body work

[Cowboy_80]

I'm gonna start prepping my '59 this weekend. It needs a little bit of body work and a new paint job. I'm not very experienced in either, but I won't learn if I don't start sometime. My question is, since it needs a paint job anyway, would I be better off removing down to bare metal, or just a light sand job? The cab corners need replaced as well as a rocker panel. Those I will take down to the shiny goodness beneath since I'll be welding. Will that make the paint 'ripple' from the different thicknesses?

Also, if I do need to take to whole thing down to bare metal, what is the best way? Sanding can give surface differences, so what chemicals are good? That "Aircraft stripper" stuff at the parts store?

Thank you

 

[Pvt. Maggot]

Aircraft stripper is the way to go, brush it on all over, and let it do its magic, wear proper safety gear though, as paint stripper on the hands doesn't feel too good, I got used to it, but it made the skin on my hands really rough and dry. I would take it down to bare if you want a good finish, prep work is everything.

 

[Cowboy_80]

I have a set of chem gloves and an old gas mask, so I'm good on that end. Is there anything better for the rust spots than muriatic acid? That stuff works great but...

Is there any good 'cheap' primer, or is it a get what you pay for thing? Same with paint, but I expect it to be a little pricey.

 

[ryoken]

eh, there's soooo much to all this...

ummm, acids for rust removal range from sulphuric, hydrochloric, phosphoric to muriatic.. Obviously care should be taken, nasty stuff.. I prefer mechanically removing rust by media-blasting, grinding or cut away...

aircraft stripper is great.. just nuetralize it after.. buy a DA sander, you'll need it... it will need to be sanded no matter what you do, paint or bare steel...

if it's factory paint, you can put one paint job over it.. but yes, it's always nicest to have bare steel to start.

if you leave the paint and just do spot repairs, you'll have to featheredge the surrounding paint, and prime...

as for primer.. bare steel, pisscoat of zinc chromate.. for filling primer, it's hard to beat Dupont's Nason urethane primer.. gallon kits are about $80.... lacquer primer will absorb water... whereas a urethane or epoxy, you can leave indefinately...

 

[reddog64]

lacquer primer will absorb water... whereas a urethane or epoxy, you can leave indefinately...

that's the ticket right there...

 

[Cowboy_80]

what's the difference between the zinc chromate and the urethane? You refer to it as 'filler primer', so I assume it's used to cover small blemishes in the steel, i.e. weld spots...

If that's the case, then I think the filler stuff is what I'll be going for. I don't want lacquer since I don't know when I'll actually be able to get paint on it. I just don't want is sitting there all bare for a year.

* I just found the 'body' forum so if an Admin type wants to move this to where it should be, that would be cool... I'm just a little on the slow side.

 

[ryoken]

nah, zinc AND either epoxy or urethane filling primer ... urethane is better for body panels...

zinc is cheap, and you only need a couple pisscoats... it's a true self etching primer.. makes everything stick to the steel... heck, I do all my small parts with it too.. blast cabinet, zinc, yada, yada.. anyway,

tho tempo is out of business, something comparable...

you'd only need a couple rattle cans.. 2-part in gallons is better, but more expensive..

put that on, scuff pad, filling primer... and yeah, filling primer is what fills sandscratchs, etc....

 

[Cowboy_80]

sweetness. Thanks for the clarification. Of course, this project has been pushed back a little bit more. My house sucks monkey balls and needs constant maintenance... But it will be done this summer, that's a guarantee.