What's the best way to prep bare metal for paint? Got my 83' Camaro down to bare metal and have smoothed out very small dings with bondo. I guess wash it real good and then what to prep with before filler primer? Remember a product called prep-sol.

 

i've been informed to use etching or self-etching primer on any bare metal applications. Otherwise i can't remember the name of the other primer to use. Epoxy maybe??? Can't remember. I've just used self-etching primer with success.

 

Prep-Sol would be perfect right before laying primer/paint. But any good grease and wax remover is going to work. I would also the day before you paint wipe all the bare metal with Ospho or some sort of rust-inhibitor and let it sit overnight. Wipe it off the next day with the Prep-Sol and then paint. That way any little bit of rust that may have been starting gets nipped in the bud also.

 

oooh...that kinda prep, i thought he meant prep for paint...not prep for primer, i misunderstood. Yea any basic greese and wax remover. I've also heard of using paint thinner as it does the same thing and evaporates as it should.

 

You just want to be careful with thinners as if they do not fully evaporate or leave any residue, they are in fact a thinner and we all know what that does to paint. Wouldn't want any variables in the process that aren't necessary.

 

yea, i only did it once and with a forth coming paint job in the plans in spring, i'm not going to use thinner, lol.

 

Thanks. I'll wash it, degrease it, look for this ospho stuff, and use Prep-Sol right before the primer. Will shop for etching primer also. Just primed the 12-bolt with Eastwood primer. I used to use their Corroless Primer before and it worked great on the underside of the car. Now when I order it they send Rust Encapsulator.

 

no need to wash it water and bare metal do not mix (rust).