Chipped paint & rust repair options

[TallPaul]

My newly purchased Ranger has 5 small areas on the roof (4 chips about 1" wide and a 5/16 hole probably from an antennae). I don't care that much what it looks like, that is, it does not have to look like original factory paint. I just want to stop the rust. On the Mountaineer last spring I did a similar project though there was less rust, and used Permatex stuff that turns rust to primer, couple coats, followed by 2-3 coats of Duplicolor, and then 2 clear coats. So far so good. Should I do the same with the Ranger or take it to the body shop where they would fix it for $380 and repaint the entire roof? Again, I am not concerned about showroom perfect [sic] looks, just stop the rust.

I got $1600 for my old rusty 193,000 mile F150 and so spent $1200 of it on updating all maintenance on the Ranger including full brakes, major tune up, and other misc items. That leaves about $400 or just enough to cover the repair and paint job to the roof.

I am thinking that if I fix it myself the rust may come back and I'll be spending the $380 after all, or if after I fix it, it comes back but is worse to being beyond surface rust, then the cost goes up as the shop will have to cut out the area and weld in new sheet metal.

Thanks!

 

[FirstNissan]

Sand it, multiple layers of primer, and a few layers of paint. Did it on my prizm 2 years ago, no issues with it since. Total cost less than $40.

 

[Donald]

Get a PrepPen and get it smooth. Or sandpaper but you do not want to increase the size of the chips. Then some brand of naval jelly followed by Eastwood Rust Encapsulator or POR-15. Then matching paint. If you can prep it to shinny sheet metal, then forget about the rust stuff. Remember not to sand after you apply the product that encapsulates the rust (either brand).

 

[LeakySeals]

Roof on that trucks not a big area, few spray cans and some clear. match the codes close enough, you really cant tell how close the match is up there if you paint it right.

For the rust spot use a grinding drill pad followed by primer/sealer. Add putty. then a sand with wet 1500, add primer/sealer. mask the roof at the point just before it bends to meet the window, door, rear slider, etc. Sand the whole flat part of the roof stopping at the masking with 1500. Paint the roof 2 coats, add 2 coats clear. Read up on times between clear-coats!

 

[TallPaul]

Great guys. I am going for the do it my self approach. As I recall when I did the Mountaineer, you can do additional coats of any of the products in a time frame of just under an hour, but between the primer and color and clear, each needs 24 hours wait. That's two days in the garage with the furnace on. Hopefully not too much fuel cost. Will have to do in February as have too much happening this month. Maybe hit the rust with the Permatex rust converter now and leave that way until Feb so as to hopefully inhibit further rusting.

As for the $380, should be able to get a decent exhaust system for that, eh? Well I'll go with a quality free flowing muffler and turn out the pipe in front of the rear tire, but not until the old muffler is getting bad.

Thanks!

 

[JHZR2]

If there is rust, Id want to convert it, either by using naval jelly or one of the multi-step systems like Eastwood provides. Then prime (if the steps recommend) and paint.

A hole is a bit tougher. I think youll need to look for some patching metal (rubber plugs on an outer surface scare me), then weld it in, get at it from the inside and outside, rustproof and seam seal from both sides, then prime and paint.

3M should have everything you need for that.