Rust Advice

[krew]

I need some help deciding what to do, I discovered some rust on my LS400 and I want to deal with it ASAP.



Here's a closeup (please excuse the rain):

And to put it into perspective:

My first thought was to sand it down, apply a rust converter then paint it with my touchup pen, end of story. Problem is, I've never done that, so I thought to maybe get it done professionally.



When I brought it to a local bodyshop, the guy said that there's probably a pinhole, and that it needed sandblasting and welded, painted, then the whole rear quarterpanel recleared. Seemed a little excessive, but I can't say I was very surprised.



My question is, will my original plan of sanding, converting and touching up make sense considering the small size of this rust?



The only rust converter I can seem to find locally is POR15 or something called Proform (which I can't find mentioned on Autopia at all). Would the POR15 be suitable for this application or should I keep looking? Does anyone have a recommendation of a converter brand that's available in Canada?



Thanks in advance for any help, this is really bothering me and I appreciate any advice that helps me to deal with it.

 

[itb76]

I suppose it depends on how long you plan to keep the car, how perfect you want it to look, etc. I would sand down the rust (it will cover a larger area than it appears to), prime with a primer containing a rust converter (Eastwood sells one that I've used), then touch up with color and clear coats. If all the rust comes off during sanding a corrosion resistant primer may be better than a rust encapsulating primer. If I didn't have the time I'd find a body shop to do just that. You may be able to do this with cans; I have a gun and this does a better job.



My car has several spots like this. I'm torn between spending the money and taking the time. One or the other will happen this summer.

 

[Accumulator]

krew- Given the location and (as best I can tell) severity of the rust, IMO this particular one needs pro attention. I'd take it to a shop and bite the financial bullet to get it fixed right.



BTW, in my experience the various rust products from Eastwood work better than POR-15. But this isn't something I'd try fixing myself. It'll require removal of the bumper cover, for one thing...

 

[krew]

Well, that sucks but I guess it's better to know the facts.



Leaves me with a couple questions:



* I believe this was caused by me pulling out a little rock/contaminant from the paint using clay -- what does it mean to have a pinhole, and is welding as scary as it sounds?



* Is it really necessary to reclear the entire back panel? Won't that be noticeable?



* How much should I expect to pay for this?



This is my first time getting any body work done, I don't even know what to look for in a body shop. Time for research!

 

[Accumulator]

* I believe this was caused by me pulling out a little rock/contaminant from the paint using clay -- what does it mean to have a pinhole, and is welding as scary as it sounds?

No, the clay didn't do it. Hard to say what did, but while it might've started with a to-the-metal chip (which could've been touched up ) the rust near the bumper cover looks like it came from stuff building up behind the panel (dirt, etc.). The stuff held moisture and that led to rust.



Welding isn't that big a deal for good shops. Trick is to find a good shop

* Is it really necessary to reclear the entire back panel? Won't that be noticeable?



* How much should I expect to pay for this?

Can't say what it'll cost or if they'll want to reclear the whole panel (some shops do spot repairs that are blended in, other shops don't). A good repair won't show at all. A decent repair won't be noticed by anybody but you. A so-so repair is still better than the rust A crappy repair will result in the rust coming back.



I'd spend the money to get it fixed right. Not a huge expense compared to letting rust gain a toe-hold and end up killing the vehicle (or at least its value). Hey, it's a nice Lexus, get it fixed and keep it nice, it oughta last forever.