The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop stopping rust in its tracks....

Is there any kind of paint that you can put over rust to stop it from spreading? I have a special case. The box on my truck is rusted badly. In some places the metal is paper thin. I am afraid to use a wire wheel or a paint and rust remover wheel on it, I dont want to make it worse. Can I clean it up and bit and apply something? Like an enamal based paint? Im not trying to be a lazy-[censored],but I can't seem to locate a new box for my truck anywhere. YOur reply is appreciated.

If your box is that rare it is certainly worth preserving. Thin areas is nothing compaired to the big holes guys on this forum patch all the time.

Sand that bed to bare metal and have someone weld in some patches where the metal has worn too thin. Then paint it right and save it.

My understanding is that ZR is your answer. I have been told that if you remove all of the "loose" paint and rust that it will stop the rust in its tracks. Someone to talk to on this subject is Fatfenders, but I think he is off sailing someplace (without me-LOL-DRAT!!!)

The best way to do it is as Tony described. The quickest way to do it is as Oly described.

I used Zero Rust on my chassis with good results. For your application, though, you probably want something you can paint over, and I don't know how ZR will do there. Corroless is a similar product, but it is supposed to act as a primer--I know a few people who have painted over it with decent results.

However, IMO, you will get the very best results by doing as Tony says.

Ed

Hello, what type of box do you have, short wide,fleetside? Have you looked into Por-15? :rolleyes: YOU can paint over it if you use the proper primer over it.

its the long box-wideside. I havent looked up POR-15 yet, but i have been looking into ZR. Whats the price of a can of POR-15? I know a gallon of ZR runs for $50.

What part of your box are you having trouble locating? :confused: The sides? Are the sides front to back, the same as a fleetside?

eventually I want to get a whole different box. its hard to locate one locally, most of the ones I have seen are short boxes.

I wanted to stop the rust in my truck bed, last week I POR-15'd it. What is the correct primer to top coat it with? And, I don't plan to paint it for some time. How long will the primer be good for?

Gmcfan, if I were you I'd try to talk with the guys at Rez Engineering (406)-727-9267. They are in Montana, they can locate pretty much anything you need for your bed - and they aren't that far away from you. You might even be able to find someone to carry it over to the coast for you if you hunt around a bit. Because you live pretty near the coast and have a lot of wet weather - you most likely won't find ANYTHING near you. I spent a couple years looking for a 66 bed in my local area (colorado - very dry here) and finally found most of a bed that I could use. I got it from a junkyard that has 25+ 60-66 trucks, and it was the only one that didn't have damage or rust through.

Oldbluetruck, whoever sold you the Por-15 should also carry the primer made by Por-15 for Por-15. As for how long, well you can apply the Por-15 primer up to a year later and it will still adhere to the coating. Just read and follow their directions which are on the can.

6T2Burb, POR-15 doesn't have to be painted over or primed to be effective. The only problem with unpainted POR-15 is it will get a purplish hue after prolonged exposure to UV rays. If you don't mind a slightly purple truck, then no need to prime until ready to paint.

When ready to paint either use POR-15's primer first or just wet sand with 600 grit until dull, then use any primer and paint

GMCFAN - if you have a worry about breaking through the rust you can use a ZR product called Prep Step. You just apply it, dry and wash off. It softens rust, cleans contaminates and solidifies the reamining rust, adjusts the Ph for maximum adhesion of Zero Rust. Prep Step is not an acid nor a conveter, it's biodegradable and it's available in powder or gel and it's cheap as borscht. You were wonder about ZR re: POR - I'd go out on a limb and say ZR is at least 1/2 the price of POR and a hellofa lot easier to use - no isocyanates and no lead to be concerned about.

Basically with ZR it will hold as well whatever it painted on ... if it's loose rust and the rust falls off ZR will still be on the part that falls off. It doesn't bind the rust to other rust.