Well... I'm almost done stripping my car, finally... 3 layers of paint.. that's the hardest thing I've ever done. Anyhow, it's almost done. I have a few questions...

Since it took me so long to strip, the car has accumulated a good bit of flash rust... There was really nothing I could do about it. Anyway, is there an easier way to get rid of it than sanding it? The thought of going over it with that DA seems daunting... I ordered some POR Metal Ready... would that take care of it?

I did run into some filler... I have no idea how to put it back now. I can't even see why it was there in most places.. I think I'm going to need to have some primer on it to be able to tell. Is this okay? would it be okay to do my bondoing with the primer on? I've heard different things...

How much of each primer do I need to buy/put on? I mean.. how much self etching, how to put it on, etc..

What should be the texture of the metal when it's ready for primer? Does it have to be shiny? does it need to have 80 grit swirl marks all through it for tooth, or what?

Thanks for the help... I'll post pictures as soon as i find webspace to put them on.

you have to get rid of that rust. i've never used rust converters or anthing like that so i don't know how they work. what i would do is hit it with the DA or sandblaster real quick. it is ok to put bondo over primer. a good trick is if you can't see it at first try to feel it. put a paper towel or kleenex in between your hand and the body and feel lightly with your palm or fingertips. if you feel it you will see it.

Well I will show you instead of tell you..

This is before POR Metal- Ready
http://64.177.19.53/chevelle/images/vell0371x1.jpg

This is after applying as directed with minimal wiping
http://64.177.19.53/chevelle/images/vell0381x1.jpg

As you can see I am sold!!!

I didn't take close pictures before I did it so it's a comparison of one I did not do to the one I did.. You can see some deeper pits that will probably come out with some muscle.. However the surface (and more) rust is GONE

[This message has been edited by normie (edited 05-03-2001).]

I hate to tell you this but stripping it down won't be the hardest thing you've ever done! Wait till you start doing the body filler/sanding thing. My arms still ache! I've been told not to apply body filler over anything other than epoxy primer, You should do the metal prep and the DA, get used to the hard work, there's going to be more. There's a great web site for this info called the www.autobodystore.com/cgi-bin/config.pl?index (http://www.autobodystore.com/cgi-bin/config.pl?index) that has a board where you can get advice/info. They also sell supplies and a video that may help. I would also suggest you see whats available from you're local paint and body suppliers. From what I understand its important not to mix different brands of materials so pick a company and stick with their recommendations. I chose Sherwin Williams because the Maaco type shop I may let shoot the color on my elky uses that brand. Plan on spending $600-$700 on materials alone for urethane, which is what most people use nowdays. I'm no expert but I am in the middle of this paint and body thing on my 72 elky so I can relate. Fortunatley, I was around some body work in my younger days so some of the basics such as mixing and spreading filler I have learned. Being an adept welder/fabricator has helped also.

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Elcaminos are special!

I'd rather walk around with a Chevrolet hubcap in my hand than drive a Ford


work in progress
Big James Elky(AKA Ol Paint) (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Big%20James4XL-Ol%20Paint1.jpg)
www.chevelles.com/showroom/workgoeson1.jpg (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/workgoeson1.jpg)

[This message has been edited by Big James 4XL (edited 05-03-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Big James 4XL (edited 05-03-2001).]

if you just got your paint off, and a very small amount of "surface rust" showed up, dont panic. Try scotchbrite and see if it dusts right off...it should. Apply body filler to metal only. You can get away with very very small amounts on top of primer, but not reccomended. Use "bondo" for the dings and dents on the metal. You can follow up with polyester putty on primer or on the bondo for small touchups. If you feel the urge to use spot putty on very small touch ups, use it only on top of primer. Be warned...spot putty shrinks! If you are putting primer over a reasonably large area of bare metal (like 1/4 of a panel) use self-etching primer. Its a bit more expensive, but better than using that acid wash crap. You will probably have better luck with adhesion if you allow the primer to dry well between coats...dont apply it really heavy to start with. The DA will get the rest of the paint off, but I'm still a fan of grinders on metal. You can get it in different grits if you dont want to fill 28grit grind marks. I hate stripping cars, if I can avoid it, I prefer to use the old paint as a primer/filler. Its the best base you can use....it wont shrink!!
RSM