rust repair question. Now with pics and results.

[shawnw]

So I'm going to spend tomorrow taking care of all the little bits of surface rust on the car. They're not too big but I've noticed them get a little worse seeing as the car hasn't been dry much in the last few months. (constant rain)
Most spots will be easy enough to deal with but there's one underneath the back window rubber on the hatch. Is there any easy was to deal with it short of taking the window out?
And does anybody have any suggestions at making the job go easier and blending the paint better? The cars white and not faded much but I'd like to have it as seamless as possible.
I'll just be sanding, spraying primer, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, and then try and cut polish to blend it in.

[stefan]

just make sure you get ALL the rust out otherwise it WILL be back.

as for you hatch... i repaired a spot like that on an escort once... never again... its nearly impossible to do a good job (with the glass in) ... with my festiva a grabbed a rust free hatch at the jy for $40.. money well spent!

[shawnw]

It's just a bit of bubbling so a new hatch would be overkill. I'll probably just do it as best I can and look at it properly a few months down the road when it warms up and I can properly paint the whole car.

[stefan]

ok fair enough. when you said rust, up here i think of large areas that the paint is long gone and the metal is heavily rotted.

[festivaWES]

cut a small square out where the effected area was and tack weld in a piece of corisponding thickness metal. Grind down the welds and smooth out with plastic filler (bondo)

[shawnw]

Before:




After:




Not too bad for my first time cleaning up the rust. It went easy enough but those spots on the hatch were in a awkward spot with the rubber right there. After a week or so I can go and cut polish and wet sand the rest of it too smooth the transitions.
This should hold it through the winter and then I can get the dents and such cleaned up and re-spray the whole thing.

[geezerstiva]

looks good! good job. i think i need to do that too.