Vent: A rust spot repair on a quarter panel went surprisingly well

Was dreading this job because the metal was thin and pitted. Mixed a small batch of filler, sanded it smooth, and the primer coat hid everything. How do you usually tackle rust in tight corners?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ray1d ago

That quarter panel rust probably looks worse than it really is. I've seen guys panic over surface pits that clean up with a wire wheel and some rust converter. Unless you're sticking a screwdriver through it, it's mostly a cosmetic headache.

jenniferc281d ago

Totally agree with the_ray on this one. Had an old Civic where the quarter looked rough but felt solid, so I just cleaned it up and sprayed it. That spot held for years while the rockers quietly turned to mush behind it. Sometimes the scary looking stuff is just the tip, and the real cancer is hiding somewhere you don't check. You really don't know until you start poking around. Learned to worry less about the ugly surface and more about what sounds hollow when you tap it.

shane1701d ago

I mean, the_ray saying "surface pits" is giving me flashbacks to when I thought that too. You wire wheel a spot and suddenly you're looking at a headlight bolt hole from the inside of the trunk. It's never just a little cosmetic headache. Idk, maybe I'm cursed, but my "tight corners" always turn out to be the last solid metal holding the car together. You fill it, paint it, and then just pray it doesn't turn to dust by next winter. Tackling it usually means I'm already shopping for a new fender.