PANEL TECH —

IT’S NOT HOW WELL YOU STRIP, BUT HOW WELL YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY WHILE YOU DO IT

BARE METAL PREP

The most important part of any bodywork project is prepping the metal properly. It is the foundation that everything is built from, and it needs to be done extremely well for the paint job to last. There is no ‘good enough’. The methods explained in this article are achievable in your home garage, so don’t be put off by the images, as they are a reference to explain the process. I work in a panel and paint shop, and this is what we do every day, but you can do it as well — at home, in the garage, or in the driveway — as long as there is a dry area in which to store the car in between stages.

STEP 1

This body came to us with minor rust — mostly surface — but had been sandblasted and had a light coat of etch primer sprayed over it. Whether a car has a full paint job or you send it to a media blaster, the steps are all the same.

STEP 2

The tools needed are a grinder with 3M Clean and Strip Discs, a large wire wheel, a small wire wheel, and a sander. Eye protection, riggers gloves, chemical gloves, and respirators are a must for this type of work.

STEP 3

If you have the manpower, it is possible to prepare all the metal on the car in one go, but, if this is something you are doing at home, then I would advise you to do it in sections. In the example here, we did it in sections, starting with both rear quarter panels, sills, and boot-door jam. We started with the 3M Clean and Strip It Disc, moving in a side to side movement to remove all the paint. 3M discs will not grind metal — they only remove paint — so they can be used reasonably aggressively, even on edges. Make sure you remove all the paint and rust as best you can — we have three more stages to move on to, but this part needs to be done right.

STEP 4

Moving onto the wire wheel, it’s time to start paying very close attention to any pitting, welds, old repairs, sandblasting, rust, or areas you couldn’t get the grinder into. The pitting and welds should basically be seen the same way: they both need to be ‘whited out’. This isn’t always easy, but they both need to be clean. The pitting cannot have any dark colouring in it — that just means the rust is still there. It needs to be completely white, clean metal all the way to the bottom of the pit. The welds must be the same.

STEP 5

Clean! This step is very important. Clean the metal very well by rinsing it and wiping it with lacquer thinner. This will make sure any oil or Sharpie marker is removed from corners, or small weld voids, or anywhere else you can’t tell that it’s contaminated. There are a lot of times that the metal looks clean, but as soon as lacquer touches it, all the Sharpie and oils come out. If the metal is clean right away, it will be a much better start and foundation for everything else.

STEP 6

Moving on to sanding, I suggest using 3M for its longlasting and cutting benefits. Using the 180 grit and a dual action (DA) sander, sand the panels very thoroughly. The 180 grit does a great job of cleaning, as well as making sure there is at least 180 grit for the epoxy to stick to, in case anything is missed with 80 grit, which is next.

STEP 7

With 180 complete, move down to 80 grit on the DA. Be sure that the paper is sharp; you want to make sure there is plenty for the epoxy to bite on to. With 80 grit complete, it’s time to clean again! Do not use lacquer to clean the metal. Lacquer thinner tends to hold/ absorb moisture, so there is a chance that it will leave a small amount of moisture on the metal, leaving small rust droplet spots.

STEP 8

Clean very well with wax and grease remover. Spray the cleaner on the metal, and wipe clean. Repeat this until towels stay completely clean. Yes, this is possible. Once the panels are all clean, they are ready for Deoxidine!