X150 Rust Spot on Wing

[AnimalMkIV]

Argh, aluminium gremlins are eating My XK. Spotted a nasty bubble on the paint above the vent in the offside front wing. Local bodyshop had a look this morning and reckoned it should be a quick and easy job (although they won't warranty their work). Just waiting for a quote to come through.

[reddiesel]

Assuming that it’s not been previously bodged it’s a comparatively easy repair . I would also be removing the vent to ensure a proper finish with the Topcoat . The last thing you want is an edge and the lacquer peeling

[AnimalMkIV]

Got the quote back from the bodyshop the other day. They gave best and worst case - exact paint match, repair and respray the local area for £420 or having to blend into the door, bonnet, etc for £700. Hopefully the paint is an easy match. Booked in for the 5th June.

[reddiesel]

About par for the course I think . I don’t know the history of the car or indeed if you do but I’m surprised to see it as bad as that . Has it had paint previously?

[AnimalMkIV]

I only bought the car in November, it had full Jaguar dealer invoices. I haven't checked the service history since, but I don't remember seeing any bodywork on there and the rust definitely wasn't visible when we looked over the car. 24k miles, 14 plate, it looked immaculate, obviously someone's special weekend car, there wasn't even any marks on the steering wheel. I wonder if there was a paint defect from the factory or damage when fitting the vent. Either way, annoying, but at least it's an easy fix.

[reddiesel]

Make sure he removes the vent prior to painting because if its just masked inevitably you will end up with the Topcoat peeling . The vent can be fragile and often ends up being broken in the removal process , the temptation is to therefore mask and leave it in situ

[AnimalMkIV]

Oh joy, I can see where this is going...

Cheers for the advice. They did say they'd be removing the vent, I'll make sure to let them know it's fragile.

[craigjm]

Yep you might need a new vent. What you are seeing is filiform corrosion rather than rust and it really only happens when the paint seal is broken. Once it’s treated it’s less likely to be an ongoing issue than rust would be but you want to check closely that the repair is complete