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Paint removed by wheel well, how to repair before installing mudguards.
Hey guys
So my car never had mudguards and the body was pretty well scuffed up.
I'm thinking that I will hit it with a mild sandpaper to remove any little surface rust (I don't see any now, and it's a cali car stored in a garage) then just lay down a few coats of primer. The mudguards will cover all of the current damaged areas completely. Does anyone have any other ideas/recommendations to keep her protected? Thanks!
Joe,
I use PPG DX579 Metal Cleaner to remove light rust and finish with the DX520 Metal Conditioner that puts a layer of zinc phosphate coating on the metal. Top that with primer/paint and you'll never see rust pop back up there. Keep the bare metal wet with the DX579 until the rust is gone. You must rinse it off with water when done. Dry the water off quickly with a towel then hair dryer and then prime/paint when dry. This is better than the rust conversion liquids/primers that turn the rust into a hematite/black substance. I used to paint cars and never had any rust come back after using these chemicals. You should be able to find them at an automotive paint supply store....or possibly through the internet.
Joe,
I use PPG DX579 Metal Cleaner to remove light rust and finish with the DX520 Metal Conditioner that puts a layer of zinc phosphate coating on the metal. Top that with primer/paint and you'll never see rust pop back up there. Keep the bare metal wet with the DX579 until the rust is gone. You must rinse it off with water when done. Dry the water off quickly with a towel then hair dryer and then prime/paint when dry. This is better than the rust conversion liquids/primers that turn the rust into a hematite/black substance. I used to paint cars and never had any rust come back after using these chemicals. You should be able to find them at an automotive paint supply store....or possibly through the internet.
Looks like both of those products are discontinued, any other current market items you'd recommend?
Great, I'll grab some. Fwiw it looks like not only is that ppg stuff discontinued, but it's also banned in thr US so, be careful lol.
So the prep steps have you apply the rust chemical converter first? All I have is surface rust (barely any there at all really). Then sand after? Thanks for the help guys.
Cool, got some sand paper, por-15, some primer, prep materials for the area, and I'll spray it on Saturday. Then when I get my mudguards in they will be able to go over some freshly prepped areas and moisture won't get to em!
Didn't know the Ditzler stuff was no longer available. I still have a bunch left. Dupont 5717S is the equivalent of the PPG Ditzler DX579 and Dupont 5718S is the equivalent of the DX520. That should be available. The rust converters such as POR-15, Corroseal, and others don't always convert all of the rust, especially if there's a lot of it. I've used several of the rust conversion products and wouldn't trust them in the long run. The only surefire way is to remove the rust entirely. If you live in a dry climate then you may get by with the rust converters but it's your car and your call. Good luck with whatever you choose. BTW, the isocyanate coating left by the converters will break down with exposure to UV rays from the sun, so it must be painted (or covered).
Last edited by OldDude; Jul 26, 2018 at 10:22 PM.
Reason: addition
There really isn't much rust, it's more that I'm being extremely cautious for no other reason than I can afford to be. I'm just going to put some primer on it for now and run with the mudguards over the top. In the future when I have the car painted again I'll have em touch that area up of course.