Rust is a costly, serious problem that can send your car to
an early grave if not resolved immediately. Engines,
components, and other mechanical odds and ends can always be
repaired or even replaced at a reasonable cost, but an
invasive rust problem can become too costly to repair.
Therefore, learning to find, prevent, and solve the problem
of rust is particularly important, especially, especially if
yours is an older-model car.
The problem begins...
Everyday, pebbles and stones on the road causes little cuts
and nips on your car's paintwork. All it takes for rust to
form is a small cut that exposes bare metal to the elements.
Left unattended, the invasive rust will eat into the
bodywork of your car, forming a rust hole that will
eventually spread its way cancer-like throughout the
bodywork.
Rust spotting...
The areas in and around the wheel wells and on the mudguards
immediately behind the tyres are rust hotspots. The reason
is, this area is constantly under barrage from the stones
and pebbles kicked up by your tyres. Other rust-prone areas
include the lower parts of the doors and door sills, the
front of the car, under the floor mats, inside the bonnet,
inside the boot, at the suspension mounting points, and
under the car. When conducting a thorough rust check, be
sure to look out for bubbles or brown stains coming from
under then paint surface. These are early indicators of
rust.
Preventive action...
The only way to keep rust at bay is to protect the metal
works of your car from the elements. In other words, the
best guarantee against rust is a good paint job. Like
everything else involved in vehicle maintenance and car
care, a periodic and thorough inspection of your car's body
works is the best way to prevent rust from getting a
foothold on your car.
As mentioned earlier, the undercarriage of the car is
another rust hotspot. Dirt build-up in these areas promotes
rust by holding moisture against the undercarriage. Keeping
the undercarriage of your car clean is the best way to
protect from rust. At your regular car wash, thoroughly
spray inside the wheel wells and the underside of the car.
D-I-Y
Small nicks and cuts can be taken care of at home with a
minimum of fuss and muss. With some touch-up paint in hand,
make a thorough inspection of the painted exterior of your
car. Carefully sand any chips or nicks down to the metal
(use sandpaper 220 grade of finer). With a rag that has been
dampened with mineral spirits, thoroughly clean the dirt
front he chips. Once the area is dry, dab a little paint on
the nick my using a touch-up brush.