Rust converter on paint

[accordmaniac]

My mom's 2004 Camry has a few scratches on it that has started to rust. I was thinking of buying some rust to primer converter to get rid of them, but the directions say to leave it on in excess of 15 minutes so I was wondering if it is safe for the paint. The area is the blackout tape of the doors. Thanks.

 

[Accumulator]

I apply the converter with something small and accurate. That way I don't get it on the surrounding paint. I first polish (or wetsand with something very fine if necessary) and feather the surrounding paint back from the bare metal/rusted area. Then I apply the converter with a toothpick/tiny brush/etc. only getting it on the spot that needs it.



Note that there are a lot of different converters and you need to pick the right one for each job. For this one, I'd use the "Rust Avenger" style converter that you leave on (it turns into a primer). FWIW, it holds up pretty well even if you don't put paint over it.