Need some opinions from someone with experience.

[threewood]

I am doing some work on the exterior of my 62 Belvedere that seems to be snowballing. This isn't a full on resto just a repaint. I have already replaced a few minor rust spots on the lower quarters and fenders. My cousins, the prior owners, were very poor drivers evidently as there is plenty of minor collision damage but no more rust.

It has 2 layers of paint, original primer+base and another primer + base. Big issue is that it is lacquer and have read that painting over it with anything other than lacquer could get sporty. So I am busy covering the glass and openings to get it blasted down to metal. I told them not to mess with removing the filler that is place.

Now come my questions. After blasting I am going to etch the surface with phosphoric acid to keep it from rusting. Will I run into issues with it if I get some on the filler? How about rinsing the acid off? Easy way to minimize exposure? After it is etched I plan on finishing the bodywork so there will be skim coats and repair on the body. After the body filler Is cleaned up how do I get the car clean without wetting the filler? I cannot imagine an air hose will get it all before primering. Any tips or suggestions would be helpful, thanks.

 

[Cranky]

Sand blasting etches the metal. They can't epoxy primer it for you? Donny would probably be able to answer this question the best since he's in the blasting business....

 

[Donny]

Snowballing happens all the time. Filler should come off, but, this is my personal opinion. Sometimes just wanting a paint job on these old cars morphs into a restoration. It's expensive, frustrating, and did I say expensive? I usually when asked and contracted apply Epoxy primer. If there's a lot of metalwork needed, etch primer. However, usually after a full blast, then primer, then metalwork requires a near total re-prime when done. Good luck.

 

[747mopar]

I do the same as Donny but he's done allot more than me and knows his stuff.

 

[threewood]

The place blasting the car isn't a resto shop, they do coatings and such. It would be a big pain to prime right after blast as there is still quite a bit of bodywork to be done which is why I planned to etch. Also, I plan to spray the primer myself with urethane primer which requires an etch to hold on bare metal. The car is driveable, just all trim removed so I don't want to open a can of worms by taking it all apart as I know it would get spendy. I realize ideally that all filler should be removed but would rather keep whats there in place. I'm really concerned with getting it wet. Also, how the heck do you clean the car for paint without rinsing with water? Dust from body work everywhere yuck. Either way, it will be 100x better than when I started. Dummies who did the old work bondoed over crumpled wheel well lips without even straightening it out. I had to cut it out and weld in new metal. It only had 4 small spots of rust so it is still in great shape despite the other damage.

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot to ask after reading your post, if I use etch primer after blasting can I still use urethane primer on top? My finish coat is going to be a single stage urethane in ermine white. Thanks.

 

[SureGrip]

Donny might be able to say better, but I'm not sure if blasting a car that is still 'together' is a great idea. I'd be worried about getting material all inside the body, which would be a pain to get out.

As for the bodywork once the body has been etch-primed, it will be done in stages of finishing, priming, sanding, finishing, priming...you can just blow off the dust between steps, and you use a prep-solvent to wipe down the car between operations, which evaporates.

 

[1967coronet]

When you say blasted are you getting it soda blasted or sand blasted ?
If its soda you have no choice but to wash it at least 3 times, every nook & cranny with
a strong soap.

I understand you are trying to save some time and $ but I have to add again what was posted already that old filler needs to come out , sand blasting , you will still need a good clean up/wash. Filler will dry out after a wash, {heat with air movement} myself I like the ppg products DP90/black or DP50/grey epoxy primer/sealer for 1st coating after hitting the whole car with 180 & a wipe down with ppg330 surface prep then the work starts.

 

[zyzzyx]

If the car is soda blasted, you have to wash the car with soap & water and "Phosforize" it. If it is blasted with any other media, Epoxy primer can go on right away.
What I mean by "right away", is within eight hours. The epoxy primer saves alot of work and time, but it has to be done right away. You can epoxy prime right over
the old filler as long as it's sound with no cracks or bubbles. after the epoxy dries, you can wet the car down as much as you want to get rid of any dust and work
on each spot that has body filler independantly. Water won't penetrate epoxy with an activator. I suggest DuPont 2580CR Chromate LF Epoxy DTM (Direct To Metal)

 

[threewood]

I believe I am going to use SPI epoxy primer after it is blasted. The place I'm taking it uses beads, no sand. I realize I will have some cleanup afterwards but it isn't a problem. Like I said, I don't want it to start snowballing. Just want a good paint job on a grocery getter.

I have already gone over the body once, replacing some metal and pulling dents. The filler that is left looks and feels solid where I have already cleaned up. I will know for sure once the paint is removed so I can get a better picture of the condition. Also, the shop said it takes longer to blast the filler so it will also save me some money.

 

[furyus]

It seems ridiculous to leave old bondo on the car after going this far with it.
how do you know what's under it? I have found newspaper stuffed into a rust hole and bondo'd over. It sounds like you are being either cheap, or lazy. When it comes back to bite you in the ***, don't forget you were told several times in this thread to remove the old bondo, so you won't have trouble later.