On my 69 chevelle theirs a little surface rust on the fenders. I have removed a practiclly all of it with a da. I have used liquid rust remover also. It still seems like i cant remove it all. Theres these very tiny pits and a very light shade that still remains on the metal where the rust was present. Its not brown at all. Its like a darker color than the metal. All of this is were the rust was. Is this ok? Can I now begin to put body filler on and primer? I dont knwo what else i can do. I have gone over it but nothing comes off.

You need to put some kind of rust convertor on it or it will start to bubble later down the road lifting the paint. Get some extend or something and put on it. Some of these come in a spray and others can be brushed on. Let it cure and then sand it down level and you should be able to prime right over top of it if it's not too deep pitted.

WARNING: Do not use Extend. This product is not meant to be used for this type of application. I tried it before so I know from experience that Extend does not work.

1. I would recommend taking the metal all the way down with the DA.

2. Wipe down the surface with a good metal cleaning/etching solution. You want something that is going to etch the metal, like Metal Etch from POR. That should help with neutralizing the metal and allowing the paint to stick.

3. Spray a good coat of etching primer, like DP40 or 90 over the top.

4. Then you can use the plastic filler.

For more info, search for the users JimmyP and Martinsr. These guys are the local paint gurus of this site and they know their stuff.

Note: Some prefer to use the filler before putting down the primer. It should be compatiple both ways. I prefer to lay down the filler on the metal and then prime.

Those 'dark spots' are oxidized metal (rust). They will come back to haunt you. As was said above, don't use converters for body work. You must remove ALL of the rust mechanically. If a DA sander with 36 grit (be carefull though!) won't get it, try a dremel tool or something. Follow the advice above using a self-etching primer or etching solution and primer.

Not sure if this is the answer but Eastwood has a new product out called Rust Encapsulator - supposed to be superior to other brands and can be top coated with anything. It supposedly neutralizes rust and primes in one step. Considering the success I have had with their products I would believe their claim.

Hope this helps.

Rich

------------------
70 SS - L34
Member # 442 (Gold member)
ACES # 3480
http://www.my70ss.com
http://www.chevelles.com/feature/august2001.html] (http://www.chevelles.com/feature/august2001.html)

I agree that Eastwood sells some pretty darn good stuff, but there's no way on God's green earth that I would trust a chemical to neutralize rust for a top coated surface. It's still taking a chance and gambling that this miracle stuff is going to work 100% The foundation of a quality paint job is paramount. Let's say you have some surface rust that's hard to get at, so you use this Eastwood stuff. You go on, block sand the car to perfection getting the car straight and put on a terrific paint job. Hand snaded and buffed to perfection. You've spent 200 hours getting the paint to look right and re-assembling the car. You win a few car shows. A year later, WHAT is this?? bubbles? The paint is lifting??? Oh my God! I'll bet that Eastwood will pay for a paint job.....right!
The point to my rambling is, do it right! It's not that hard. The more shortcuts you take, the worse the final outcome will be. There will always be snake oils out htere claiming this and that, but a top-quality paint job on a steel car will always be about patience, craftsmanship and attention to detail.

[This message has been edited by Jimmy P (edited 02-06-2002).]