[Leftyatm]

Hey guys. My car has typical 21 year old wear and tear including occasional rust. This rust is especially located near the hatch under the wing a typical place for it. It is definitely minor, only surface. I plan to get the car painted one day. I may touch it up in the meantime but not sure. I do keep it in the garage. It remains clean and dry and when I wash it, I do blow dry the area to reduce chance of moisture exacerbating the rust. My question is, if you don't give rust a chance to spread I.e. Giving it a constantly damp environment, will it spread anyway?

Secondly if I did decide to touch up these areas with paint, if I didn't sand it out, and painted over the rust, would it still spread? The area is minimal it is not through the metal, I have scraped off all the loose particles.

I have seen where they clear over patina and that is really the same concept. Does it stop the rust in it's tracks?

 

[zlatan_k]

rust is like a cancer short of cutting that area out and welding new sheet metal and grinding down weld then bondo and paint, simply painting will not stop it

 

[fairmontdave]

What you see on the outside in paint bubbles is usually much worse underneath. Rust never stops spreading. If you can get behind it and take a look, you'll know what you're up against. If it is prepped professionally, they should minimize the rust spread; today's epoxy primers are very good at slowing it down or stopping it. I welded in new sheet metal in a 1966 Mustang, in which I replaced the lower rear quarter panels, spring attachments, and inner sheet metal, and protected the inner panels with Hammertite paints in 1995, and outer panels with PPG epoxy primers, and the repair shows no sign of rust today.
Thoroughly eliminate the corrosion, clean with cleaners and oil removers, and seal. Fear not other manufacturers products, but I've had very good results with PPG and good old fashioned hardware store Hammertite paint!