Is this the sign of surface rust, or am I paranoid for no reason?

sim08u · 01-04-2012, 10:50 PM

Hi all ever since I bought my car I have noticed more and more things that need looking at but for what I paid I shouldn't complain anyways after buying the car and especially after having it lowered lol I noticed small defects in the paint, and then the other day I picked up a mate from his house during the day, and because he is really tall, upon getting into the car he told me that I have bad surface rust developing on the roof of my car, my first reaction was shock, I thought it was just paint defects. anyway here are some photos I took, they all look the same.

the third photo shows u the whole of the front of the roof some of the marks are from bird droppings and tree sap but along the front there are a lot of those 'markings'. Anyways any help as to what I should go about doing would be greatly appreciated, my mate told me that I should expect to pay anywhere near $500-1000, that almost made my cry...

sim08u · 01-04-2012, 10:54 PM

not sure if the photos worked, so heres just the link to my photobucket account: http://s1055.photobucket.com/albums/s501/sim08u/

TheMAN · 02-04-2012, 04:44 AM

looks like rust to me

project.r.racing · 02-04-2012, 07:30 AM

Yup rust. If it is anything link the BA panel and are zinc plated. It will stay like that for many years to come, and hardly get any worse. But like all things BJ, Mazda did cheap out, so worth finding out whether or not the BJ got zinc plated panels.

TheMAN · 02-04-2012, 07:59 AM

the BJ only got cheaped out in 2002 and 2003 models... the 2001 and earlier had better paint, better sheet metal, and just overall better build quality

can I prove it? not completely, but I'm telling you from experience of working on many of these cars

mazda stopped painting the engine bay completely after 2001, for one thing

mynameisdaniel · 02-04-2012, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMAN

the BJ only got cheaped out in 2002 and 2003 models... the 2001 and earlier had better paint, better sheet metal, and just overall better build quality

can I prove it? not completely, but I'm telling you from experience of working on many of these cars

mazda stopped painting the engine bay completely after 2001, for one thing

Are you sure? I had a 2002.5 J48 and the entire engine bay was silver, right down to the bottom of the strut towers and under where the battery sits etc...

marcs_sp20 · 02-04-2012, 08:19 AM

Mines painted too, and is an april 02 build...

I have had a spot on the roof for the past 4years or so, hasnt increased in size at all

sim08u · 02-04-2012, 08:20 AM

ok so does this mean i should act upon this straight away? or can i wait a while?

TheMAN · 02-04-2012, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mynameisdaniel

Are you sure? I had a 2002.5 J48 and the entire engine bay was silver, right down to the bottom of the strut towers and under where the battery sits etc...

it depends on the colour then I guess.... half of them only came with primered engine bays

TheMAN · 02-04-2012, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sim08u

ok so does this mean i should act upon this straight away? or can i wait a while?

go ahead and chip those paint bubbles off... sand down the rust till it's gone... patch with a "paint over rust" rust reformer compound (a form of tannic acid) then just put touch up paint over it once dry.... that will stop the rust from spreading... it won't look pretty but it will stop the rust

later on when you have money, just have the roof repainted

sim08u · 02-04-2012, 08:39 AM

hmmm i might get quotes to get everything done, and if its close to $500 I might just get a professional to do it, otherwise Ill try the DIY route, also my car is parked downstairs in my garage (which technically is underwater, because I live on the water) would this have anything to do with anything?

sim08u · 02-04-2012, 12:13 PM

I also thought about painting the roof black? and maybe the bonnet too? DYI style tho.

Clean_Cookie · 02-04-2012, 12:13 PM

Salt water will kill steel.

sim08u · 02-04-2012, 09:30 PM

I dont know why I mentioned that Ive only had the car for about a month, so I'm not sure that's the cause, so does anyone know how this sort of thing happens? anyways as of now with the amount of time I have I will get quotes next week and then maybe go diy and paint black or touch up OR get it done by a pro... sigh...

TheMAN · 02-04-2012, 09:35 PM

touch up for now using the method I mentioned... that's temporary.... it'll look rubbish but it'll stop the rust from spreading

then once you got money, go get it done right!

sim08u · 02-04-2012, 10:01 PM

lol how rubbish will it look? do u think it'll be ok for a few months? like i guess what I'm asking is if i do, do it myself will it look completely dodgy even from a distance? or will you have to go up close to tell? thanks

Clean_Cookie · 02-04-2012, 10:19 PM

Good prep, quality paints, sealed work environment, quality compressor and filters, decent gun, and good masking off then it'll look pretty good. Screw one of these up though and it'll look not so good...by the time you get the gear you need, a pro job may be cheaper...

mynameisdaniel · 02-04-2012, 10:29 PM

If you're willing/able to do some of the prep (strip the paint back) yourself, you might find a painter who will do it cheaper for you, but ask them first :P

TheMAN · 03-04-2012, 05:03 AM

the touch up I was talking about is by brush.... less than $50 I think!

sim08u · 03-04-2012, 09:29 AM

oh right... well my mums car just got hit

so when she goes to the panel beater I'll ask him

ummm sorry quick question So first I need to sand it back to the bare metal..then I need to find some sort of acid, to completely kill the rust...and then I need to touch up by brush...?

01-04-2012, 10:50 PM	#1
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	Is this the sign of surface rust, or am I paranoid for no reason? Hi all ever since I bought my car I have noticed more and more things that need looking at but for what I paid I shouldn't complain anyways after buying the car and especially after having it lowered lol I noticed small defects in the paint, and then the other day I picked up a mate from his house during the day, and because he is really tall, upon getting into the car he told me that I have bad surface rust developing on the roof of my car, my first reaction was shock, I thought it was just paint defects. anyway here are some photos I took, they all look the same. the third photo shows u the whole of the front of the roof some of the marks are from bird droppings and tree sap but along the front there are a lot of those 'markings'. Anyways any help as to what I should go about doing would be greatly appreciated, my mate told me that I should expect to pay anywhere near $500-1000, that almost made my cry... __________________ Hustle and Flow

01-04-2012, 10:54 PM	#2
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	not sure if the photos worked, so heres just the link to my photobucket account: http://s1055.photobucket.com/albums/s501/sim08u/ __________________ Hustle and Flow

02-04-2012, 04:44 AM	#3
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	looks like rust to me __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years

02-04-2012, 07:59 AM	#5
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	the BJ only got cheaped out in 2002 and 2003 models... the 2001 and earlier had better paint, better sheet metal, and just overall better build quality can I prove it? not completely, but I'm telling you from experience of working on many of these cars mazda stopped painting the engine bay completely after 2001, for one thing __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years

02-04-2012, 08:19 AM	#7
marcs_sp20 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ipswich, Queensland Car: 2002 Mazda Astina SP20 2006 Mazda 6 GY Wagon Posts: 9,769 View Photos By: marcs_sp20	Mines painted too, and is an april 02 build... I have had a spot on the roof for the past 4years or so, hasnt increased in size at all __________________

02-04-2012, 07:30 AM	#4
project.r.racing Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: n/a Car: n/a Posts: 10,929	Yup rust. If it is anything link the BA panel and are zinc plated. It will stay like that for many years to come, and hardly get any worse. But like all things BJ, Mazda did cheap out, so worth finding out whether or not the BJ got zinc plated panels.

02-04-2012, 08:20 AM	#8
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	ok so does this mean i should act upon this straight away? or can i wait a while? __________________ Hustle and Flow

02-04-2012, 08:39 AM	#11
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	hmmm i might get quotes to get everything done, and if its close to $500 I might just get a professional to do it, otherwise Ill try the DIY route, also my car is parked downstairs in my garage (which technically is underwater, because I live on the water) would this have anything to do with anything? __________________ Hustle and Flow

02-04-2012, 12:13 PM	#12
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	I also thought about painting the roof black? and maybe the bonnet too? DYI style tho. __________________ Hustle and Flow

02-04-2012, 12:13 PM	#13
Clean_Cookie obsessed-incomplete-broke Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Brisbane Car: BA Hardtop/Hatch Posts: 5,441	Salt water will kill steel. __________________ Worklog

02-04-2012, 09:30 PM	#14
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	I dont know why I mentioned that Ive only had the car for about a month, so I'm not sure that's the cause, so does anyone know how this sort of thing happens? anyways as of now with the amount of time I have I will get quotes next week and then maybe go diy and paint black or touch up OR get it done by a pro... sigh... __________________ Hustle and Flow

02-04-2012, 09:35 PM	#15
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	touch up for now using the method I mentioned... that's temporary.... it'll look rubbish but it'll stop the rust from spreading then once you got money, go get it done right! __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years

02-04-2012, 10:01 PM	#16
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	lol how rubbish will it look? do u think it'll be ok for a few months? like i guess what I'm asking is if i do, do it myself will it look completely dodgy even from a distance? or will you have to go up close to tell? thanks __________________ Hustle and Flow

02-04-2012, 10:19 PM	#17
Clean_Cookie obsessed-incomplete-broke Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Brisbane Car: BA Hardtop/Hatch Posts: 5,441	Good prep, quality paints, sealed work environment, quality compressor and filters, decent gun, and good masking off then it'll look pretty good. Screw one of these up though and it'll look not so good...by the time you get the gear you need, a pro job may be cheaper... __________________ Worklog

02-04-2012, 10:29 PM	#18
mynameisdaniel Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Adelaide, Australia Car: 07 Subaru Liberty GT Spec B tuned by STi Posts: 912 View Photos By: mynameisdaniel	If you're willing/able to do some of the prep (strip the paint back) yourself, you might find a painter who will do it cheaper for you, but ask them first :P __________________

03-04-2012, 05:03 AM	#19
TheMAN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: USA Car: . Posts: 2,623	the touch up I was talking about is by brush.... less than $50 I think! __________________ Protege FAQ, the best 323/Protege/Mazda3 resource enjoyed worldwide for 10 years

03-04-2012, 09:29 AM	#20
sim08u Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Sydney Car: Mazda SP20 Posts: 240	oh right... well my mums car just got hit so when she goes to the panel beater I'll ask him ummm sorry quick question So first I need to sand it back to the bare metal..then I need to find some sort of acid, to completely kill the rust...and then I need to touch up by brush...? __________________ Hustle and Flow