Auto paint question, Bodywork Options

[r_towle]

Bare metal flares, the rest of the body is painted

So the question is for bare metal.

Order options

1) epoxy primer, bondo, high fill primer, sealer, paint, clear
OR
2) bondo, high fill primer, sealer, paint, clear

What would you suggest?

And, given my lack of a paint booth, I will have a paint shop do whatever stage I need to ensure no bugs land on the paint.
I will paint and bodywork up till it must be a clean room process.

I need some advice on the steps and order.

Rich

[Bucci]

I like Option 2 best.

Confirm with your paint manufacturer as they have specifications for their primers and sealers.

1. Metal bodywork and dress welds. Don’t remove too much of the weld between the flare and the body sheet metal.
2. Sand all sheet metal thoroughly looking for imperfections, hammer and dolly high and low spots. Heat shrink if necessary and repeat process.
3. All body panels should be fitted at this time and check operation/ gaps.
4. Remove dust, grease, silicone, waxes. Use “Comet abrasive powder” or your favorite abrasive. Scotch-Brite pad the sheet metal thoroughly like your scrubbing a pot.
5. Rinse on a sunny day and dry thoroughly with gas heater and air nozzle.
6. Apply acid etch liquid cleaner and working in with Scotch-bright pads, noting not to embed the plastic pad into the metal surface.
7. Apply body filler over bare rough surface, metal worked areas should have some tooth to hold the filler.
8. Remove parting dust after all body filler work is complete. It maybe necessary to wash the car again. Dry thoroughly.
9. Apply manufacture recommended etch primer. Sand as necessary to be ready for the next coat of manufacture recommended sealer primer.
10. It will take several days or several weeks for sealer primer to dry allowing it to shrink onto the metal surface, rolling the car out into the sun for paint curing.
11. This is where you can help eliminate the sanding scratches. Inevitably primer paint bridges over small scratches and then sucks down during the curing process.
12. Some of the painters I’ve spoken to like to leave the sealer primer unopened or not sanded durning curing.
13. Right before they’re ready to paint they will use a guide coat over the whole body and will sand right before the final coat of paint is applied this keeps the surface clean and free of debris getting stuck on to the freshly sanded surface.

Some of these procedures and operations will vary from person to person. I’ve only managed body shops and painted small parts. It takes an artist and somebody special to want to paint cars correctly.