I have a 2001 Nissan Maxima. It has only 110,000kms on it and runs great. Regular oil changes at 5,0000kms and just had all the fluids flushed and replaced.
I have been noticing small rust spots appearing in different places on the car - roof, roof pillars, near window edges etc. Now I see the proverbial rusting around the rear wheel-well lip starting.
I am semi-retired and so have to watch my cash but I don’t want to drive a “rust bucket”. Should I repaint this car while any rust can be easily removed due to the low mileage or should I look for something newer???
I would suggest that you have your car checked to be certain that, in fact, you do have just surface rust. Once rust starts, it is pretty hard to stop. I’ve had friends who have had rust repaired and the cars repainted only to have the rust surface again in a couple of years.
My solution with old cars that I have owned has been to repair the rust holes with a fiber glass kit, buy an aerosol can of touch-up paint and go to work. From a distance, my cars didn’t look too bad and it bought a little time not driving a rust bucket while I looked for something newer.
I would get it painted. The odometer reading and age are not at the point where this vehicle is ready for for retirement.
I too have had good success doing repairs with fiberglass kits. Generally I use an angle grinder (about $40-50 at any hardware store) to grind the rust down to bare metal as much as I can, then patch with the fiberglass repair, prime and paint.
NOTE: invest in a full face shield ($10-12 at the hardware store)for use with the angle grinder. Grinders are the best tool for the job, but they throw a lot of particulates at high speeds.
It will NOT be beneficial to get it repaired. Regardless of the miles the fact that the vehicle is 8 years old has reduced its value to the point where it would NOT be cost effective. I am not saying to trade the car, just don’t repair it, it is what it is. The rust on the pillars may be surface rust but the rust on quarter panels is not, it is embedded rust that has started from the inside and ate its way out. What ever rust you see, there is more you cannot see, guaranteed. Also, no shop in their right mind would warranty rust repair. It has nothing to do with quality, know-how or integrity. It all has to do with that dreaded rust, it will come back. IT IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE, drive it as is.
It certainly is too expensive to have a professional clean up and repaint the car. You could come out here to California and buy my 2000 Maxima with 92,000 miles and no rust at all for $6,000, sell yours for $3,500 and be all set. Or, you could do as others have suggested and do it yourself, creating a 10 foot repair (looks OK from 10 feet away).
Odds are there is a lot more rust than what you’re seeing. An '01 with only 110,000 kms on it should not be eaten up this quickly but if you live in a northern rust belt state then it’s quite possible.
You should check with an auto body shop and have them look at this to verify just how bad this rust is.
And if a body shop says they can “fix it” then also make sure they offer a lifetime guarantee in case any problems crop up.
Just my opinion, but a late model car that already has rust problems on the roof of all places has problems and it’s more than likely not worth a repaint.
How bad is this rust? Hell, I repair rust spots on our vehicles all the time, as routine maintenance. If you address this stuff early, it never gets to be a real problem. Could you describe how extensive it is? Maybe post a picture? Small spots (not holes) are simple. Small holes aren’t that hard, either. I agree that you’re only seeing the surface stuff, but you can maintain your vehicle and keep the rust issue to a minimum, IMO. Just DON"T undercoat it at this point. Rocketman
Thank you all so much for the replies. For those wanting more specifics. I live up in Canada so my car endures winters and sand/salt additives on the roads during that time.
Most of the rust appearing on the body (roof pillars etc) are very small dots probably where stone chips have nicked the paint. The only significant area showing is the rim area of the wheel-well where the rust is “bubbly” and showing on the front half of the inside edge.
I am not able to do any kind of repairs like this but have appreciated the heads up on the matter. Think I will take it to a body shop and see what they have to say.
Please feel free to add any more insight into my situation.
Calgary Gal
Ten foot repair? My best friend in the US is one of the tightest men I know. HE is not in poverty. A few years ago, he lost $15,000 on a minor stock bubble, which took a lot of money until this last bust.
I had an old 9 passenger wagon. I put a major engine rebuild by a quality rebuilder about five minutes before the body fell apart from rust. Motor ran great. I could have driven it anywhere at normal highway speeds, but water was going in and my wife was getting sick by the moldy smell.
I sold it to him for one dollar, on the condition he let me list every known defect before he decided. I talked and he wrote, both sides of narrow-lined notebook paper.
Then, we took it out on the Interstate, which was a mistake, because he decided to take it.
The rear bumper fell off a few weeks later, which he fixed with a plank.
Then, he took duct tape, Red Green would be proud of him, and carefully stuck it across the gaping holes in the body. He really worked at it, and did it well.
Then,he bought white automotive spray paint, and painted that duct tape to match the car. I realized I was in the presence of greatness.
I don’t know about the distance; but I will say unless you stopped and looked, you did not notice it was duct tape.
He drove that old car for some years, with only minor repairs. Then, something failed, so he parked it, to the neighbors’ horror. His step son had money problems, so he fixed it and passed it on for another year or so.It failed out on the Interstate, and he just abandoned it.
I told my friend if I’d known it would run that good, I should have charged him $2!!!
And if a body shop says they can “fix it” then also make sure they offer a lifetime guarantee in case any problems crop up.
FYI…I have been to almost every body shop in a 13 county area in Illinois and most of them display signage that states there is no guaranteed whatsoever on rust repair. Also someone recently came into my shop with an estimate from their insurance company for rust repair. I called the ins. comp. and asked if they were in fact covering this and the reply was yes. With that said, I told the ins. comp. and the vehicle owner that “there will not be any warranty at all on this and if the vehicle shows signs of rust after we repair it, even after a couple of weeks it will not be warranted”. The adjuster and the vehicle owner both said no problem, we understand.