Rust Converter?Rust Encapsulants? Grinding for Small Rust Issues
 

I have a 1974 240D W115 that my dad bought new. The car has some smallish rust issues. I've looked on the web and there seems to be three approaches for fixing rust, but everyone is focused on the huge rusted hulks - not the smaller preventative fixes. The three most common approaches to body rust are:

1. Rust converters: Rust Bullet, Corroseal, Ospho, Rusteze, etc,
2. Encapsulators: Eastwood, POR 15, etc.
3. Grind and paint:

I have attached the level of rust and the location for the rust on my car. There are 5 locations:

a. Passangers door by window and handle
b. Passangers front wheel well
c. Passangers front door jam near floor
d. Drivers rear body by trunk and rear window
e. Drivers front wheel well

None of the rust areas are really bad which makes me think that the old school grind, prime and paint is the best method.

What is the general consensus on this board. Would you use an encapsulant or a converter and then prime and paint?

Also, how would you paint these areas? Would you spray or brush and where would you get the paint? I am OK with spray can painting and I don't own a sprayer.

Thanks for your help.

Dave

Hi Dave,

My approach, if I were in your shoes, would be to carefully grind, apply Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator to those spots, then brush on touch-up paint.

I agree use some form of treatment like Eastwoods or POR15 or KFZ to treat the rust.

For best results grind it to bare metal and leave no visible rust behind - those sand paper on angle grinder discs - stripping discs are ideal for this.

Don't be scared to remove trim.

Make sure you follow the instructions on the tin! And then make sure you use an appropriate primer before you apply top coats

Thanks guys for the advice.

My rust areas are so small that I think I'll use a dremmel tool to grind out the rusted areas.

Do you guys have a recommendation for the paint and primer?

Also, do I need a special tool to remove the trim around the rear window and the pass anger window?

Dave

Dremmel sounds OK and they can be useful but don't be tempted to go too detailed on the areas. Sometimes a bigger area underneath than you think is rusty. Sudden dips in the paint work due to careful grinding look dreadful!

The primer you use depends on the rust treatment. POR15 for example needs its own self etch primer before a top coat.

DuPont paint is well regarded

I have the paint code and a fairly new touch up paint tube I bought from Mercedes. I'll see if the DuPont guys can match the paint and provide the proper primer..

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Dave

If you are going to go through the trouble of grinding of the rust (good idea), you may want to invest in a pint of topcoat and clear.

If you are not worried about perfect color match, you can spray those areas with an airbrush. Airbrushes spray paint very dry, and it seems to be impossible to get them to do otherwise, but they will do a better job than touchup paint.

Grind, naval jelly, POR-15, touch up paint:)