I dropped off my 66 body with doors at the blaster today. I am supposed to be able to pick it up and bring it home Thursday or Friday. My concern is that I am going on vacation next week and won't have time to shoot it in primer before I go. If the car is inside my shop and out of the weather will it be ok for a few weeks or will it turn to rust?

Here in N.E. Wisconsin I could get away with it. Only about 5 to 7 days out of the summer is there an humidity problem.

In Vancouver I'm not sure. Will other stuff or bare metal rust very quick on you.

If your pretty sure it will rust, then maybe you could get a dehumidifier for the time your gone.

You could probably rent a dehumidifier, it might be worth it, not having to think about it rusting while your on vacation. Thats good piece of mind.

I think you would be totally fine. Then before you prime it just hit it real quick with a DA sander. I'm in seattle and have left bare metal for a few months without issue.

What are they blasting it with?

I just got my new bare Currie 9" housing last week and it is already showing some surface oxidation sitting in the shop, that's why I am concerned. They are blasting the outside with walnut shells and the floors with sand.

I think the steels are different but like I said, run over it with a DA sander when you get back and prime it. I may be picky but if I have metal sitting for more than 2 days I sand it again real quick.

I would squirt it with metal prep and wipe it down before leaving on vacation. Helps it resist rusting.

Picklex 2.0 works great.

Ditto the metal prep from eastwoods

Metal prep sounds like it might be thge ticket. I had heard about something guys were spraying on bare shells to prevent rust but didn't know what it was. I'll call eastwoods.

Why don't you just have them shoot primer on it? Then you will not need to worry about it, I thought most places did that already?

LK

I want to do the metal work first, then prime it. I really want to see it without primer while doing the panel replacement.

I have talked to a few local body guys who think it will not be a problem to leave it bare as long as I keep peoples hands off it. I may cover it in plastic and put a bunch of DriZair pods in it.

I don't know for a fact but have heard on a few occasions walnut shells could leave an oily residue, wouldn't hurt to check this out with your blasters.

As far as metal prep, the stuff I used to use had acid in it and you had to paint it immediately. This is probably a lot different then what was mentioned previously.

Times 3 on the metal prep.

I used a product from Dupont, their Metal Conditioner. It is a mild metal (ferrous) etching solution which you dilute with water. Apply it wet to the surface of the fresh metal and wipe it off with a clean towel before it has a chance to dry (within 10 or so minutes depending on humidity conditions). It leaves a phosphate coating behind that resists rust. You can paint right on top of it as long as you give it a solvent wipe before. Worked great on every ferrous piece I sandblasted. I wouldn't let the pieces stay more than a few weeks without paint.

can you have a friend shoot it for you while you are gone.. as a favor and peace of mind thing?

I just had mine done two weeks ago - let it sit in the southern humidity for over a week while I buttoned up a few swiss cheese holes I originally missed. Sat for over a week - no problem. I hit it with a DA and 180 grit and wiped it down three times before epoxy.

I am paying my blaster $100 bucks to prime entire car, fenders,hood etc but I brought the SPI primer to him. It is worth piece of mind since I have alot of metal work to do.

If you do decide to prime it use an epoxy primer. You can do body work over it and its catalyzed so moisture will not penetrate it.

i blast cars daily, if you are having it blasted with plastic media do not worry about it. unless it is sat outside in the rain it will take months to get any rust on it. as far as sanding before epoxy primer, i always recomend to customers to DA the outer sufaces to give the primer something to bite to and to take off any small specks of paint still left.

Prime it as soon as possible!

i blast cars daily, if you are having it blasted with plastic media do not worry about it. unless it is sat outside in the rain it will take months to get any rust on it. as far as sanding before epoxy primer, i always recomend to customers to DA the outer sufaces to give the primer something to bite to and to take off any small specks of paint still left.

months??? ya right. not here in oregon hours is more like it. we check surface conditions with a magnifying glass. it spots with rust in a matter of minutes and i dont care where you are. you may not even be able to see it but it is there and it starts working at the substrates of your paint or primer right away. prime it ASAP!!

xsqzme- thanks for the input. I tried to stop by your place to let you get a look at the car on my way home with it today but the freeway was jacked up so I headed for home. The driver's 1/4 and the package tray definitley have to go. The rear wheel wells and passenger 1/4 actually look pretty good and my donor pan should make nice patch panels. Both doors only need some small patches and the roof looks good. The guy who did the blasting said rust should not be an issue in this warm weather for a long time. The wife's got the digital camera so I can't post pics right now.

I would squirt it with metal prep and wipe it down before leaving on vacation. Helps it resist rusting.

Metal Prep is no doubt the way to go and as an old school body man it's the way I'd go even if you are not going to leave it for vacation. Metal Prep is kind of like an acid to get a "Bite" on the metal to help the primer and other top coats to stick to the bare metal better. A quick wipe down with the Metal Prep with one rag and a clean rag to wipe it off as you go is cheap insurance if you ask me.

That's just "Eastwood" metal prep or something from a local paint supply will work?

That's just "Eastwood" metal prep or something from a local paint supply will work?

the "Metal Prep" I use is made by dupont and is good stuff.