• Catch rust before it causes damage that will require major bodywork repairs.rust image by Stephen Orsillo from Fotolia.com
  
  The 1968 Chevrolet Camaro continues to be a popular, collectible muscle car among muscle car enthusiasts. One problem faced by most classic Camaro owners is managing rust, especially in the areas of the wheel wells.Knowing the early symptoms of rust can help you better preserve your classic Camaro.
  
  

Stage One: The Bump

• You are admiring you 1968 Camaro when you suddenly notice that there is a little "bump" under the paint. The paint is still intact, but it is slightly raised. This is the earliest stage of rust, as it is starting to form under the painted finish.
  
  

Stage Two: The Bubbles

• Months later (or sooner) you check on the little bump in your Camaro's paint job and are surprised that it has been replaced by a group of bubbles. The bubbles are small and may be intact, meaning that the bubbles are the same color of the paint. In later stages, the tops of the bubbles will become open. When the paint from the top of the bubbles disappears, you will be able to see a rust finish inside the bubbles.
  
  

Stage Three: A Rust Patch

• Later, those little bubbles, both open and closed, will converge to form a rusty patch on the car's finish. Whatever paint was covering the bubbles will have flaked off, leaving behind a rusty scar.
  
  

Stage Four: Rusty Metal

• The rusty patch will soon evolve into a thick patch of rust. This rusty surface can remain intact for some time, depending on paint-corroding environmental factors such as weather and salt. If left unattended, what feels like a thick patch of rust will gradually wear away.
  
  

Stage Five: The Hole

• You check your car finish once more and notice a change in the rusty patch. It looks thinner and fragile. The mere touch of your probing finger causes the rusty patch to crack and fall apart. Now, instead of a rusty patch, you have a hole with a rusty edge.
  
  

Final Stage: The Rust Spreads

• Some time has passed and the little rusty patch that has become part of your 1968 Camaro's paint finish has now grown in size and as you inspect the other surfaces of your car you notice similar patches of rust in various stages formation. The most vulnerable spots are running boards, around the headlights and near the key to the trunk, but rust can form almost anywhere on a Camaro, regardless of the year or model.