erke88

Well here's the deal. My engine took a dump for the second time in under a year. The engine company is backing up their warranty and fixing the engine right now. Before the engine blew up a guy at my work had backed into my car and screwed up the bumper and hood.

Now with my car having the engine out again and body work already needing to be done, I took it upon myself to do the entire car. She's sanded down to bare metal. Everything's been going smooth, but the engine company is kind of lagging. I've already had to sand my car down a few times again because of the rust issue.

I'm getting tired of having to sand it down all the time and I dont want the rust to eat under my bondo work and cause it to crack. I was thinking about throwing some primer on this weekend, but that's where I'm running into trouble. I don't know what kind of primer to use. I was gonna get a DTM primer that can be used as a high build primer and a sealant. After I primer it, however, it will be sitting there for a few weeks until I do the rest of the car and can primer that. My question is would I run into trouble doing this? And should I just use a cheap dupli-color primer right now to protect it and then use the DTM primer when the whole car is finished?

Thanks for any help.

boondocker

If I were you, I'd go ahead with an acid etch treatment and then a coat of epoxy primer (similar to DTM?).

Allan R

Have you considered putting on a primer sealer? It will protect the exposed metal and can be painted over directly. They are not intended to be sanded over again or to be used as a build primer. I would think that this would be preferred to sanding the car over again, and it will definitely seal any bondo areas better than leaving them exposed. Moisture will penetrate most simple primers.

Using a metal conditoner to remove light surface rust instead of sanding all the time would extend your sheet metal life. Here's a link to RM on how to use it before priming.
http://www.basfrefinish.com/vta/R-M/801.htm

442_Mustang

DA the bare metal to remove ALL traces of rust,,, thoroughly wipe down with a grease and wax remover and use a good epoxy primer. My buddy that restores cars for a living uses a PPG epoxy that is really an industrial primer but is darn near bulletproof. Better than even the old DP epoxy series.

boondocker

Word of warning...if you use etching compound make sure you use proper PPE (chemical gloves, eye protection and chemical respirator)...nasty stuff!

erke88

Thanks everyone.

The stuff I was looking I was told was a DTM (Down to Metal) primer. IT could be used as a high build primer in early stages and then was sold with a reducer to use with it to spray on as a sealer after done working with the high build primer.

I only have half the car done right now. I left the other half with paint still on it because my mechanic is lagging. I want to start on it, but I don't want to deal with a whole car down to bare metal for a long time. Was thinking about just spraying on the high build primer I was talking about, moving onto the other half of the car and primering that, then block sanding the car as a whole, and then reducing the primer to turn it into a sealer and spray that on. After spraying the primer is there a certain amount of time that I should seal it within?

ragz442

If it's DTM [direct to metal] primer, you should be ok. If you need to do any body/filler work I'd spray it with epoxy if it were me. Also, if you have any minor surface rust you missed the epoxy would be a better choice IMO. I've been using PPG shopline epoxy and it works good for me and the price is right. I hear good things about SPI epoxy primer, but I've never used it.

442scotty

Skip the metal treatment products unless you are sure to get it all off before you paint or you will have paint issues after from left over residue...use epoxy primer..you can leave it on a long time before you start working on it again...resistant to moisture...

Do NOT spray can it...you will be sorry later unless you plan on taking it all off... try and stick to one good brand throughout

dc2x4drvr

I like PPG DP-90, expensive, but it will prevent rust, and doesn't attract moisture like some other primers.