Rust Advice

[krew]

I need some help deciding what to do, I discovered some rust on my LS400 and I want to deal with it ASAP.



Here`s a closeup (please excuse the rain):



http://autopia.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11852&stc=1&d=1177780109



And to put it into perspective:



http://autopia.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11853&stc=1&d=1177780254



My first thought was to sand it down, apply a rust converter then paint it with my touchup pen, end of story. Problem is, I`ve never done that, so I thought to maybe get it done professionally.



When I brought it to a local bodyshop, the guy said that there`s probably a pinhole, and that it needed sandblasting and welded, painted, then the whole rear quarterpanel recleared. Seemed a little excessive, but I can`t say I was very surprised.



My question is, will my original plan of sanding, converting and touching up make sense considering the small size of this rust?



The only rust converter I can seem to find locally is POR15 or something called Proform (which I can`t find mentioned on Autopia at all). Would the POR15 be suitable for this application or should I keep looking? Does anyone have a recommendation of a converter brand that`s available in Canada?



Thanks in advance for any help, this is really bothering me and I appreciate any advice that helps me to deal with it.

[itb76]

I suppose it depends on how long you plan to keep the car, how perfect you want it to look, etc. I would sand down the rust (it will cover a larger area than it appears to), prime with a primer containing a rust converter (Eastwood (http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1136&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=373&iSubCat=374&iProductID=1136) sells one that I`ve used), then touch up with color and clear coats. If all the rust comes off during sanding a corrosion resistant primer may be better than a rust encapsulating primer. If I didn`t have the time I`d find a body shop to do just that. You may be able to do this with cans; I have a gun and this does a better job.



My car has several spots like this. I`m torn between spending the money and taking the time. One or the other will happen this summer.

[Accumulator]

krew- Given the location and (as best I can tell) severity of the rust, IMO this particular one needs pro attention. I`d take it to a shop and bite the financial bullet to get it fixed right.



BTW, in my experience the various rust products from Eastwood work better than POR-15. But this isn`t something I`d try fixing myself. It`ll require removal of the bumper cover, for one thing...

[krew]

Well, that sucks but I guess it`s better to know the facts.



Leaves me with a couple questions:



* I believe this was caused by me pulling out a little rock/contaminant from the paint using clay -- what does it mean to have a pinhole, and is welding as scary as it sounds?



* Is it really necessary to reclear the entire back panel? Won`t that be noticeable?



* How much should I expect to pay for this?



This is my first time getting any body work done, I don`t even know what to look for in a body shop. Time for research!

[Accumulator]

* I believe this was caused by me pulling out a little rock/contaminant from the paint using clay -- what does it mean to have a pinhole, and is welding as scary as it sounds?



No, the clay didn`t do it. Hard to say what did, but while it might`ve started with a to-the-metal chip (which could`ve been touched up ;) ) the rust near the bumper cover looks like it came from stuff building up behind the panel (dirt, etc.). The stuff held moisture and that led to rust.



Welding isn`t that big a deal for good shops. Trick is to find a good shop ;)






* Is it really necessary to reclear the entire back panel? Won`t that be noticeable?



* How much should I expect to pay for this?



Can`t say what it`ll cost or if they`ll want to reclear the whole panel (some shops do spot repairs that are blended in, other shops don`t). A good repair won`t show at all. A decent repair won`t be noticed by anybody but you. A so-so repair is still better than the rust ;) A crappy repair will result in the rust coming back.



I`d spend the money to get it fixed right. Not a huge expense compared to letting rust gain a toe-hold and end up killing the vehicle (or at least its value). Hey, it`s a nice Lexus, get it fixed and keep it nice, it oughta last forever.