This is the area of my car where a hydraulic lift is positioned to lift the car for repairs. Can this area be sanded spray painted? What if I leave it alone, can any long term water damage result?
It sounds like you are talking about your rocker panels. Yes, they can be sanded and repainted. Leaving them alone will just cause them to further deteriorate, so it would be wise to have them taken care of.
How old is your car? Light rust and faded paint isn't a lot of information
If you want to take care of surface rust on the frame rails, you can sand them down and paint them. I recommend sanding them then applying rust converter(most auto stores carry it) and waiting two or three hours and lightly sanding again before painting them. If the clear coat has faded off the paint will much more susceptible to the elements, stretches, and stone chips.If the paint is only faded a little bit you may be able to restore the paint by waxing it with a quality wax. Repainting the exterior of the car can be somewhat costly so i guess it depends on how much you want to send on it.
