Questions for start of 1968 Camaro

[TexasAggie]

Hi, I am just starting out restoring my 1968 Camaro that my father and I worked on back in the mid 90's to be my first car.  I am trying to start the restoration process but this time it is only me as my father's health isn't the best.

I have tried to research on the body work and rust repair and I am teaching myself how to Mig weld.  I have read about a lot of different primers as my father keeps telling me to use acid etch primer but I have read that epoxy primers on bare metal are the way to go nowadays.

When sanding and removing rust to bare metal, what paint/primer should I spray parts to protect them from starting to rust again? It would be great if I could afford to have it media blasted and primed immediately after but I am not able to do that.  So I am doing pieces of the car as I am able to.  I need to sand everything down to see what areas have rust and need repairs.

I have read that epoxy primer is not a sand-able primer and that you shouldn't use bondo on top of acid etch primer.  This confuses me.  I plan on having a professional shop paint the car once I am at that stage.  I am trying to understand the sequence to use.  Would it go use epoxy primer on bare metal to seal it from rusting, then when it comes time for paint and bodywork they would just spray another type of primer on top of the epoxy primer so they could sand it and use bondo etc.?

What kind of primer to use inside the engine compartment and on the inner fenders after sanding down to bare metal (areas that there wont be any bodywork done etc.)?

Thanks so much for any advice and would love to learn more about the proper sequence for rust repair and primer works.

THanks,
Jason

[Sauron327]

I've been in this business for decades. There are numerous epoxy choices in addition to procedures. Seeing your car would help with evaluation. Most common areas of rust and rot will be a determining factor. If you have zero bodywork experience, a tutorial will be lengthy.

[sabino56]

I’ve been wondering the same thing Aggie.  Also a rookie and planning to learn as I go.  I have an old suburban I was going to learn & repaint before doing work on my Camaro.  Can’t make the suburban look worse than  does now.

I read a lot of posts also and you find a lot of varying opinions on what is best which I read as there isn’t only one true way.  I found a person locally who seems to do nice work and asked what he does.  He uses an etching primer over bare metal (DuPont nason grey etching).  He said if you let sit for too long before you get around to painting (which is what I will do) you would have to repaint the etching primer before spraying a urethane primer. (DuPont nason poly-urethane primer - the guy likes DuPont paints, seems most people have a brand they like religiously.)

For better or worse, that’s what I’m going to start with unless I hear something convincing otherwise. 
Hook’em