Protect Car Before Having It Painted

[Georgia]

My car is going to have to be painted.

Is there something I should do to protect the areas where the paint is gone until I can get it painted?

[ShiroiKinCB]

Rust prevention.... Primer.... Bondo.....

[Georgia]

Thank you for the information ShiroiKinCB.

[deevergote]

My uncle once told me "bad things happen to bare metal". I've had my car painted twice, and although it nearly tripled the cost (it was at Maaco... $250 paintjobs cost me about $700 in the end...) it was worth it to leave the bodywork up to the shop. If you're doing it yourself, avoid taking it down to bare metal if you possibly can. The paint shop will prepare the old surface for the new paint to adhere to.

If you do have to take some of your paint down to the bare metal before repainting, be sure it is ABSOLUTELY clean and free of any residue before applying primer. If anything is under the primer, it will likely promote rust.

[F22Chris]

Yup. Mineral spirits and POR-15 are good friends when it comes to bare metal.

[cp[mike]]

also remember that Primer is NOT A SEALER. Primer is VERY POROUS and will absorb water and hold it there against the bare metal, rusting VERY quickly.

whatever you do, make sure whatever remains has a weather-ready seal applied. This is typically the paint that follows, but I believe there are versions of Primers that include Sealer built in, I would imagine to buy some time.

[F22Chris]

Bondo is also porous.

[SOHC-FTW]

For bare metal use the following after repair is complete..

Self etching primer on your bare metal work area once dry sand with 180-220 then apply your zglass or other fiber glass sand with 80 or 36, then mud (bondo) to finish out your area sand with 80 then run over that with 180 if desired.
Epoxy primer for any extra bare metal from sanding
Any 4-1 primer to create a build to sand I like to go 320 then 600 afterwards (which most 4-1 primers can be thinned down for a sealer these days and mix ratio is on the can, but sealer is used to apply right before you paint)

Hope this helps.

If your gonna leave the car out in the elements over a week prepare to block it down and re prime.