I've done searches on this and have just become more confused. I have most of the body panels stripped of paint. I used a chemicial paint stripper and then went over it with 50 grit on my D/A. here is the deal. It is not TOTALLY bare metal, there are still patches of factory primer on the car and there is areas where I will need to do body work (bondo). Im thinking, from my searches, that I will use this order.
1. wipe panels clean with lacquer thinner
2. self etching primer (can this be aplied over the areas of factory primer?)
3. do the body work (bondo)
4.surfacer primer
5.paint

does anyone see a problem with this?should I use expoxy primer since its not 100% clean metal? and do I mix lacquer thinner with the primer? thanks guys for your help.

BTW, Im not sure what brand products are available in my area. There is a paint supply place near my office so if they have a variety, what brand would be recommended?
If it matters I will be going with a BC/CC paint.
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Michael
www.geocities.com/msctech2002/chevelle (http://www.geocities.com/msctech2002/chevelle)

T.C. member # 758
ACES member # 4292

69 malibu convertible
69 malibu h/t 307/pg
<<this space reserved for 66/67 chevelle 4spd>>
01 gmc sierra

[This message has been edited by 69ragtop (edited 12-01-2002).]

First,wipe your panels down with a wax and grease remover not laquer thinner.you could either,do the bodywork where needed on the bare metal,then etch prime everything and then a 2k urethane primer.Or you could etch prime,epoxy prime,do bodywork on the epoxy and then 2k prime.You dont want to do bodywork over ethch prime.I would go the first way because it would save the cost of the epoxy primer.Go to your local paint and body supply store and see what they carry and what they recccomend.Dont add laquer thinner to any primer unless it says so in the instructions.Get the tech sheets with whatever you buy and follow them exactly and you should be ok.

MartinSr and some of the other experts will chime in here soon but my .02 having just completed my first body job is:

1. finish striping the car with a da
2. shoot the car with the acid etch primer
then shoot the car with a high build primer
3. sand the primer back off areas you want to do bondo work on.
(there are some primers that you can put bond over but most recommend that you put the bondo on bare metal)
4. reprime the areas you do the bond on with the high build only, the acid etch can loosen the bondo
5. apply a sealer after all work is done and you've blocked the car.
6. get an expert to shoot the BC/CC in a paint booth.

I used the top end PPG products. Expensive but great stuff.

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72 Chevelle and a 70 Chevelle with a crushed roof
ACES # 4051 MCC # 448
TC # 1549 81/70 Cruisers

A few things to change. First wiping the metal clean with lacquer thinner is fine, but YOU MUST then follow it up with some wax and grease remover. Lacquer can leave behind a film on the surface of the metal causing poor paint adhesion. Also that lacquer might react with the factory primer and weaken it causing it to lift or lose it adhesion later down the road. So if you are going to have spots of factory primer I would not clean the metal with lacquer only wax and grease remover.

Self etch primer can be applied over the factory primer. But bondo cant be applied over the etch. The chemicals in the etch and bondo will react with each other causing paitn problems. ONly an expoy primer can be used under bondo. Etch can be applied over cured bondo it wont cause any problems. The paint problems come from when the bondo is applied over etch, the chemicals released during the curing of the mud react with the acid in the etch. So etch is fine over mud just dont apply it before the mud.

I would do the body work first, hammering out dents, mud work first then apply the etch, and primer surfacer. Dont add anything to anything if it is not clearly stated on the tech sheets, so dont add thinner to any primer unless its a lacquer based primer which it wont.

As far as paint types always stick with a name brand like PPG, dupont, S-W. Also buy the good stuff dont buy the cheaper lines...Eric

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1970 chevelle
1970 chevelle SS455 not a typo its a BUICK BABY
1949 and 1972 chevy trucks
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles

[This message has been edited by sevt_chevelle (edited 12-01-2002).]

Michael

Here's a link to a site that's been a great product tech reference source for me. I'm not necessarily advocating the use of their products. You can browse all of their different product lines and also download product data sheets for each product. They tell you all about what the different products will work with - suitable substrates, recoating, topcoating, etc. It's been an invaluable learning place for me. Personally I've chosen to use their products, but mainly because there's a local store with helpful guys.
http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/

Hope this helps you.

By the way, you're doing the work yourself, right? For the sake of your health pay attention to the pollution issues involved in this effort - toxic microfine dust, toxic vapors, etc. I've been sloppy on this in the past, but am getting religious about it now - and I feel a lot better when I come in from working on the car! (Sorry, I'm caught up in preaching safety these days)

Good Luck!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jack Cummings:
Michael


By the way, you're doing the work yourself, right? For the sake of your health pay attention to the pollution issues involved in this effort - toxic microfine dust, toxic vapors, etc. I've been sloppy on this in the past, but am getting religious about it now - and I feel a lot better when I come in from working on the car! (Sorry, I'm caught up in preaching safety these days)

Good Luck!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the safety tip. that is a BIG issue with me...now. I worked in a body shop from age 16-20 and we never wore respirators. I can remember days of painting in the booth with nothing on. The paint would be so thick in the air you couldnt see 5 feet in front of you.(we had no proper paint exhaust) and I breathing it all in, of course I have lung problems now and I suspect that is the cause.

thanks for all the tips guys, it sounds like I first need to decide on brand and then follow their recommendations..



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Michael

www.geocities.com/msctech2002/chevelle

T.C. member # 758
ACES member # 4292

69 malibu convertible
69 malibu h/t 307/pg
&lt;&lt;this space reserved for 66/67 chevelle 4spd&gt;&gt;
01 gmc sierra