Styling Small rust bubble on door? Serious Issue?

[Alexander1990]

Hey guys.

I noticed yesterday when giving my car the once over that there was a small rust bubble on the passenger front door underneath the black trim, probably about 1cm - 2cm long.

Naturally I started to worry as I had never seen it before. Probably only recently appeared.

My dad says that I can just sand it out or something but im not too sure. There might be a lot more of the door affected under that paint.

Can I just sand the rust out or will I need to replace the whole door?

I'll get a picture if required

 

[DaveMcT]

In the middle of the door its going to be a paint scratch that's rusted. Take of the trim rubber and dig out the scratch. Carefully scratch away paint until you find clean metal and treat it with a good rust converter. Then prime and touch up the area. Put the rubber back and it should be almost hidden from view.

If its on the top edge you could be into more trouble as the rust will have almost certainly gone down the inside where you cant get at it. The cheapest option would be to buy a new used door that's good and have it professionally painted to match the car. Painting will be about £100. Strip the door of all its trim before taking it for painting.

Also check under the roof gutters (black rubber strips). The roof rack brackets rust and the rust bleeds onto the roof panel. Catch it early scrape off loose paint and treat the rust with converter. The treat the hidden areas with waxoyl to keep the metal better protected.

 

[Alexander1990]

Thanks for the response WhiteSei! I'll just have to see what happens.

BTW here are a couple of pictures of the issue. It appears the cause is due to the last owner screwing the plastic trim into the door, probably causing the paint to crack and allowing moisture to get in.

Any thoughts will be appreciated!

 

[MadMan0]

yh i think you might be right about the cause.

Doesn't look like anything to worry about though, just sanding it down and touching it up rather than getting a new door

Alternativly, you could just spalsh a bit of oil over it and leave it untill you have the time to sort it

 

[DaveMcT]

Its cracked (probably dinged & later pulled out) and bubbled so it could need more work than you'll expect and silver wont match in very well. Rust is like cancer if its not fully cut out it soon comes back. What you see is often the bit of the iceberg above the water.

I would look for a 2nd-hand door in good condition and get it painted to match the car. It will be cheaper in the long run.

 

[striderwilson]

Is it a 5 door car? Looks like it. I'd agree with WhiteSei. Looks like some accident damage that hasn't been repaired very well. I wouldn't even consider repairing it - it will never look good enough, it will not last and silver is a pain to colour match.
Get a replacement door, in silver, from a breakers, from a similar age / spec car. They come up on ebay regularly - keep looking and I'm sure you will find a mint one within a couple of months that isn't too far away. Can't see it costing much more than £75 and you won't need to get it painted. Dead easy to change aswell!!! Same with the back door if it has one and its had the same poor repair work.
Do it that way and the car will look as good as new for the least amount of money.
Just make sure it is exactly the same colour - I've made that mistake before!

 

[striderwilson]

post 4

 

[striderwilson]

post 5

 

[striderwilson]

Post 6

Now I can post a URL!!!!

Too far from you I'm sure, but this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BREAKING-2004-FIAT-PUNTO-SELECTA-/220623961129?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item335e367c29

is the kind of thing I'd be looking for.

 

[Alexander1990]

Thanks for the advice guys!

I don't think it is accident damaged. Just an awkward angle I took the photo at making it look dented. It looks the same on the over side

I just think the last plank who owned it caused only the crack

However I'll leave it for now and only do something if it gets worse (parents had one on their old scenic for a few years which I never noticed and never got any worse)

I'm thinking of selling it at some point anyway as theres another issue with the ignition where the speedo stops working for a bit and the power steering goes if you turn the car on and off quickly (like when stalling as I did yesterday) but thats for another day

 

[DaveMcT]

The steering issue is probably the battery on its way out, but check the main earth lead from battery to chassis and engine.

I still believe the door has been thumped just inboard of the door edge. There's not much else to split the paint like that. A low car park bollard is a perfect tool for the job

 

[Alexander1990]

The steering issue is probably the battery on its way out, but check the main earth lead from battery to chassis and engine.

I still believe the door has been thumped just inboard of the door edge. There's not much else to split the paint like that. A low car park bollard is a perfect tool for the job

Heh. Probably might be the case. Explains why its been nailed back in.

Regarding faulty speedo and steering, definatly not the battery. Only changed that last year. Faulty ECU or ignition methinks