How-To Tuesday: Taking Care of Surface Rust Is Easy, But Tricky
Not all project cars are original condition survivors. Surface rust is fairly common on any project car, and removing it is not that difficult. However, there are some steps you can take to prevent some future headaches.
In the example below, the guys over at 2min Tech used the roof of a Ranger, but really the roof of any car will be similar. The reason for using a roof panel is to show how you can’t just take a orbital grinder to the rust and go to town. The rusted areas have to be addressed separately and carefully, to avoid causing too much heat. Overheat a small part of the thin sheet metal and you’ll have a warped roof on your hands.
Instead, careful use of nylon bristles and stripping discs are the best way to go. Since the rust is a thin layer, you don’t need to apply any pressure; just let the weight of the tool do the work for you. Once the main rust areas are removed, then you can move to your choice of sandpaper grit. Usually an 80 grit does just fine.
If the surface is pitted from the rust, you don’t need to worry about grinding it down flat. There are sprayable rust converters out there which will eliminate the rust, and prevent it from bubbling up under the paint in the future.
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
