Tips for Cleaning Surface Rust AND Paint

Hi all,
Like many 2nd gen tacos, I'm starting to see some surface rust. Would love to get advice from people here on how to clean it off, and best prevent it from building up. Pics are below, keep in mind the previous owner tried to use white-out or something to cover up spots. Any tips for removing it? I also purchased

$14 Toyota Touch up Paint 040 Super White Genuine Scion/Lexus

this OEM pearl white paint stick from Toyota. Any advice on using it?

Also curious to hear how people maintain their leather seats and prevent cracking.

Thanks in advance!

 

Also would love advice for general paint maintenance. I notice a lot of darker spots from oily fingerprints. Any advice for buffing/clay-bar and preventative coating?

 

Start with an iron decontamination spray. A lot of that may actually be sitting on top of your paint. Mcguires, detail geek, chemical guys and others make them. Spray it on, let it do its thing then rinse and wash.

 

Thanks! Very helpful!

 

You might want to take that plastic bed rail cap off and see what is causing the rust in the first place. If its rusting under the cap, that needs to be fixed before it starts spreading under the paint

 

As has already been said, dissolve the surface iron contamination first, then you'll have a clearer picture of what kind of shape your paint is actually in. My guess (based on over 25 years of detailing) is that you'll still have some imbedded surface contaminates which can best be removed with clay. Then you'll have to machine polish (with proper pad, pressure, products and technique) to bring the shine back to the paint. This would then be followed with your choice of wax, polymer sealant or ceramic coating. Of course, all of this is gloriously over-simplified.

BTW, you do have some rust starting and that's a whole different story. Nothing short of sanding, priming and painting is going to help with that.

 

Extremely helpful, thank you! I haven't done any real detailing before. Do you have any resources to recommend? I'll be picking up a polishing machine and compound. Product suggestions would also be appreciated!

 

The Detailing section here can be of some help. AutoGeek.com is even better. And you can find videos on YouTube. The thing I would caution you on is wading right in with nobody to show you how to do it in person. (And some of the videos on YT make me cringe.) Remember, wisdom comes from experience. Experience comes from messing up.

As for starter stuff, I'd recommend a

$139 Porter-Cable 7424XP PORTER-CABLE Car Polisher and Buffer, 6", Orbital, Variable Speed (7424XP)

Porter-Cable 7424XP because it's reasonably powerful, but generally won't allow you to get too stupid. (Griot's Garage also makes a similar machine.) AG generally offers there in starter kits with an assortment of pads and polishes that won't get you into a lot of trouble. (Rubbing Compound will get you into a LOT of trouble.)

Hope that helps.

Tom

 

Thanks so much! Super helpful

 

Did you remove your mud flaps? Locks like you have been peppering that rear panel with stones from your front wheels....

 

Previous owner might have taken them off for a period of time, but they were on when I purchased

 

A lot of people also have a lot of problems with the white paint. Well documented on this site, good luck OP.

 

I’m not a body guy. But the few times I’ve stripped the wax and used a clay bar. I had good results.
The process takes for ever, and you need to polish and reapply wax afterwards.
There was a time when I had the extra time and cared about “paint”.
I don’t anymore, I use my truck as a truck. I wax it yearly and call it good.

 

I know this thread is a year old but how did things go with treating rust spots? This is such a widely known problem it's amazing toyota doesn't offer more support. My truck has this too. Sounds like 1st step should be iron remover, and maybe removing the bed liner first.

 

The Griot's can be had for the same price as the Porter cable and is more user friendly. Check out the G9 unit. https://www.griotsgarage.com/g9-random-orbital-polisher/

also, check out our detailing forum, lots of resources for paint maintenance.

 

I am thinking maybe this is more than iron embedded in the paint. I know some of it is, like where the bed rests on the rear quarter panels the paint is worn away. But also the right rear fender looks suspicious and I wonder if there was a fender bender and a repair. There is a little inside the drivers door and I see some blistering.

 

I just learned, via someone else's post, that there is no bed liner and if you remove the big plastic thing in the back then you have no bed!!And also , don't do it! So what can you do if there is rust forming on the painted body that the composite bed is resting on?

 

It's not beyond repair. It's beyond detailing as a fix. You'll need to sand, prime and repaint that good old fashioned rust.

 

Please give me a link "Our Detailing Forum" Thanks.

 

He means the detailing subforum here on TW.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/detailing.32/