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Fixing rust bubbles on my 69 Charger

Steven Bowers

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I’m detailing my car and have noticed 3 to 4 rust bubbles on both lower front doors…at present time they are 1/4” to 3/8” ….my paint job is base coat clear coat which is 23 years old….overall the paint has held up well….but the rust areas need to be addressed before they get worse….I need some good, solid advice from experienced fellas telling me how to fix these areas myself….not going to a body shop…..I plan on using dupli color touch up and clear coat….have a few small areas around 1/8” or so in other places on my car…but the doors really need fixed ….I mean how often are you on your back actually looking at the bottom of your car….please give me some sound advice on this….many thanks to all who comment…..
 
Sandblast, epoxy coat and fill with dough of your choice.Or, cut it out and metal patch if too extensive. Those bubbles are CANCER, and you'll be looking THROUGH them if you don't catch it quick.
 
The bubbles are just the tip of the iceberg! Once you start "Excavating", you will open up the
proverbial "Can of Worms". Try and take the door panels off and look inside. You need to
neutralize the rust first, and then fix the holes. You only want to do this once!
 
How do you know they are rust bubbles? Are they bleeding rust? If they indeed are,you should have it fixed correctly. Touch up paint is for fingernails.
 
One of two things is happening here. First, a chip in the paint (from a rock or whatever) that went through the CC the BC, and the primer layers leaving bare metal exposed to the elements. Rust forms under the paint layers and pushes out the paint forming a bubble. Second, the inside of the door is slowly rusting (maybe plugged drains, etc) to the point that it has eaten a pinhole in the metal. As the rust continues to build it pushes the layers of paint into a bubble. Both are fixable, the first easy and the second considerable harder. Given the age of the paint, my bet would be on the latter. Sorry, it is what it is. You could touch it up but it could actually make the problem worse as you expose more bare metal to make the repair, if you can even do that without making bigger and bigger holes in the door. I use some rust neutralization products but usually only in areas that I can't reach, or in areas where I have removed the rust and just want to seal any missed pin pricks. For a short term fix you can try and neutralize the back side of the panel, pop the bubble (hope no water comes out), lightly sand the rust down with sandpaper on the tip of a pencil eraser, mask off a tiny circle, apply rust stop, mask off a slightly bigger circle (maybe dime size), apply high build primer, sand this down very lightly, apply primer again (long sentence isn't it), sand to make even with existing paint, mask off (maybe quarter size), spray color to match, scuff up a larger area (maybe 3" x 3") and spray a few coats of CC. Not the proper way to do it but it could work. That old of paint will be tough to match and unless you detail the entire car the repair with stand out. Best of luck.
 
I’m detailing my car and have noticed 3 to 4 rust bubbles on both lower front doors…at present time they are 1/4” to 3/8” ….my paint job is base coat clear coat which is 23 years old….overall the paint has held up well….but the rust areas need to be addressed before they get worse….I need some good, solid advice from experienced fellas telling me how to fix these areas myself….not going to a body shop…..I plan on using dupli color touch up and clear coat….have a few small areas around 1/8” or so in other places on my car…but the doors really need fixed ….I mean how often are you on your back actually looking at the bottom of your car….please give me some sound advice on this….many thanks to all who comment…..
Blisters or bubbles could be from ,
Unsanded paint under the new paint.
Primer not dry enough prior to paint
A pin hole in the metal that was not repaired properly
Filler or kitty hair over poorly repaired area. Aka Rust
Any way you look at it. The finish , primer, old filler will have to be removed. As someone else said. It will have to be addressed inside the panel as well.
 
Grind or sand the area to bare metal. Neutralize the rust, inside and out. Make repairs by replacing metal, fiberglass, or body filler, depending on what the actual damage amounts to. Block and sand to 320 grit and primer area. Spot paint the area with enough coverage blending into the panel area. Wet sand the entire door and clear coat it.
 
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