Anti-corrosion treatment
Living near the sea has plenty of perks, but salty air speeds up corrosion on your car. We inspect, treat and protect the areas where rust most often appears.
Why protect your car against rust
Sea air
Salt in the air settles on the bodywork and underbody. Combined with moisture, it attacks any spot where the metal is unprotected.
What you can't see
Rust usually starts from the inside: underbody, door cavities, wheel arches or under rubber seals. By the time it shows, it has been at work for a while.
Prevention is better
Treating a small rust spot is far simpler than repairing a panel that's rusted through or a weakened mounting.
What's included
We tailor the treatment to the car's condition: protecting a sound car isn't the same as rescuing a rusty one.
Underbody and cavity inspection
We check the underbody, wheel arches, sills, and door and tailgate edges, the most exposed areas.
Rust removal
We remove surface rust down to sound metal and treat the area with products that stop it spreading.
Repairing affected metal
If corrosion has holed or weakened the metal, we repair it or replace the damaged section.
Primer and paint
We protect with anti-corrosion primer and paint visible areas to match the colour.
Underbody and cavity protection
We apply protection to the underbody and cavities to make it harder for moisture and salt to reach the metal.
When corrosion affects chassis legs, sills or other structural parts, a deeper repair is needed. If we find it, we'll show you photos and explain it in the estimate before we do anything.
Why southern Tenerife is tough on metal
On the coast, the air carries salt particles that settle on your car every day. Salt attracts moisture and, in contact with bare metal, speeds up oxidation. Add the sun, which breaks down the clear coat and opens tiny cracks in the paint, and any small chip can end up as a rust spot.
Cars that sleep on the street near the sea, cars that aren't used much and cars that haven't had an underbody wash in years suffer most. So do cars with previous body repairs that weren't properly protected on the inside.
Where rust usually starts
- Wheel arches and sills, where sand and moisture build up.
- Lower edges of doors and tailgate, where water doesn't always drain well.
- Around windows and under rubbers or mouldings.
- The underbody, chassis legs and lower reinforcements.
- Stone chips on the bonnet and front end.
If you spot small bubbles under the paint or brown marks in these places, don't ignore them: it's usually rust pushing up from underneath. The paint surface may still look fine around it, but the metal below is already being eaten away, and the longer it's left, the bigger the area that needs repairing.
How we treat it
First we wash and inspect the car, underbody included. Where there's rust, we remove it down to sound metal. If the metal is holed, we repair or replace that section. Then we apply anti-corrosion primer, paint visible areas and protect the underbody and cavities so moisture and salt have a harder time getting in.
From the factory, the metal is protected by layers you never see: galvanising, the e-coat, beads of seam sealer along joints and folds, stone-chip coating underneath and cavity wax inside hollow sections. Every repair, weld or sanding job breaks some of that protection, and our job is to put it back: reproduce the original sealing on joints and folds, recoat the underbody and re-wax the inside of chassis legs, doors and sills.
On visible areas, the paintwork comes with a lifetime paint warranty. And if corrosion reaches structural areas, the repair follows the same standards as our chassis and structural repair work.
Tips to slow rust down
Wash the car with fresh water often, including the underbody and wheel arches, especially if you live or park near the coast. Touch up small chips as soon as you see them. And every so often, check the underbody and wheel arches, or ask us to take a look. If you'd like us to check it, ask for an estimate or use our collection and delivery service.
Frequently asked questions
Can rust affect the ITV?
Yes. Serious corrosion on chassis legs, sills or other structural areas can mean a fail at the ITV (MOT). Checking beforehand avoids surprises.
How often should the underbody be checked?
It depends where you live and park. Near the sea, it's worth a look at least once a year and whenever the car has had bodywork done.
Can rust be stopped once it has started?
If it's treated in time, yes: it's removed down to sound metal and protected. If it has holed the metal, that area needs repairing or replacing.
What is cavity wax?
It's an almost liquid protective coating sprayed inside doors, chassis legs and sills. It repels moisture and stops rust starting from the inside, where you can't see it.
We work with your insurance company
If your car has suffered an incident covered by your insurance, you don't have to be the go-between: we coordinate with your insurer and its loss adjuster so the repair is authorised and done properly.
It's one of the reasons many customers come to us: less paperwork, fewer phone calls and the car back the way it should be.
How we handle it- You choose the garageAs a rule you can take your car to the garage you prefer; we help you check what your policy says.
- We deal with the loss adjusterWe prepare the damage assessment and go through it with your insurer's loss adjuster.
- We collect and deliverIf it suits you better, we pick the car up and bring it back repaired.
- We keep you postedYou always know what stage the repair is at.
Other bodywork and paint services
Panel repair
We straighten, repair or replace damaged body panels and get them ready for paint.
See serviceDents and dings
Car park dings, door knocks and minor dents: we remove them, often without the need to repaint.
See serviceAccident repair
From the claim to handover: we repair bodywork, structure and paint after an accident and work with your insurer.
See serviceChassis jig and structural repair
We check and correct your car's structure on a chassis jig after heavy impacts, bringing it back to factory measurements.
See serviceFull respray
We paint the whole car, in its original colour or a new one, with thorough preparation and a lifetime paint warranty.
See servicePartial respray
We paint only the damaged panel or area and match the colour so there's no visible difference with the rest.
See serviceWhat people often believe, and what actually happens
Six ideas we often hear at the garage that are worth clearing up.
“A car that's been in an accident is never right again.”
If the structure is brought back to its measurements on a jig and joints, sealing and protection are reproduced as at the factory, the repair is sound and safe.
“My insurer decides where my car is repaired.”
As a rule you can choose the garage. Some policies offer perks at their partner garages: we help you read yours before you decide.
“A small dent can wait.”
A scrape that lifts the paint leaves bare metal exposed. With the sun and salty air in the south of the island, corrosion sets in sooner than you think.
“Eco-friendly paint is lower quality.”
A paint with fewer solvents can give an equally durable finish. What makes the difference is the preparation and the application.
“A used car that looks good has never been in a crash.”
A well-polished respray can go unnoticed at first glance. A paint thickness gauge and a check of panel gaps, sealing and welds give it away.
“It doesn't matter where it's painted: paint is paint.”
What you can't see —surface preparation, anti-corrosion protection and painting in a booth— is what decides how long the repair lasts.
Shall we prepare an estimate?
Tell us what your car needs and we'll reply with a written estimate, with no obligation.
Do the online check-in: your details, the vehicle and photos of the damage, from your phone before you come.
Check your car in online- Written estimateBefore we start you know what will be done and what it costs.
- No obligationWe give you the estimate; you decide.
- Collection & deliveryIf it suits you, we come and pick up the car.
Request an estimate
Tell us what's wrong with the car. For bodywork or paint, photos via WhatsApp help a lot.
Rather talk? Call us on 922 73 64 47 or message us on WhatsApp at 674 06 13 71.