Car rust is similar to cancer in that it will only get worse until either it ruins your car completely or corrective measures are taken to address the rust and stop its progression.  Rust is real and can happen in any environment – not just the northern, colder and wetter climates as one may think.  Most people do nothing until it is almost too late and the rust is very advanced.  Prevention is the key here to making your car last as long as possible and keeping repairs and service to a minimum.

First thing to do is treat and seal all scratches, nicks, etc… that have gone through the paint and exposed the primer and/or metal immediately.  This is important as rust will take hold very quickly here.  To properly seal the area first clean the area and remove all dirt from the scratch or nick (dirt will hold moisture and contribute to rusting).  Then use either the correct color matched touch up paint for your car or truck or in a jiffy you can use clear coat or clear nail polish.  Nail polish is very similar to automotive paint and will seal out the moisture effectively.  To make the touch up neater use a toothpick instead of the applicator brush.  This will put the paint exactly where you want it inside the scratch or nick.

Next comes the issue of addressing rust that has begun.  The area with rust must be exposed.  This involves sanding to the metal the area surrounding the rusted area.  You must expose all of the rust.  If any of the car rust is allowed to stay hidden it will continue to oxidize and ruin the metal.  Once the entire rust area is exposed most of the rusted metal will be sanded off and then a rust treatment is used to chemically alter the rust into an inert substance which can be primed and painted over (Nutra Rust works great for this). 

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Now, keep in mind, if the rust is severe, some new sheet metal or body filler may be needed to fill in the rust areas.  Many body shops use body fillers as they are quick and easy to use, but it is less durable than metal repairs and the directions must be followed exactly or else the filler can crack or peel off at a later time due to cold weather, moisture, etc…  In some cases it may be better to just get a replacement panel, door skin, fender, etc… and then just have it painted to match.

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