What do the pros do? Rust repair.

[SkidmoreGarage]

I'm just an amateur, so I have a view from the bottom, and I enjoy a well engineered restoration and have followed some.

I think the method depends on the requirements when the job is complete. If you want it to last 10 years iSouthern n California- you don't have to do anything you can't see through. If you want it to last another 60 years in the UK, you will want to dip the entire thing and then do an oem style zinc coating.

I wouldn't assume that the cost of the job is an indicator of how much rust treatment was performed. Most high end restorations would just buy the nicest starting point, or replace anything rusty with new. It ends up cheaper when you are looking at time.