Advice needed on repair: clearcoat / rust

[CHEETO]

Hey guys, new to the forum. Just bought a 2005 WK and it has a small gash on the back part of the roof. Looks like the previous driver backed into their garage or something similar. The gash is deep enough to have removed the clearcoat, and the dime-size spot has rust spots on it. See pic below.

Q: Can I just put touch-up paint on this to repair it? If not, is there an easy way that i can do it, or do I need to take it to a professional body shop.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f65/chapmandb/photo.jpg

[robpp]

it depends on the level of repair you will be happy with. if you just want to make sure it doesnt rust thru the panel and take some attention away from you could try a DIY solution. if you expect it to barely noticeable or someting near that, find a pro. some guys with the right color and a airbrush can do some nice work but none of that is cheap.

[Scottina06]

try drcolorchip.com

[CHEETO]

it depends on the level of repair you will be happy with. if you just want to make sure it doesnt rust thru the panel and take some attention away from you could try a DIY solution. if you expect it to barely noticeable or someting near that, find a pro. some guys with the right color and a airbrush can do some nice work but none of that is cheap.


It isn't even that noticeable right now so I'd be fine with some touch up paint, but my primary concern is making sure the rust won't spread. My gut tells me the touch up paint isn't going to stop it.

[Martyp]

I'd suggest you take a trip to a local auto store and buy some rust treatment. I had some rusty stone chips on my hood and used Hammerite Krust. You brush it on, leave it for a few moments and it eats through the rust leaving you with clean metal you can apply paint to. If you can't get Krust, I'm sure they'll have something similar for you.

This step is vital however. If you just paint over the rust it won't last and will actually continue to spread. So make sure you treat the area.


Next, get yourself over to drcolorchip.com as Scott suggested. They'll supply you with stupidly easy to use paint and it'll be a 100% match to the OEM color. Or go to your Jeep dealer and get touch-up paint from there, although you'll need to color sand the area and well, I couldn't deal with that risk.

If at the end of it you're not happy take it to a reputable pro.

Hope that helps. :)

[CHEETO]

Thanks, I'll stop by the one of the shops today and see what they have. Where are you in Scotland? I fly over to Dundee several times a year for work.

[Martyp]

No problem.

I'm in a little town called Uphall just on the out-skirts of Edinburgh.

[CHEETO]

I sanded it down to the metal, added a rust primer, sanded again, then added some touch up paint. Looks better then it did before and the rust is gone. Nice enough $20 fix for a spot that most people can't see. Thanks.

[B.P.O.D]

great job! any pics of afterward?