Good Metal Preps?

WishIHadACamaro · #1 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 02:22 PM

What is a good metal prep to use? I have been all over the internet looking for some good preps, there are a ton of them! What should i use? What will give me best primer adhesion? What will coat the metal so it wont flash rust after grinding?

Oh, ive also read about products that dissolve rust, ive also read that using these are better over grinding/sanding as it removes less metal. Has anyone done it this way? I would rather grind/sand than pour chemicals all over my car even though there isnt that much rust it seems that using chemicals will be overly expensive.

Another thing, how good is the factory primer? I was planning on just removing the rust and priming those areas along with sanding the rest of the car down to the factory primer on the non rusted surfaces. But then that seems like i wont get consistant thickeness of the primer. Should I strip the entire car to bare metal and then using the metal prep all the bare metal car and then prime it? It seems like thats the right way to go albeit a ton more work involved.

How am i going to go about this if say I can only stip so much of that car a day? Do sections at a time, will that affect primer later?

How long will these metal preps prevent flash rust if i cannot prime right away? Ive read different things from different places.

How temperature dependent is epoxy primer on curing/drying? Im working in an unheated garage, should I just wait until spring to do the body? I can probably keep the temperature steady for a day or so with my heater and I got a TON of halogen lamps that can be used as curing lamps, but does epoxy primer require all that or just the laquer paints with hardeners in them?

Somebody answer my questions please! I NEED HELP before i jump into this. Thanks guys, mucho love.

White Phoenix · #2 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 02:33 PM

for primering bare metal? snaded down paint? or what? either way your going t want to use a sandable self etching primer. If you plan to paint the car dont use rattle can primer...do it the right way and dont look back

WishIHadACamaro · #3 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 02:37 PM

yeah exactly jerry, i was gifted in getting a relatively rust free shell of a car, i wanna do it right, i dont wanna have a disgrace of a 3rd gen stinking up the streets.

Re-Read my post, i did elaborate a lot more since i realized i wasnt making sense. Tons of questions, ive never done any body work but im very determined in doing it myself.

White Phoenix · #4 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 02:47 PM

as for the whole cold garage i wouldnt paint in cold weather...idealy you want around 70* and a mild amount of humidity...

When it comes to patching are you planning on welding in the panels? also what sanding experience do you have? on this car never sand with bare and and sandpaper...always use a sanding block of somesort or a flexible sanding pad...if you dont your going to get waves....

id personally wait till spring unless you can get that garage up to like 70...and in an uninsulated garage that is very hard lol

WishIHadACamaro · #5 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 07:31 PM

Got me a DA, flexible sanding. Blocks and other assorted sanding tools. Yeah, proper sanding and tons of it is the only way to make a cars final paint layers look good.

My only plans this winter was to remove the rust and prime the car, i dont wanna do anything else with the paint, just to have it primed, but if that wont work in the cold weather then im goin to have to sit on it or work on a motor/tranny.

I dunno about keeping the garage warm though, im about to go out and try it right now. See what max temp i can get and see how long i can hold that with my heater.

WishIHadACamaro · #6 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 07:43 PM

Oh and yeah im going to weld in panels. I got like a little hole in the floorboard and another spot on the front corner of the rocker panels (thats going to be a bitch).

Apparently there is a product called Picklex 20 that will allow me to prep the metal and allow for time before i prime. Thats starting to look like the route i will go.

Sand the rust out prep the metal and then wait for warmer days to prime. Im going to research how long it will last before it stops protecting against rust.

WishIHadACamaro · #7 (**permalink**) 11-23-2005, 07:53 PM

Well apparently Picklex is a do all. Sounds like the perfect metal prep i need. A lot of guys on one of the bodyshop boards say this is a great product as well. Very interesting.

check it out at:

Picklex 20

I wonder if any of our sponsors carry this, or where i can get it at.

White Phoenix · #8 (**permalink**) 11-24-2005, 02:24 AM

make sure when you use the DA you keep it FLAT...also never use it around curves..just on flat spots...do all the ridges and corners by hand with a block

WishIHadACamaro · #9 (**permalink**) 11-24-2005, 12:00 PM

yep yep! :smt023