Clear Coat

I am thinking of doing a bare metal body with clear coat on my GMC. Is there a certain clear coat or special application method that will prevent surface rust from appearing? I did a search and did not really find a good answer.

 

I have had the best luck with old acrylic enamel (like ppg DAU75) sticking to bare metal.
I steel wooled, and cleared some chrome bumpers,both chrome and aluminum wheels...oh and valve covers. The new high solids clears dont seem to have as much "stick". The old school stuff doesnt seem to build up as much, which tends to look more natural.
Also there is this stuff called "Bulldog" I think kleanstrip makes it,its clear and will pretty much stick paint to anything.
If your in a hot dry part of Texas you will probably get away with that for a few years,at least you'll see right away if its not working.
POR15 shows some clear stuff on their website but I have never tried it. Other POR stuff has worked great for me.

 

I dont know if the company American Finishes is still around, but they used to make a clear primer/sealer about 10 years ago. It worked like a champ!
HoK has an Adhesion Promoter that works pretty good on bare steel also.. Clean it VERY well.. get everything you can off of it and it will last.
Laq Thinner works pretty good for cleaning the bare metal, then use wax and grease remover. Clear it as soon as you can after you clean it, or it will start to rust pretty quickly.
John

 

ive had good luck with bulldog as well, when clearing bare metal.

skull

 

Candy it.

 

The roof of my 96 Ford crew cab has been done for over a year and has held up pretty good and sees alot of uv. Has a few spots coming through, but very minor, and all I did was sand the shit out of it, scotchbright it, wiped it down and cleared it.

Used U-pol clear.

 

Bulldog is cool shit! Great in those tuff to get to spots.

 

I think that could turn out cool.

 

I may be able to help, a mate of mine has just got some from Australia, for a bare steel 53 Chev Custom, I will try get hold of him for ya ,pretty sure it was a PGG product.

 

Thanks guys,
I really like the look of the bare metal body panels, especially when the sanding grain flows with the body lines. I just don't want to have to re-do it every six months.

 

high gloss ruins the bare metal look on both sanded steel sheetmetal and cast aluminum.

Add some amount of flattening agent to your last top coat, it'll make the "bare metal" appear more natural.

 

I paint so bad I dont need flattner....Unless I want flat,and...