any rusted areas with 80 grit sandpaper, ...remove as much rust as possible but no need to get completely clean of rust if using a rust reformer/converter product ...and then coat the areas with a rust converter/reformer product such as POR-15, etc.. that will prevent any further rusting as long as the entire area is coated so that no humidity or moisture can get to the metal. If you have a paint bubble, that means that it is rusting underneath from a pinhole break in the paint and should also be dealt with. Break open the bubble with a knife or screwdriver blade, etc.. and sand down any loose or surface rust..then coat the area with the POR-15 or other rust reformer product so that it overlaps onto the good paint. You can also use a touchup paint over the POR-15 /converter once it dries to match body color if needed but it typically dries black as do some others. Check local hardware stores, home centers, auto body paint suppliers or parts stores for rust reformer/converter products or online sites. Such products convert rust or oxidation to a non-rust condition or coating such as magnetite which prevents further rusting/oxidation. Eastwood company deals in a lot of auto restoration and has some good rust converter/encapsulating products as well.



http://www.por15.com/



http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-rust-converter.html



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvgkQK0g-n8

Answer 3

Wire brush or sandpaper will not work.



Need to cut the rust out and patch with new metal, or else it will be back in no time.

Answer 4

Once you see it appear there is no quick easy fix. Chances are the rust and bubbles you see are from the metal rusting from the inside to the outside and the whole area is about to rust away. The only way to fix it right is to cut the whole area out and weld in new panels.

Answer 5

buy a new car