Just looking for an approach here from the experienced and knowledgeable on HAMB. This is the roof of the cab on my 1950 Stude 2R5 pickup. Gotta do something. The rest of the truck has great single stage paint except the bed, which 2 years ago i sprayed with Extend rust converter but it is once again fully covered in surface rust. I like the old farm truck look - so I really don't want to go too far down the restoration path. Let's say I am willing to spend $1000. just fyi : So Cal/LAX airport area coastal climate. So 2 questions : (1) the roof - what to do? I will consider everything from (a) Lemon pledge to (b) sanding, etching, priming and rolling on Rustoleum to (c) handing the job over to a legit body shop to take it down bare and repaint. (2) the bed - go the same route? Or try a better rust converter if there is such a thing? Corroseal 82331 or SEM Rust Seal or SEM Rust Mort etc
Well the truck is already tri color, just clean the hell out of the roof and rattle can it white again.
You’re really not lookin at alotta money to sand it down (with some 100 then a little finer)and spray it with a single stage paint from a local paint shop. You can pick up a paint gun cheap. They can match the color pretty well usually and just cover what u dont want painted with old bed sheets Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I can certainly sand it down and it's easy enough to tape off and spray it....really want to figure out the step(s) in between those two - - - pretty sure i'll have at least some pitting so is a primer over rust or rust neutralizer just a marketing myth in all cases ? (besides being impossible to figure out which ones can be painted over with success). Which means that I really just need to wise up and get down to bare metal?
CLR and wax it good and keep at it. Sand it, id doubt there will be pitting from that, a good epoxy or 2k bare metal primer will probably fill what there is, block it a time or two and shoot it.
Maaco has paint specials all the time for $299.00, can't buy the material for that let alone have someone else shoot it! Might be slightly higher for a truck though.
To specifically address your question: Thoroughly sand all the areas in question down to bare metal. I use an 80 grit disc for this, but prior to sanding, make sure you clean the surfaces to be sanded with both a solvent based cleaner and a water based. Follow that with a zinc phosphate acid etch (I use por-15 metal ready). Follow their instructions. Wash all the residue off with water or a water based solvent/cleaner (por-15 Marine Clean is good). The zinc phosphate will neutralize the rust and leave a protective coating until you're ready for painting.When you are ready to prime, resand all of the surfaces making sure you remove all of the greyish coating left by the Zinc phosphate. This is important, if you don't, the primers won't adhere. The first primer should be an epoxy primer. Follow that up with an easily sandable surface or hi build primer. Read up on the time frame windows for the epoxy primer to find out when you can just scuff or have to resand for the surfacing primer (I use the 2k high build primer for that). Block that with 400 followed by your top coat paints. Expensive, but necessary if you want to preserve the truck. You allready know what happens when you don't go thru the necessary steps.
I prefer this method above. Not all that expensive if you just sand prep prime with the right stuff, and skip the extra shiny top layers Etch it well with POR15 Metal Ready. It is more potent than your parts store prep. Well worth the effort to find it and buy it. Does a much better job than other stuff. Next I would go with a DuPont / Nason white epoxy primer. ($130 gallon?) That will weather-protect the metal and give you a cool work truck look like mine Easy to fix dings and then blend it right in. Or you can do what I sometimes do - frequent car washes on the white primer with a green scotchbrite pad until you see some places with the old color shadowing thru in patches for a different old cool time-worn look. Then when you tire of that look, shoot a bit of easy white primer again for full coverage. The easiest cheapest, lowest maintenance, most forgiving paint job I have ever had. WHY BE ORDINARY ?
Got it - thanks to everyone - just need a suggestion on cleaning off sanded zinc phosphate debris after step #6...(7a) and (7b) ? 1. Clean the surfaces to be sanded with solvent based cleaner 2. Clean the surfaces to be sanded with a water based cleaner. 3. Thoroughly sand all the areas in question down to bare metal with 80 grit. 4. Apply zinc phosphate acid etch (Por-15 metal ready). Follow instructions. 5. Wash all the residue off with water or a water based solvent/cleaner (por-15 Marine Clean is good). The zinc phosphate will neutralize the rust and leave a protective coating until you're ready for painting.6. When you are ready to prime, resand all of the surfaces making sure you remove all of the greyish coating left by the Zinc phosphate. This is important, if you don't, the primers won't adhere.~~~~~~~~~~ 7. Clean once again with : a. compressed air/tack rag? b. solvent based cleaner? c. water based cleaner? (assuming NOT!)~~~~~~~~~~ 8. Apply first primer – use epoxy primer. 9. Apply easily sandable surface or hi build primer. Read up on the time frame windows for the epoxy primer to find out when you can just scuff or have to resand for the surfacing primer (I use the 2k high build primer for that).10. Block with 400 11. Top coat with DuPont/Nason white epoxy primer (very cool). Or other choice of paint. 12. Fill tank, apply moderate to heavy pressure on the gas pedal, get coffee.
7. I would be wary of any cleaners that could possibly leave any residue. I am comfortable with air/ or tack cloth as long as tack cloth us used gently. Take no chances of leaving any traces of the "tack" or any soap film. 11? the Dupont / Nason white primer I suggested is my first bare metal primer, fast build, and topcoat all at the same time. The paint people claim the epoxy primer is also weatherproof as it is without a topcoat. I'll take their word for it. I did mine with the epoxy primer as the first coat and finish. WHY BE ORDINARY ?
Very good! You can't clean too much, so yes, after sanding off the coating, reclean. fingerprints, sweat in the summertime, etc. Neither the solvent based cleaners or the water based get everything alone, that's why I always use both. On occasion I have used sprayway glass cleaner as the water based, as suggested by painters here on the Hamb. I always use a tack rag also before the final top coat. Don't apply too much pressure on the tack rag , as stated above, or you'll risk embedding the impregnated wax onto the surface.
CLR - knock the ugly off and keep the charm. So easy your little sister could do it. Clear it when finished.
I would NOT run it with primer exposed any longer than required. Primer is to allow the paint to soak in (also lets rain and such soak in, will rust from inside out) If you don't want to paint it be sure you put on a SEALER coat. Finish 1 sells a 2k sealer in 7 shades from black to white that's durable. I ran my truck in sealer while doing body work for a year. Their sealer just almost has as much shine as crappy paint. take a look at TAMCO paints (tell Tammy I sent you) They make some great rust prohibiter material, they also make great single stage and base clear paints and some of my favorite clears. All top quality at bargain prices.
Alrighty - wow! If my truck can get anywhere near those CLR results - I'll be stoked. And THANKS for setting me straight on the sealer vs primer. I will definitely update my recipe. A low shine white sealer and TAMCO clear might be just the ticket to keep a little vintage vibe on the Stude.
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