rust spot...

[Dustin_R]

I have a small rust spot on my 03 Celica, right at the tip of the hood, where a little bit of paint had chipped off. Whats the best way to remove it, and protect the area? what products work best for protecting / removing? thanks ! :D

[David Fermani]

I`d take it to a body shop to have it repaired properly. On a high appearance panel like a hood, a DIY fix will look crapy & won`t last unless you have professional tools and products.

[Dustin_R]

im talking the size of a dime or less, is it still worth taking to a body shop just for that?

[David Fermani]

Absolutely! I don`t recommend any DIY paintwork. People end up doing more harm than good. It`s not worth destroying your car to save $300.

[Accumulator]

im talking the size of a dime or less, is it still worth taking to a body shop just for that?



Oh yeah...I was about to :argue with David Fermani (heh heh, to the extent that he and I ever really do; that was really just a joke ;) ) and say that DIYing little ones is no big deal if you aren`t insisting on perfection... but if you`re even *thinking* the words "size of a dime" then take it to a pro.

[Dustin_R]

well i`ll probabably be getting a carbon fiber hood within the next month or 2, I just want to last till then without the rust spreading....but I`ll take it in and see what a proffesional says :) thanks

[wascallyrabbit]

a rust spot like that probably wouldn`t grow noticeably in a month or two. if you plan on keeping the hood as a back up for the cf one then have it repaired properly.

[Dustin_R]

thanks. Will take it to a body shop and see what they say. Any idea how much it would cost me so I know im not getting screwed when I go? lol. thanks.

[imported_Chris223]

If they have to repaint it... $200-$400. somewhere in there. I was going to suggest trying touch up paint, but if it`s already starting to rust, you`d have to get rid of the rust first which is tricky. I had a spot on my hood, rock chip that was right down to bare metal but no rust, so touch-up primer/paint/clearcoat and then wedsanding/polishing and she turned out pretty good. That was a couple years ago and it still looks good. Now I just have to deal with the 50,000 other rock chips my daily driver has aquired

[jfelbab]

Depending on the color, it is not all that hard to make a small repair look good. Sand the area to remove most of the rust and feather the edges. Apply a rust eraser then prime. Spray your basecoat and CC in light coats. Let it dry and then compound the area to achieve a smooth transition. The hardest part is matching the color. Metallic and pearl paints are the hardest to blend.



I`ve done several small repairs where it was impossible to tell that work had been done. Just take your time.