Primer In The Corners
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,495
Likes: 2
From: Northwest Fl
I sandblasted mine, then etch primed the inside with very liberal amounts of spray paint with a paint gun, then followed it with epoxy primer. As mentioned earlier, some epoxy primers warn against going over etch, make sure your product spec ("P") sheet allows it.
Mine may not be perfect but is much better than origonal and should last another 50 years, well beyond me.
Mine may not be perfect but is much better than origonal and should last another 50 years, well beyond me.
5th Wheeling
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: North Vancouver
Earl; I think if you can get compressed air in there to blow out the grit you can get a rust inhibitor and a primer to spray in the same place. there are air nozzles with a suction option you can buy. These are used a lot in engine rebuilding for getting into some of the smaller places with a solvent for cleaning. The product you use would have to be thin enough to be sucked up the tube. You should wear a respirator with a chemical filter as this process will atomize the liquid and if inhaled could cause some discomfort or worse.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,497
Likes: 5
From: Tucson AZ
Originally Posted by R H
Earl; I think if you can get compressed air in there to blow out the grit you can get a rust inhibitor and a primer to spray in the same place. there are air nozzles with a suction option you can buy. These are used a lot in engine rebuilding for getting into some of the smaller places with a solvent for cleaning. The product you use would have to be thin enough to be sucked up the tube. You should wear a respirator with a chemical filter as this process will atomize the liquid and if inhaled could cause some discomfort or worse.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
If you don't mind cleaning up some mess and really want to be sure you get everything coated, pick up a 10.00 pump up garden sprayer at Wally-world and use it to spray your rust inhibitor of choice. The thin wand and nozzle will get into much tighter places than a spray gun or can will. Play around a bit to see what is the least amount of thinner you can get away with and still spray. Probably won't get more than 1 use out of it, but for 10.00 who cares, cost more than that in thinners to clean it.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 2
From: Seattle WA.
I have been worried about that area above the windshield rusting out myself, eversense I looked at an F1 that was all rusted out around the rearview mirror mounting area. A couple thoughts I had was possibly cutting a section out just big enough to get one of those small foam rollers into. Then after treating it welding it back together. I took a little mirror and peeked down in there last week and it was really clean with very minimal rust. I guess the acid rust neutralizer I sprayed down in there a year ago did the trick. I did see a post awhile back where the guy had cut the roof off the cab to access that area but that's a little too agressive for me at this time.
Rod
Rod
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Rod,
The main reason the Bonus Builds rusted out in the area above the windshield is because it was a favorite nesting place for mice. They like to take the stuffing from the seat and pack it up there. Where there is mice there is urine=acid. If it's relatively clean up there I wouldn't start cutting. If anything spray a neutralizer or encapsulator in there and leave it.
Look at it this way, it held up for 50+ years the way it was, living a life of hard work and little care. Now it's retired to easy living and attention. It's going to last for the rest of your life and those that will come after.
The main reason the Bonus Builds rusted out in the area above the windshield is because it was a favorite nesting place for mice. They like to take the stuffing from the seat and pack it up there. Where there is mice there is urine=acid. If it's relatively clean up there I wouldn't start cutting. If anything spray a neutralizer or encapsulator in there and leave it.
Look at it this way, it held up for 50+ years the way it was, living a life of hard work and little care. Now it's retired to easy living and attention. It's going to last for the rest of your life and those that will come after.
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,858
Likes: 3
From: Friendswood, Texas
I've been pondering a similar problem when I box the frame on my trucks. One thing I was considering to ensure complete primer and paint coverage is to dip the frame if I could find someplace capable of doing it. Same might work for the cab - agian if you can find someone capable of doing it.
I am kind of leaning towards not worrying about this on my cabs though since my trucks will be much better cared for that they ever were new (read: kept inside and out of the weather). Since I am asuming that Earl will be kpet out of the weather also, I would just worry about what you can see and get to George and that's it.
I do plan to try and dip the frame though as it may see a wet road here and there though not intentionally. Just my 2 cents after spending a couple of weeks evaluating this problem.
I am kind of leaning towards not worrying about this on my cabs though since my trucks will be much better cared for that they ever were new (read: kept inside and out of the weather). Since I am asuming that Earl will be kpet out of the weather also, I would just worry about what you can see and get to George and that's it.
I do plan to try and dip the frame though as it may see a wet road here and there though not intentionally. Just my 2 cents after spending a couple of weeks evaluating this problem.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 9,368
Likes: 1,727
From: AKRON ohio
OK, many may disagree but this is what I did, first it was blasted and blown out with shop air. I cant tell you if very much primer or paint made it to those hard to reach areas, so AFTER it was painted (probably6-12 months later) I OIL SPRAYED the entire roof section above the windshield, all 4 cab corners and front section of the hood.
I cleaned dripping oil for the next year it seemed like, but my truck has been painted since 93 and I have NO issues with any bodywork. (although my truck was 99.9% rust free)
It works for me,
Kevin Bigwin
I cleaned dripping oil for the next year it seemed like, but my truck has been painted since 93 and I have NO issues with any bodywork. (although my truck was 99.9% rust free)
It works for me,
Kevin Bigwin
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 808
Likes: 2
From: east central Illinois
Just do what I did and take the roof skin off. Gives you all the access you need to get in that area. 
There is a lot of seam sealer in there that sand blasting likely won't get out. I have pictures on my web site of what this area looks like with the roof skin removed so you can see what you're dealing with: Roof Repair
Kevin
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini
There is a lot of seam sealer in there that sand blasting likely won't get out. I have pictures on my web site of what this area looks like with the roof skin removed so you can see what you're dealing with: Roof Repair
Kevin
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini
Last edited by Fat Fendered Ford; Jan 31, 2006 at 01:55 PM.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 808
Likes: 2
From: east central Illinois
Yeah, I'm kinda tall and need the headroom. It's like one of those old Rat Fink cartoons. Just need a three foot tall shifter.
OK, George, we'll get back on topic now.
Kevin
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini
OK, George, we'll get back on topic now.
Kevin
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini
Thread Starter
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Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,730
Likes: 13
From: Waynesville, OH
Kevin, I went through the stuff on your web site (great stuff by the way) again and picked up one or two more things I hadn't seen the first 10 times I've gone over it. The point about the seam sealer is well taken.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
From: indiana
[QUOTE=Fat Fendered Ford]Yeah, I'm kinda tall and need the headroom. It's like one of those old Rat Fink cartoons. Just need a three foot tall shifter.
mental picture of kevin sitting on a milk crate in his cab and his head touching the roof
mental picture of kevin sitting on a milk crate in his cab and his head touching the roof
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,231
Likes: 1
From: Near Fresno, California
I used a weed/poison sprayer - and some water-based rust inhibitor that also had a latex based paint. It was all water clean up. The wand reaches most areas - and if you spray it on heavy enough it will drip into areas not normally reached.
Water based made the clean-up easy, and I just wiped the overspray/drips off. You can also drill 1/2 inch holes in the covering metal and later plug them with plastic caps -
I made a mistake and had to redo part of my hinge pillar after treating it on the inside. When I cut it apart I could see that it was well covered, even though I could not even see that portion when I sprayed it.
The rust treatment could not be cleaned off, and caused a lot of trouble when I re-welded the patch, and also ruined the threads of one of my captive hinge nuts. I cleaned it up some using a tap, but it is still not right.
I recommed this method - but make sure you are done welding before you do it, and that you protect the threads of any captive nuts. The product I used was called Rust Doctor which I bought at a swap meet, but there are several similar products that will likely work.
http://www.therustdoctor.com/index.html
Water based made the clean-up easy, and I just wiped the overspray/drips off. You can also drill 1/2 inch holes in the covering metal and later plug them with plastic caps -
I made a mistake and had to redo part of my hinge pillar after treating it on the inside. When I cut it apart I could see that it was well covered, even though I could not even see that portion when I sprayed it.
The rust treatment could not be cleaned off, and caused a lot of trouble when I re-welded the patch, and also ruined the threads of one of my captive hinge nuts. I cleaned it up some using a tap, but it is still not right.
I recommed this method - but make sure you are done welding before you do it, and that you protect the threads of any captive nuts. The product I used was called Rust Doctor which I bought at a swap meet, but there are several similar products that will likely work.
http://www.therustdoctor.com/index.html