W211 Rust on arches.

[John]

After fitting the correct size tyre for 19" wheels on my car, I had a look to see what, if anything, the scuffs did (less than half a dozen times) to my rear wheel arches.

The answer is not a lot other than clean the muck of the inside of the arch.

However, I noticed whilst examining them that there are what appears to be chips in the paint where rust has appeared - all completely within the underside on the rolled arch section.

Given this is a galvanised body, is this likely to just be surface rust and not likely to spread - or will it spread anyway?

I'm inclined to deal with it now I know but just curious.

Also, can I get away with rubbing down with fine wet n dry and using a touch up or does it need more serious work?

 

[HB]

I've had the same on myn. I'm cleaning it up and using a touch up right now. It works ok for a couple of months.

 

[Alps]

mines started too, I will be sanding it down and hammeriting it.

 

[John]

Cheers chaps - I will do the Hammerite thing if the touch up brush only lasts that long.

You can't see it so it doesn't need to be perfect but I want to nip it in the bud and want something that lasts a bit longer.

That's an exciting job then!

Reminds me when I had a MK4 C reg Escort back in the mid 90s and I had to rebuild the whole NSR arch from scratch. Ended up doing the whole car and it looked alright until I wrote it off a couple of weeks after.



At least I have a garage to do it in this time around.