I have a fender and a door that I have to get out of the spare bedroom, and onto the car. After I straighten the couple of little dents and scratches, how do I prepare the unseen, insides? I was going to sand to bare metal, primer, and just paint (maybe black?) but wanted to know if there is something else I should do. Do you recommend sand blasting, or hand sanding with paper and block? Do I need to get to bare metal? Is there any special chemicals I can add so I will not rust and never have to work inside these areas again? This will be INSIDE the door, and the inner part of the fender. I might just do all the body panels that can be removed, over time, as I get it ready for paint.
I would use POR 15, Rust Encapsulator or Rustoleum, etc. When my car was redone the body shop coated the inside of the doors, fenders and quarters with thinned roofing tar! They said if it holds up for 30 years on a roof it should last forever on the car.
I used POR-15 on my car. CAUTION!! Make sure to not get too much around the holes as it will drain out on your rockers and ruin your paint job. Good thing I caught it in time on my car.
Is this stuff really as good as the website brags? It can just be painted on (with air gun) as a primer? Does it need to be thinned, and if so, with what? Would it be a good primer for the exterior of the car? Sounds like you can use it instead of Bondo...does it ever crack if used too thick? Sounds promising for a variety of applications.
I don't know about POR 15, but Terry has been using Rust Encapsulator on his '77, and I am very impressed with it.
POR 15 Awesome, I've used it many times on many different cars, has always stood up very well, it's worth every penny.
Rust Encapsulator or Rust Bullet for me. Before you buy POR15, read the side by side comparison to POR 15 at Rust Bullet. http://www.rustbullet.com/ and read what the Nov 2003 Auto Restorer Magazine has to say about a side by side comparrison with Rust Encapsulator. http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=852&itemType=CATEGORY&iMainCat=688&iSubCat=852 Also, Rust Encapsulator comes in colors and spary bombs too, which is nice for inside of doors. http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=372 Do a search for Rust Bullet and Rust Encapsulator here, there are many threads with pictures. Eric J
I've used POR-15 on a number of things. I brushed it on, but supposedly you can thin it. I think it works great! I also used POR-15 engine enamel on my last engine build - it looks great as well. However, I've heard good things about Rust Bullet on the boards. I might try next time. I don't think you can go wrong with either one - they'll both provide protection.
The one big downfall of POR 15 is it needs to be topcoated if it's going to be exposed to sunlight (UV) or else it turns a real crappy gray color. Areas inside or under the car won't matter. I rebuilt my front suspension a couple years ago, painted the springs, upper control arms, steering knuckle, disc brake parts with POR 15. Still looks like new even after being pummeled by road debris.
So, with Rust Bullet or Encapsulator, can you just use it as a primer, or do you need to prime over it? I don't want to do any extra work, if I don't have to. The thinning and fading has me discouraged from the POR-15. After reading the websites and reports, it sounds like you CAN use them as a primer, but just wanted to know for sure from actual users. Will paint stick to it well, or do you need to sand afterwards for the paint to stick? Finally, where do you get these...are they internet only items, or can I get them at the local parts house or paint house? How much will be needed to do a 2-coat over the entire car, inside and out (estimated)?
Rust Bullet or Encapsulator needs NO top coat. Also, to seal correctly, you need to use 2 coats. And even though a gallon is cheaper then buying 4 quarts. It starts to dry as soon as the can is open. So I use the quarts for big jobs and the little 1/2 pint "shooters" for little jobs. The stuff is not cheap, but quality never is. So far I've had no adhesion problems with it applied as the only thing (frame rails, floor boards, suspension parts) or as the base coat under paint. Directions say to rough it up a little with sand paper if top coating, so that is what I did. One thing you have got to remember if you are planning on using any of this type product under your exterior finish coat. It is a very high solids "paint" and will not lay down smooth like a regular paint will. If I remember right, it is about 70% solids! Great for sealing a frame, but not so great for exterior panels. It will require mega sanding if you want it perfectly smooth again for the finish coats. As far as coverage, I have used about 8 quarts, and have completely coated all the interior surfaces, trunk, inner fenders and wheel wells, inside the doors, underside and inner surfaces of the hood and deck lid, everything from the firewall forward, all suspension parts, rear axle housing, complete undercarraige and frame, and dozens of small parts too. That is with 2 coats brushed on. About 100 hours labor. Most parts were then top coated with Eastwood Chassis Black, undercoating products, Herculiner, or self etching primer and top coating. Again, tons of work and prep. But worth it, as I'm restoring this car only once in my lifetime (and my kids too hopefully). Eric J
