Repairing Rust Damage

Hello everyone! New user here excited to get some repairs and mods started on my Tacoma.

I'm looking for advice on the best and most affordable way to repair the rust damage at the top of my trucks roof top. I would prefer to do everything myself but if its advised that I consider getting a professional to repair this than I'll consider my options accordingly.

Thanks for the advise in advance!

 

thats pretty bad. gonna need to wet sand/scour first
then
scrub clean
then
rustoleum rust dissolver... follow the directions.
then scrub clean again

its the roof, so you could just get a brush and some decent metal primer. then whatever color of paint that is close enough. old truck is not worth taking to a pro to get a perfect paintjob on a roof that nobody can see anyway. just brush it. rattle cans take more prep work and $ to protect from overspray.

you could roll on bedliner over the primer if you want a thick tough coating.

the other things people are going to recommend are going to cost way more $ than what i am suggesting

 

On the right side, the dark brown area on the roof appears to look like some serious rust, and by the time you remove it, you may have a compromised roof. I guess, first I'd take it to a professional body shop and ask them for their opinion and estimate, then go from there.

 

You could try the Por15 system:
https://por15.com/products/3-step-stop-rust-system?msclkid=a9ef989bdd0613d138ebfb53f94a59dd

 

I like POR15. I've used lots of it over the years. It's a PITA to work with, and for sure needs a good topcoat to protect it from UV, especially on a roof, but it's the best I've ever found for truly keeping existing rust from spreading.

Look at their system of (1) cleaner, (2) rust treatment, and (3) POR15 moisture-cured urethane coating. You'd want to use all three. The POR15 goes right on the metal. Don't think about priming or something before the POR15.

And without a topcoat, it'll get chalky and come off in a few months. Definitely protect it from ultraviolet light.

 

That’s a mess! That job is best left to a pro. If you don’t prep it correctly, the rust may reappear and destroy your diy paint job. ( once it’s painted, do some research on the benefits of automobile wax )

 

I really don't think its all that bad.
looks like mostly surface rust to me.

I would sand it to the best of my ability, do some rust converter stuff if I could not get it all and then after that I'd go rattle can. do the prep, the primer, tape off the windows etc... and giver.
I bet it would look pretty decent when done.

might be a good time to learn how to use a automotive spray gun if you have a compatible compressor. its the roof after all, so like others mentioned not highly visible so if you mess up, its not the end of the world.

 

This would be my approach. You can get a cheap jam gun that will work for a small, horizontal area like that.

 

I agree with the try it yourself.

There is a good amount of rust but mostly appears superficial. Go through a neutralizer & base system of your choice then either cover with a base coat/ clear coat, or a wrap and forget about it.

 

I recently addressed some similar spots on my roof. Heres what i did:

- sand w/80 grit and get as close as possible to bare metal in affected areas

- clean with acetone to remove contaminants

- let air dry and painted with rustoleum rust converter

- topcoat with 3 coats of textured bedliner

repair cost me 3 cans of spray paint and some sandpaper i already had

* forgot to mention i used a 3pk of 9’x12’ plastic dropcloths from Walmart ($6.99) and painters tape to cover everything from the roof seams down to make sure i didnt overspray the paint on the rest of the truck.

From start of prep to final dry id say it took a few hours at most

 

Heres a pic of the finished product. Cheap fix and i should never have to touch it again.

 

That looks pretty good! I've considered putting a white vinyl wrap on my roof to drop temperatures a bit but it would look too much like and old man's truck. My son's first Jeep had the black top and holy hell, would that thing get hot in the Summer.

 

Acid and acid "Rust Remover" products dissolve the rust bloom and take it back to metal. You then clean, sand/prep and seal ~ Epoxy primers work well for sealing. Skim coat to remove surface imperfections, sand + prime + sand paint....