Engine bay resto help

Here are some pics of the situation. Not sure how to proceed, need a game plan. I figure the key here is in the prep work, but I have never done this before, and I would like to go about it the right way.

I started by "dry" cleaning as much debris out, like the dead mouse house in the frame rail. Then scrubbed off the gunk using engine degreaser and another simple green type product. It took many scrubbings, and I learned not to use engine degreaser around paint. I got some on the crossmember and when I hit it with a brush it really screwed up the original paint. That's one thing I need advice for to fix.

I then washed the bay down a few times with just plain dish soap and water. It's very difficult to get in to some places, I think i need to find some odd brushes. It still looks like crap, and there is spotty surface rust as you can see.

I have a can of factory matched paint so I'm good to go on that, but I know a have a lot of work to do before I get to that.

So should I just get the whole thing sandblasted? Or try to clean it up myself?

Before:


After

 

Hi Andy,

Sandblasting gets everywhere. The black dust seems to never go away.
If you spend a lot of time masking up places you will save time blowing it all out of nooks and crannies later.

If it was me to do under your hood.. I would use a mini dual action air sander (2 and a 1/2 or 3 inch disc) with 220 grit paper then follow up with 320 grit.

If your unhappy with a few nooks and crannies still rusty, just have those hard to get places hit with sandblast. Use a majic marker to circle all the places you want the person sandblasting to hit.

Then I would use a chemical that turns rust into black primer. 2 - 3 coats then some good Urethane primer (Primer, reducer,hardener) not laqure primer.
Urathane dries chemicaly with a mixed in 'hardener',laqure primer is 'air dried' from the thinner evaporating.
Urathane gives better protection. You should allow double the drying time ( 20 mins) between coats if you use urathane. Be sure to not let Urathane sit in you spray gun overnight or you will have hardened primer and ruined spray gun.
Wet sand the primer after an hour or two with 400 then paint the color.

Hope this helps you out.http://www.brandsplace.com/0246-cp-7200s.html

 

Just a note based on personal experiance, the rust converter is crap. The top coats nearly always peel.

On the other hand, I have had very good luck with POR15 products, both their rust remover/metal prep and their paint-over-rust resin based paints.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

 

I don't have a sander, so at least now I have another excuse to buy a new tool!
I'm looking two air sanders, one is 10k rpm the other 20k. Would the slower one be "safer", as in less chance to burn through?
The other kind I've looked at is the little electric detail sander with the triangular pointy end. I thought that it might be easier to get into some tight spaces.
I've read that some guys love POR15, others hate it because you have to "buy in" to their whole system. It seems to be a more labour-intensive procedure. I already have a couple of cans of some ZeroRust, so I may use that. But I need to get it cleaned and properly prepped first. Even after the washing I've done there still seems to be some greasyness here and there.

 

Andy, just try a small area that won't be seen first, goop some on, let it sit, go have a come back and clean/scrub/hose off. If you have a comprsor blow dry after. Also your hands will be cleaner than they have been for years.

http://www.compasssafety.com/images/410-23218.jpg

 

You're digging deeper than I had to, so what I did doesn't apply. But there are small portable sandblasters you can rent, with finer mediums (sand/ grit). Mostly used by mirror decorators or glass artists. That wouldn't hurt anything and it would get into the smaller crevices.

I still go back with the vinegar/salt mix, because Por15's Metal ready is expensive ($25 per litre), but you could soak some rags and leave them on the sandblasted areas overnight and finish eating the fungus, then wash off with water. Then do your paint prep? If you're worried about neighbours, come over here and do it. or borrow my summer igloo?

 

Fast Orange, I think I even already have some! Definitely worth a try, it's just lanolin.
Come to think of it, I may have some hand cleaner with some grit, might be worth a try in some spots, like the steering rack.

I picked up a cheapo gravity feed sandblaster at Princess Auto and have a 3hp 5gallon compressor. It'll (almost) be good enough for this job as long as I take my time and do small areas.

Hey did you take the wiring harnesses off Norm? How did you manage those little clips that go into the fenders?

 

The plastic ones? Buy new ones at Rondex. The metal ones can be pryed out. I soaked them in the vinegar/salt bath and primed and repainted them.

EDIT: Yeah all the wiring OUT. TAKE PICS. Memory fades fast.

 

It looks pretty good to me. I just used some rust converter under the battery area on mine.

What a funny place for the horn. Both of my horns are in front behind the grill.

Was that mouse an illegal from the US?

 

My dual horns are in the same place. With all the salt-spray in the winter, I'm glad they are. It's a Lincoln-Lite sound.


!Si Señor! He could rename the wagon to ratoncito - it'll scurry like one when he's done.

 

Hahahah..you guys crack me up..hehe..
Prevention is the best as we all know.

If you can avoid driving in the rain you will have longevity no matter if you just sand , prime , then paint.

 

Homestar, Andy got the car in southwest North Dakota. Almost as rust-free as an Arizona car. When our roadsalt gets on it, well, lets just say, the clock starts ticking. 2 years on a new car, 5 years on a 1980-1990 car (the metal was thicker). Fairmonts, heck all Fox vehicles, really get the cancer fast enough. Whatever it takes to get it out, and then preserve it. Here in the c-c-c-cold prairies, the roadsalt doesn't work below -15C (10 or 12F ), so ours have a better chance.

Here's how a Fairmont floor looks with only 130,000 miles on it, if it wasn't undercoated after being bought new:


And I got that donor from a guy who was hit at 10 MPH in a parking lot! Like an accordion!

 

Finally some progress

Primed, basecoat and scuffed, ready for some topcoats:

And todays' progress:

 

If I jack up the horn, you could do mine too.

 

Andy, I found this old link in one of my Roller Painting posts:

Engine Detailing:
http://www.classicalpontiac.com/restoration/10.html

Good one on Door rust repairs too, not that yours needs it:
http://www.classicalpontiac.com/restoration/10.html

And more resto info, in the 'Classroom' flyout menu - Basics:
http://www.autobodystore.com/home.shtml