Rust is caused by oxidation of metal - primarily iron. Most cars are made of steel and so contain large amounts of iron. Although pretty resilient to corrosion, all cars will eventually experience rust if they are continuously exposed to moisture. Salty water from sea spray or salt on roads can speed up this process. 

Rust doesn’t look good, however this is not the only reason to worry about rust on a car. If you do not treat it, rust will continue to spread and the bodywork of your car will start to corrode away. This could result in internal parts becoming exposed and less resistance against an impact if you experience an accident. 

As a result, it’s important to not ignore rust on a car. But just how should you repair rust? This guide offers a few tips.

Use Coca-Cola

You often don’t need to invest in fancy rust removal solutions. Soda drinks like Coca-Cola typically contain high levels of phosphoric acid, which is what you’ll find in rust removers. Phosphoric acid eats away at iron oxide (rust) while leaving the rest of your car’s bodywork intact.

It’s best to use slightly flat coca cola. Pour some into a bowl or bucket, and then soak a cloth or sponge in it before dabbing the rusty area of your car. Once the area is soaked, the rust will start to loosen up. Using a foil or a sponge, you may be able to gently brush it away.

Sand it down

You can also file away rust by using 40-grit sandpaper. This is typically how most professionals will tackle rust as it allows you to file down the rust and smooth down the edges of the affected area.

You may want to use a selection of different types of sandpaper to get the smoothest finish possible. You can read more here about sanding down rust.

Reprime and repaint

Once the rust is removed, you can then paint over the worn area. You can buy car paint online and apply it yourself, or hire a pro to do this for you. Gig economy is filled with professional work ethic. It’s important that you find exactly the right tone of paint to match your bodywork.

Wait until the area is dry before painting. You’ll need to apply two levels of paint - the primer and a top level of paint. You can apply these using a spray gun for an even factory finish. If you’ve never used a spray gun before, it could be worth practicing on some scrap metal first.

When to get a new car

If the rust on your car is quite deep and it is all over the vehicle, there may not be much point in trying to remove it and repaint the vehicle. Instead, you may want to consider scrapping your vehicle - especially if the car is old and already experiencing many other problems. Imagine never doing an oil change ever again, get yourself an electric vehicle (EV), and many vehicle hassles are removed.

Of course, if it’s a beloved classic car or sports car and you’re willing to put in effort to restore it, you should give it a go. It could take many hours of labor, but could ultimately be very rewarding once the car is rust-free and repainted.

Much can be said of contrivance; battery technology, the concept of rust, and corrosion. Having rust to power devices of today, and breathe oxygen to provide reliable energy year round.

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