Okay, I want to get my old but not so old 95 F150 rust free and back in perfect condition. I have some rust on the bed wheel arch area, bottom Supercab panels, and on one lower fender piece. I have sanded down to the bare metal before and used body filler and then primer before paint and clear coat. That lasted a little while and then the rust came back in little bubbles under the paint. I not too long ago sanded it back down and just shot on some primer after using some cheap rust converter stuff from Walmart. Lol, probabaly not the best choice!!
This is my hotrod/project truck and I want to get it restored in perfect condition. I am planning on replacing the fenders and I already have new patch panels for the supercab bottom rust problem. I want to save the bed's quarter panel's because they are expensive from my junkyard and my bed is in good shape besides the rust. I have seen some arch patches from JC Whitney and I am considering welding some new patches on. Maybe. My question is how do I stop the rust. I have found some rust stopping paints: POR15, Zero Rust, and Rust Converter. (http://www.interstateproducts.com/rustkiller.htm) I want to get the best stuff I can and something that reall works. I liked the review on the Rust Converter and I know that POR15 is pretty tough stuff. I was planning on taking off the truck bed and spraying the whole bottom and then doing a spray in bedliner to stop any very slight bed rust. I then would like to put the truck on a lift and have the bottom of the cab and parts sprayed.
Now, for the exterior, I was thinking of using some Rust Converter followed by an epoxy primer. Would it be okay to put on the epoxy primer and then just use the bondo over that on the wheel arches? Any good epoxy primers out there?
Would it be worth the cost to have the old paint on the outside of the body totally removed and then to spray Rust Converter over it and then apply an epoxy primer before painting the entire body? Most of the paint is in very good condition with no defects. I only have a few chips in the paint here and there and then the rust problems. Probably the best bet would be some touch ups here and there. The question is should I spend the extra money stripping and repainting the entire body to protect the areas that are rust free from rusting?

Finally my last question, I added an electronic rust stopper and I was wondering if thsese things really work? Mine is made by Quorum. I got it off ebay for $10 and it was made in 94, but everything is in good shape and it was brand new in the box. I think it was a good deal. It has little lights on it that flash to let you know it's working. I think it looks cool under the hood if anything else. Lol. Thanks for the help guys. I have never attempted to fight the rust battle before and I am finding out that it can be a hard battle! I want my truck to be around for a long time so it can be a classic so this rust has to stop.

 

<cr>
Sand to clean metal.
Treat with rust converter (Picklex gets high marks. I use Metal Ready by POR15)
Spray with epoxy primer (I use R-M EP series). Make sure you use an epoxy rated for direct-to-metal.
Do your bodywork
Spray epoxy primer over the filler you applied

The epoxy primer seals in any micro-rust and seals out water.

For those areas (i.e. undercarriage) that won't get repainted, I depend on Zero Rust. It stops rust dead. Comes in rattle cans.

 

Thanks for the help. I will have to try this. Yesterday I was attempting to take my bed off. I figue it'll be easier to work on with the bed off. I got a little bit hung up though and I'm a bit embarrassed to say why. Well, after spraying the bed bolts and fuel hose flange (?) screws with penetrating oil, I figured I'd disconnect the taillight wire connectors. Only thing is I can't get them apart. I used a screw driver to push the lock tab in and then finally I just broke off the lock tab to make things easier. After a lot of pulling, they won't come apart. I didn't want to pull on the wires being afraid of pulling them out, but I'll probably end up cutting the wires and then finding a new plug to put on. Is there a tool to seperate these connectors?
One more quick question, is it possible to use a chemical to remove paint so I can get down to the bare metal on the entire bed? I don't want to spend a lot getting it media blasted even though that probably would be a good idea. Then afterwards should I spray the whole bed with a rust stopping paint/primer and then use that epoxy primer over that before doing body work or is this overkill? I want to do the job right so I don't have to do it again. Thanks again for the help. It is really appreciated!!!

 

<cr>
Some people use chemical strippers. They work but I find them messy. You also need to be concerned about the stripper getting into cracks. Any leftover stripper will ruin your new paint.

I don't have an answer for the connectors. I hate them myself.

 

Thanks for the help. Sorry for the late response, we had a family emergency and it was also my birthday weekend. I'm going to go and buy some supplies today and then hopefull I can get started. Thanks again for the help. I was hoping more people would be able to respond, but I'm very thankful to get help from someone.

 

I just ordered a can of rustbullet. (rustbullet.com or itkillsrust.com) When I saw the title for your post, I figured this was a subtle ad for the new stuff. I've tried por 15 before and although it seems to do the job ok, it's a little touchy with not dropping any moisture into the can (sweating into the paint) and using metal ready or marine clean to be sure you've got things clean. But it does bond "pretty good". I'm now redoing some floorboard holes that I did temporary patches on 2 years ago and covered with por 15. It does create a barrier and it peels off in flakes and small strips, showing it's binding properties. If exposed to humidity or moisture, or not totally sealed, por 15 also has a short shelf life.

I also read up a little on the Zero rust. But they also kinda lead me to think that for best results, a metal prep that they sell was recommended.

So I'm going to try this rust bullet and see how it is.

Tony

 

I recommend Rust Bullet. I did my frame with Por15 first and now I am having to redo it all over with RB. I too have witnessed the peeling and all sorts of bads from Por15 like it not sticking to the metal. The Rust Bullett does an outstanding job but be sure to coat it twice like it says. Once works pretty good but twice is final. I doubt I will ever see rust again. Iiiiiiii Like it!!!

 

Couple other comments on your project truck.
If it was I, I would consider one of the bedliner products as an undercoat for the underside of the bed. Line-x or rino-liner are good ones. Talk to some of the guys who put these liners in trucks or visit their websites to find out about preparations. Also, there are alot of places to get rust repair panels. Without having any experience, I would say J.C. Whitney would be more likely to carry some of the thinner metal. Parkermetalproducts, Raybuck, and millsupply.com are 3 that I think carry good ones.

Tony

 

I saw a documentary on Line X. They sprayed the inside walls of the Pentagon after 9/11 with that stuff. They dropped a cinder block off a 3 story building after it was sprayed with Line-X and it just bounced off the asphalt. I'm sold on that stuff too. Never used it though.

 

Yeah, I saw the same demo. I was impressed too. The local Ford garage hear uses line x. I asked them why not some of the other brands. The body shop manager simply said.... line x is the best product in his opinion. Of course that could have been the sales pitch, but I didn't get that impression. There are other spray in liners that do a good job too.
Tony

 

I got a new spraygun, never had one before. It's a real cheap one made by Campbell and was only $20 at, LOL, walmart. I can find almost everything there. I practiced spraying an old piece of wood and some boxes with some leftover house paint. I was inpressed by the nice spray I could get for only $20. I think this gun will be nice for primer. I am looking for a more expensive gun for doing the color coats.

One question though, this color sanding makes me nervous. Can you use rubbing compound for this purpose? Why is it necessary to color sand? Thanks for the help!

 

<cr>
You do not have to colorsand. It just depends on how picky you are about defects in you paint job. If you are content to live with some dry spray, orange peel, runs, nibs (bugs, duct, & etc.), you can skip the whole process. If you want that showroom finish, then plan on colorsanding.

 

LOL! No, I think I'll give it a try!