To wait or not to wait

[irene]

i was wondering what sage advice ya'll could give me about deciding what is best for painting my squareback... first off, i'm a grad student and have little to no funds. so while i would like to do everything under the sun to protect my ride, i have to pick my spending projects carefully.

...ok, the vw has a bit of rust on her, but not a huge amount. mostly on the door panels and in a few of the crevaces. i would really like to have her sanded down and cared for by someone who knows what they are doing when i have the moolah. but until that day comes (about 2 years from now), is it better to keep her in her original condition, or take her to a cheap-o place that can cover her for the time being so that she doesn't get worse?

thanx!

[Air-Cooled Head]

Wait.
A cheapo place paint job w/o a huge amount of pre & post sanding is gonna suck. Don't waste your money.
Depending on how big the spots are, I'd wire-brush/scotch-brite the loose rust away, then apply a rust inhibitor, then touch-up paint. POR-15 is expensive, but for small spots, you could probably get away with something from Wal-Mart. You'll have to keep a close eye on things, as you may have to repeat this procedure until you get it done up right.
Besides, just a paint job, w/o the above steps, and you'd be seeing the rust again within months.

[jazzed]

I agree with almost all of the above post. Altho' POR-15 isn't the cheapest product around, it is the best, so I would say spend the $30 for a quart of the stuff. It'll cover over 100 square feet and you won't have to worry about doing it again.

[69T3Driver]

or use ospho, they sell it at home depot, but i like POR 15

[irene]

thanks for the advice... much appreciated!