A few spots on my car, have very minor hints of surface rust. I want to deal with this without sanding since the car was recently painted about 8 months ago. Is there a way I can apply chemical that will eat the rust, but not harm the paint?

I've been considering "Naval Jelly" which is supposed to be awesome at dissolving rust, but I'm not sure if its the best solution for around painted areas. The best feature of the jelly is that it is easy to apply on awkward areas, and I can leave it sitting on the affected area for however long I need, to dissolve the rust.

Has anyone had any experience using this stuff?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?jspStoreDir=hdus&catalogId=10053&productId=100371819&navFlow=3&keyword=naval+jelly&langId=-1&searchRedirect=naval+jelly&storeId=10051&endecaDataBean=com.homedepot.sa.el.wc.catalog.beans.EndecaDataBean%40667227c7&ddkey=Search

http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-81756-Naval-Dissolver-Bottle/dp/B0007TQW5G

I'm having a lttle trouble understanding what "very minor hints of surface rust" would look like in relation to a painted surface.

You are wanting to save the paint, so I'm assuming the paint is still there. Two choices at that point. If the rust is bleeding through the paint, means the paint was too thin and will never provide the protection you need. Second: if the paint is blistering because of crusty rust developing underneath the paint, you can pretty much assume any treatment of the rust will make the paint over it go away too.

You need to get down to good sound steel and build your paint system back from there or the rust will just keep boiling sideways........ Pay attention to the back side of the offending panels. The rust may have holed through from the back side.

Sounds like the paint was applied over rust in the first place. As Bruce said it might be coming from the other side of the metal panel , or from under some bondo. Where exactly is this problem area? Gary

I'll post a few photos when I get home...these arent bad patches of rust, more like powdery rusty areas. One is around the hatch opening. The other is just inside the gas tank filler door, and one on the inside door jam of the drivers door.