Please weigh in with advice and suggestions. I need to make some decisions and then organize my procedures and materials.

If you have been following my restoration thread, you know I have been cutting out rust and welding in new and used sections. With some luck, I may get to the end of this in another month.

Then here are the remaining steps (suggest any I have forgotten), but not necessarily in this order:

Paint stripping from all or most surfaces inside and out (contemplating dustless blasting by a reputable local vendor). The stripping should also remove any remaining bondo.

Treatment of freshly-stripped metal.

Treatment of any external panels that still show surface rust.

Treatment of internal cavities for rust.

Metal work to straighten external panels (right rear fender, front left fender, rear panel) as much as possible.

Body filler and filing.

Primers (assuming at least epoxy primer and high-build primer).

Seam sealant, both spray-on and brush-on.

Final surface prep and primer/sealer.

Color paint (probably single stage).


Besides the final paint, which obviously comes last, I have read conflicting ideas about what goes under or over what, and especially what goes on top of raw metal.

I think you have a good list. I would consider checking all body measurements with the factory specifications to make sure all is good and test fitting panels as you go, doors, hoods, etc. Of course remove all of that crap foam Porsche stuffed into our cars to absorb water and cause rust. Also, while doing welding, hit all of the known fail points like the trunk hinge brackets, the clutch tube in the tunnel, etc.

Bump

What is the most important layer/material to make contact with bare metal?

And bondo over primer? Primer over bondo?

I'm far from an expert on this but I prefer epoxy primer as the base over bare metal with filler over that. The exception was this stuff I was turned on to by @mb911 https://www.amazon.com/Fibreglass-Evercoat-...7570&sr=8-1 I used that to dress welds and fill pinholes. The I epoxy primered everything followed by bodywork including filler. After that, epoxy again to make sure any bare metal was coated. Then high build, blocking, sealer, and paint.

One reason I went this route is that I found previous bodywork where filler had been laid DTM a little thick by today's standards and lots of rust beneath it due to water trapped in the filler after the paint over the top failed. I figured it would be better to have the epoxy DTM as the last line of defense.

Body filler (the stranded evercoat stuff is really good) is supposed to stick better to bare metal, especially if its been scuffed first. Then Epoxy prime over that.

But lots and lots (and lots) of cars have been painted with an etching primer first, then body filler.

If you put the filler over metal, you don't use an etching primer. BUt since you have to scuff the metal its not really a "saved" step - but it is a saved cost.

Zach

One more question: I will almost certainly end up with some areas with surface rust, even after paint stripping. And maybe a few seams with old rust. Short of a chemical dip (not likely!) what's the best way to treat and/or encapsulate the rust--and do this before epoxy primer?

Ospho or similar. Basically just phosphoric acid. Helps the primer stick too.