Rust

[SK2003TypeS]

How to treat rust:



My car is 4 months, 5 days old (the time since I picked it up).

There is a chip on the hood which appears to have gone down to the bare metal. I`m guessing this happened at the dealership and I haven`t noticed it until now. It is right where the hood "meets" the windshield.

The chip is about the size of a button on a wrist watch. It is right on the edge of the hood which makes it even harder to get to and fix (relative to a flat surface).



Here are the ideas bouncing around in my skull.



1) I bring it to the dealer to have it fixed, but

a) they say they won`t do it.

b) they do it incorrectly.

c) they do it, but it takes 3 weeks.



2) Try some 600 grit paper with pencil eraser or claybar the area, get rid of the surface rust, clean it out

and put on a drop of primer with a toothpick/match (dry, prime, a few layers).



3) Take it to a body shop, let them do it.



4) Just put primer right over the rust (which I think would be a bad idea over time).



I`m leaning towards option 2.



Any advice ? TIA

[Jngrbrdman]

I got a chip like that on my Mustang. It was from a rock that got popped up from a construction truck. It flew straight over my hood, nicked just the very edge of the hood and then smashed into my windshield right at the base. The crack shot straight up the windshield from there.



The cracked windshield could be replaced but that chip just bugged me. I did just what you suggest to do in option #2. I used some GS27 and cleaned up the rust and then proceded to touch it up. It was actually easier for me to touch that spot up than a spot in the center of the hood because there wasn`t paint on all 360 degrees of the chip. I just sanded it down, touched it up, sanded and polished again, clear coated, sanded and polished and that was it. You know the drill... It shouldn`t be too tough to fix.



You know what might have happened? The wipers could have been out because they were washing the windshield and then they poped the hood. That edge of the hood could have clipped the wiper arm and that is what caused the chip. Do you think tis a possibility? I know I`ve done that before. Felt stupid about it, but I`ve done it.

[SK2003TypeS]

Hmmm...maybe it was a rock/pebble off the highway. I`m just thinking it is such a hard place for a rock to get to. Sorry to hear about your windshield. Sometimes it`s just bad luck.



I will see if I can pick up some GS27 or some prewax stuff at my local autoparts store. I haven`t done this stuff in like 10 years. I use to do it on my old car, then I had a regular car that I didn`t care much about and recently just bought a new one.



The wipers...It could`ve been done. I know I haven`t done this. The car is designed that you have to kill the power on the wipers mid-windshield to change the blades, but I haven`t done that yet. Eitherway, if it was the dealer, me, rock on the highway, I just want to get to it as soon as I can b4 it gets worse. Thanks.



btw: Sweet rims on your GSR !!

[Accumulator]

SK2003TypeS- I seem to repair spots like this all the time. Latest was a chipped wiper arm on the MPV. For the primer, use a product called "Rust Avenger". It`s a rust-converter packaged in a pen-style applicator. It really does neutralize the rust, permanently. I`ve even (successfully!) treated spots with this that stayed fixed even when not topcoated with touch-up paint! Great stuff when the area in question isn`t over, say, 3/8" and I`ve used it on some spots that were a lot larger than that.



For chips too small for the applicator`s tip, pull the tip out with pliers and use a toothpick. The tip will go back in OK if you remove it gently.



Rust Avenger is available from numerous mail-order places. I got mine from Griot`s.

[SK2003TypeS]

I did a search on Rust Avenger, but didn`t come up with anything on Griot`s or CMA. I did see those small touch up paint applicators on Griots, but I don`t think they`re worth it. Found it on a yahoo link. My local autoparts store doesn`t have anything but mainstream products. Maybe they`ll have this though since it`s 3M.

Thanks for the tip, it`s in the PDA.