Rust Appearing At The Bottom Of The Doors

[bjstorm]

My wife's car is almost 10 years old. We keep it in the garage but probably don't wash it as often as we should. We intend to keep it indefinitely because it's in great shape other than the rust, and is low mileage. Should I get the rust repaired or just wait and see if it gets to the point where it needs to be fixed before we get her something newer to drive? What do you think?

 

[RoadWarrior]

I honestly wouldn't worry about a rusted door that much, BJ, as you can probably buy a new or used door cheaper than it would cost to repair the rust. But I would definitely spend some time in a creeper and check around the whole bottom of the car for rust, where the bottom of the car meets the sides. If there is no more rust, make sure everything is good and clean, and none of the drain holes (for the doors) are clogged. If there is some surface rust, this can be brushed off with a metal scouring brush and repainted with some touch-up paint.

It doesn't take rust very long to spread, so I'd take care of this immediately. Good luck.

 

[bjstorm]

Thanks for the suggestion about getting on a creeper to check under the car, RoadWarrior. So far we seem to be okay there, and the drain plugs are clear. I'll have to try getting some of that surface rust off in the spring.