Hello everyone, when I stripped my 1988 trans am with chemical stripper, some of the stripper fell onto the zinc galvanized rocker panel ground effects bracket. It is is welded to the rocker panel, the stripper lifted up the zinc coating between the crevice of the rocker panel and ground effects bracket. I not looking to perfectly paint this area as it’s going to be covered with plastic ground effects panel.

Could I somehow use like an acid etch zinc primer that would wick its way into the crevice. Lastly fill it with a cavity wax to prevent rust. I would greatly appreciate some help. Also attached are some pictures

 

DTM (Direct to Metal) Primer is what I am using and what I read is recommended. In my case I have been using the POR Metal Prep in some areas. It drips down in the crevice's just like your picture. I use a grease and wax remover product to clean all those crevice's, make sure it is dried thoroughly, and then coat with DTM Primer. But primer is really not a sealer, nor paint, and it will allow water to penetrate. So, these areas really should be painted with a base coat for protection, even a quick single stage paint will suffice. BUTT, I am NOT a body of paint guy/ professional, nor even claim to be an amateur! Others with more experience may have a better solution to contribute.

 

I would clean this area, especially the seams, as best as you can to get rid of the stripper. Then soak the seams with epoxy primer. Coating the interior of the rockers with a cavity wax is correct.

I would imagine you won't be applying the top coat within the epoxy primer topcoat window. Since it won't need to be perfect, simply scuff the primer before shooting the base coat/clear coat.

 

How do you access the interior of the rocker panels from that location?

The ground effects bracket is spot welded to the rocker panel. Looking at mine, there is no access to the interior of the rock panel at that location. If he used stripper in that area, it would have just flowed into the crevices between the bracket and the outer rocker panel and maybe around the spot weld joints between the bracket and outer rocker panel. AFAIK, there would be no entrance or access into the interior of the rocker panel ant that location unless there was a rust hole somewhere.

 

Although I do own an 83, I have not gotten an in-depth perspective of the body yet. It's next in line for a restoration.

I'd have to go look, but I would hope that there were access holes, probably covered with plastic plugs, at each end of the rocker assembly. I'm getting that idea from the way 1st and 2nd Gen F-bodies are designed. I know the 3rd Gen bodies were quite a bit different in design from the early gens, so you might be correct.

Have you looked at the ends of the rockers? I'll look at mine real quick.

 

Nope, no holes in the rear that I can see. The front of the rockers are covered by the inner wheel wells. My only suggestion would be strategically hole-saw some 3/4"-1" holes to gain access to the interior of the rockers. Installing some plastic plugs would make the holes look more finished. This would be the same way undercoating companies do/did.

If one hole could be drilled at each end then a long solid wand with a spray tip fabricated at the end could be used to flush them out with water.

 

If you plan to use spray cans, I highly suggest SprayMax's 2K Epoxy Primer. That's what I use on any small jobs like that.

 

Good idea. Simple and no mess.