Need advice on what to do with unknown paint

[Loa]

Hello,

Just got my new Mopar and it has a really bad paint job. Problem is, I won't have the budget to properly repaint it until next year. The car was originally white but has been repainted red with a single stage paint. The paint is weak (gets on the towel when cleaning with degreaser) and is already cracking/peeling in many places.

I was planning on polishing it lightly, fixing the rust spots with primer + paint then hitting the entire car with a coat of clear (all using spray cans). Not looking for stunning results, only to protect it until next year.

Is that a good idea?

Thanks.

[jimynick]

In my opinion, the short answer would be- no. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig and trying to salvage what you describe would be way more work than it's worth. Then consider the fun to remove it eventually after having cleared it. Paint jobs have gotten stupidly expensive and I get where you're coming from, though. Good luck. 

[Loa]

Hello,

Thanks for the advice. I now have a new question: given that this car won't be protected from the elements, should I at least take care of the rust spots? Just sand them down to metal, prime and spray a single stage paint on them?

Thanks

[70chall440]

For now, feather out the chips and such, clean it really well and shoot some duplicolor (O'Reillys/Schucks) on it to protect it until you can afford a real paint job.

[EbodyMod]

  primer spots are way cooler than more rust!!

[Loa]

Thanks for the advice! I'll start working on it as soon as it gets warm enough outside... :-)

[js29no]

Primer is porous, use rattle can single stage acrylic enamel so it doesn't rust. A parts store that mixes paint some times will have the set up to mix A pint and insert it into A spray can.    

[Loa]

Yeah, I was going to paint over the primer spots... They are cooler than rust, but not as much as decently matched paint spots...   :-)

[shadango]

What about a wrap? I know it sounds goofy but from a price standpoint maybe ?

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[YellowThumper]

Wraps are a good option. Quality ones will last for several years.
Still have to address rusting spots prior.

[mopar jack]

If you sand the rust spots to bare metal I would use a metal etch solution to stop the rust then prime and seal.

[Loa]

Hello,

Not really into wraps, and I'm going to invest in good paint next year anyway.

@mopar jack: are these etching products really worth the money? Isn't priming enough to stop the rust?

Thanks for the info.

[mopar jack]

The etching solution is a phosphoric acid and it converts the surface rust from iron oxide to iron phosphate making it very stable.

[Loa]

Thanks! I'll get a can before priming!

Edit: given that I already have my regular primer, can I buy a can of phosphoric acid meant for cleaning bathrooms? (3M makes one)

[mopar jack]

Don't know about bathroom cleaner. I just buy a quart from my automotive paint supply. It goes a long way, you wipe it on with a rag and rinse it off with water then dry. Make sure you use proper protective equipment.