How to fix paint chip on hatch

[nicholam77]

Noticed this chip on the seam of my hatch the other day:

Looks to be down to the metal and starting to corrode.

I assume our hatches are steel?

I'm in Minnesota with long winters and salty roads so I'm pretty worried about it. Don't know much about repairs like this... any suggestions on the best course of action? Take it to a body shop / paint repair place? Is there a suitable DIY fix?

Yes, I know I need a car wash real bad.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[nomunic]

I think all mk7 have this, could hit it with some sandpaper and touch up paint pens/clear and it should be fine.

 

[Roald]

Dr Color Chip. It's a solid kit. Paint match for me ( tornado red ) was solid. Paint Holds up.
Use some q-tips and diluted alcohol to clean the spot first, this will take out most of the rust. Enough to fill anyways, then keep and eye on.
If you're brave you could try hitting it with some sand paper but that's going to be tough to not mess up surrounding paint.

 

[Maiden69]

Noticed this chip on the seam of my hatch the other day:

View attachment 280517

Looks to be down to the metal and starting to corrode.

I assume our hatches are steel?

I'm in Minnesota with long winters and salty roads so I'm pretty worried about it. Don't know much about repairs like this... any suggestions on the best course of action? Take it to a body shop / paint repair place? Is there a suitable DIY fix?

Yes, I know I need a car wash real bad.

Thanks for any advice.

I used to buy Dr.ColorChip, now I use Paint Scratch, for that repair make sure you clean up well, seems as the primer gave way and rust is developing. You could clean it with wheel cleaner (the one that turns purple) and a nylon brush. Once rinsed and dry hit it with and paint prep solution. You could use any primer, but self-etching would be the best choice. Spray a little inside a plastic cup and using either a very small brush or a syringe coat the exposed area. Do the same with the base coat, let the base coat fully dry, Paint Scratch recommends at least 20 min, but better overnight, then do the clear. You can do several clear applications, waiting at least 20 min between coats until you reach the thickness of the previous paint.

If you don't mind spending a little extra, I would recommend the Spray Max catalyzed clear, same as the primer, spray a little bit into a plastic container and with a syringe flow it into the chip. The problem would be that once you will lose what ever is left in the can as it will cure within 48 hrs once activated.

 

[akimmel]

I second using a thioglycolate fallout remover/wheel cleaner to get the rust off of the surface first. I do the same thing on rock chips and it removes the need to sand at all, although that's on stuff that's the diameter of a toothpick so ymmv. I would also clean the area really well and look at the surface from an angle to see how far it has bubbled underneath, cause you'll want to remove ALL the loose paint that's not longer adhered to the steel. I've used a fresh boxcutter blade for this, gently chipping away till only solid paint remains at the edges. Luckily this is in a fairly out of sight spot when the hatch is closed.

 

[nicholam77]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

One more question — anyone used something like this Loctite Extend Rust Neutralizer ? Would that work, or is it better to use the wheel cleaner and/or alcohol?