Hey people, my car interior is completely torn apart, i properly fixed my few rotten spots with some stainless steel and sanded every bit of rust out with a rotary brush. I'd need to repaint the welds and of course under the car where the bare metal is showing. Now i know that using epoxy primer is the best choice for this, but if i want it to last, "I obviously don't care about how under the carpets looks", what should i put over the epoxy primer itself. Rust paint, or just some normal cheap black paint?

 

You want to use an etching primer for bare metal...as far as i know. I used por-15 on my floors and it looks awesome, and is supposed to never rust again. You won't see it though If it were me and i couldn't use por15 i'd spray etching primer on the floor and then go with a single stage black.

 

aah, really? Ok, so that's why i bought etching primer for the inside fenders some months ago. The prob with using etching primer is that it doesn't seal, well, i don't think it does anyway. Does it? And the prob with por15 is that I've read SOME reviews where it started decomposing. And... the big prob with por15 is that I haven't been able to find it here, shipping costs are crazy.

Keep in mind that I'm doing my whole car and wanting it to last for years. So i guess underneath where the metal is bare... I'll have to use etching primer, and perhaps some other paint over that, but what to use to seal and keep water out?

 

you put down the etching primer, then put down regular epoxy primer over the etch.

 

The recommendation to use an etch primer is not bad, but I think there are better techniques.

Look around for a product called Picklex. The folks at AutoBodyStore.net sell and promote the product.

Picklex offers better rust protection that using an etch primer. An etch primer just uses acid to try to neutralize any rust on the surface. Picklex lays down chemicals to help react with the rust if any were to form again. For home use like this one thing I think is a big selling point is that you can spray it on with a spray bottle and, once it dries, you have protected the body and sealed it from the elements in one step.

After you have applied the Picklex don't use an etching primer. Just start with the epoxy primer, then use a primer-sealer if you choose, and then top coat with paint.

I try to find techniques that work well with interruptions and delays because, unless you are a body shop, the work is being done on nights and weekends. I have lost more than one paint job because of rust forming on a panel that was prepped and primed on a Saturday and painted on a Sunday. The humidity from just one night was enough to start and sustain rust that wouldn't be seen for 12-18 months.

 

expoxy primer bonds to the metal like bondo, only its water proof......Etching primer eats into the metal with acid....etching is all you need

 

one thing NOT to do is use etching primer, then POR 15 over it. i did that and the por 15 peeled off it like a piece of tape.........the spots that I used POR 15 directly over sandblasted or wire brushed metal stuck great.......another cheaper option is to use rustoleum in a can with a brush. it's easy to find and relatively cheap in comparison to POR 15..

 

Ok, so what I'm getting out of this, is that, to do a proper job that will keep water out, would be to use etching primer, then epoxy primer, and perhaps paint over that.

 

Ok, for once, you guys are confusing me. So, i decided to go buy epoxy primer to spray over etching primer, but the damn stuff says to spray on bare metal only. Man, i feel like cutting myself.

So again, since etching isn't good for sealing, while epoxy is made for sealing, yet you guys tell me epoxy primer sucks on steel. what should I do now?

 

Man I am sure there is a LOT of expertise here in dealing with this sort of thing, but you may also try camaros.net. I have a first-gen as well, and hang out there and those first-gen guys are very very serious about restoration and rust prevention. Not that the guys here aren't, but it's another resource for you and there are many rust and sealer posts there with responses from pro restoration specialists.

 

scuff the etching primer with a red dish rag lightly, blow the surface off, then spray the epoxy over it.

 

oh god this thread has too many people saying too much stupid crap.

most etch primers cannot be used except as a substrate to a suitable topcoat. ie it needs something put over it.

while in a perfect world you should put etch and then an epoxy, you dont really have to. For **** that you'll never see again, a quality epoxy primer can go right over bare metal with no etching necessary. It will stick more than good enough for the job thus saving you money on etch primer you don't need.

if you do decide to do everything that perfect way, which I wouldn't, you are recommended to clean the metal with a suitable metal cleaner to react with and neutralize any rust, then etch prime, then epoxy. but thats a lot of **** to buy for such a small job. if it were me, on my car, epoxy that **** and be done with it.

 

If you are still confused or concerned about statements in the directions try cruising the AutoBodyStore.net forum. A number of professionals in the industry hang out on that forum. They can probably speak from experience about what you can and can't do if you tell them exactly what products you have.

Just try to have a little patience, things will work out in the end. To produce a "perfect" paint job requires many steps, many different products, and careful work. You will find this is generally what the manufacturer will recommend. What will work and work well is not necessarily the same thing.

If you get too frustrated just lay down some POR-15 and be done with the job. POR-15 will work fine for this job and is quite simple to use.

 

I work in a body shop and was just discussing this with our painter. I have some rust bubbling up through paint in a few area and I want to sand down to bare metal and primer it before it spreads but I won't have the time/$ to paint the whole car for a while.
If you are down to bare metal you should start with self etching primer. Moisture can still get through so you want to cover that with an epoxy primer/sealer. That top coat will protect from moisture for 6 months to a year. I'll find out tomorow exactly which products we use and let you know.