LD Paint and Rust Questions November 03, 2016, 03:27:14 am I have a few minor patches of rust along the rear bumper, cab steps and around the hot water heater. I am a novice at handy work but I want to be diligent about maintaining my beautiful rig.Can you give me some tips on how to mitigate and cover up the rust?I am also wondering about how I would go about getting the exact color match for paint to use in these touch up areas. Can I order this online? The Mothership? Would paint for a 1990 MB still be available?I take great pride in my wonderful LD and really want to do all I can to preserve her beauty. I just need a little direction. Thank you all so much in advance!
Re: LD Paint and Rust Questions Reply #1 – November 03, 2016, 08:13:47 pm Never, never, cover rust. If you do, it will continue chewing its way deeper into the metal. Start by getting rid of the rust. Wire brushing will get some. Naval Jelly will dissolve the rust but will leave a pitted surface. Sanding may take more time but will do a better job, and you want to get the surface smooth anyway. I suggest using a power sander with a coarse sandpaper intended for metal, working the surface until you get to clean metal, with any pitting cleaned out, then using medium sandpaper to smooth out scratches from the coarse. Clean the surface with a degreaser. Be careful here - some solvents such as lacquer thinner may damage the remaining paint. Next, spray the prepped surface with a good metal primer before it has time to begin rusting again, then a metal topcoat that is as close to the existing color as you can get, which may no longer be a match for the factory paint. The above will work on the bumper and the steps, both of which are fairly heavy steel. If you are working on thinner steel, don't use a power sander. Instead use finger pressure on the sandpaper, which takes much longer but gives better control.If you are uncomfortable with this, any body and paint shop can deal with the rust on the steel surfaces. If you do it, do NOT try this on aluminum. Aluminum is softer, making it easy to sand too deeply, doing irreparable damage. Also, aluminum is difficult to prime well so you get a good finish. The area around the water heater may be aluminum. Check with a magnet before you begin any action there.Ken F in NM
Re: LD Paint and Rust Questions Reply #2 – November 03, 2016, 08:26:07 pm Ken gives good advice on the prep. Remove rust is the way to go. As to paint match, good luck! (All except white) I had to do some repainted on my 92. There is nothing available I could find. I tried Cardinal Paints who did the original paint. Still there. But no dice on matching my old color. They advised me to get it mixed locally. I did. It was expensive. Like $100 per pint of memory serves when including the reduced and activator. Then I had to arrange a sprayer. OTOH, I found Ford Oxford White in rattle cans to be a good match for white. I ended up painting the bumper a darker blue from a rattle can. I like the result. A good body shop may be a good alternative. But I am satisfied.
Topic: LD Paint and Rust Questions (Read 221 times)
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Topic: LD Paint and Rust Questions (Read 221 times)
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