Sturday October 4th, 2025 – Product Search

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

This morning started off rather slow. I spent most of it lying in bed with the kids, watching movies—Freaky Friday and Herbie: Fully Loaded. Around 10 a.m., my daughter became insistent that we had to “hurry up” and buy her friend a birthday gift for the party that afternoon.

Of course, once everything was picked out and paid for, I discovered the party didn’t even begin until 4 p.m. So, I decided now was as good a time as any to head to one of the many local automotive stores and look for suitable rust treatment products.

I ended up choosing three products—two of which had received high praise from multiple sources, including the store’s website and Amazon reviews:

Rust-Oleum: Rust Dissolver

Contains phosphoric acid—much like naval jelly, the main ingredient should do the trick. I’m not sure of its total concentration, so I’ll have to experiment a bit. If this doesn’t cut it, I can always order some naval jelly to tackle the more stubborn rust spots.

Loctite: Rust Neutralizer

Converts light rust into a black, paintable surface. I’ll use this to reach the more inaccessible areas. My thought is that I’ll inevitably run into rust that could cause issues later on but can’t be reached without cutting into the car. This should help seal those areas, especially when coupled with the black primer, before painting.

U-POL: Black Primer

A rust-resistant, sandable black primer. Both the neutralizer and primer are sandable, so they should work well together. I plan to use this primarily on interior metal surfaces before sanding, cleaning, and applying a clear coat to lock it in. For the exterior, I’ll use either a black or gray primer before applying the paint layers, sealer, and final clear coats.

In total—along with some new angle grinder discs—I think I managed to pick up a solid set of products that will let me begin the sanding process in earnest. Though, honestly… I really need to get this garage in order first!