The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Zero-Rust Questions

I've used Zero-Rust for frame painting, but am wondering how it would work for painting the inside of a pickup bed and touching up minor rust spots on the body before finish painting.

Will the rust protection be diminished by sanding before topcoating?

How does Zero-Rust do going over top of previous finish paint? I didn't know if it would only work going over rusted metal. Areas such as the bed will have some remaining finish paint.

Thanks for the help.

It is not recommended to use ZR on the topside or paint surface of panels. Although I think it is a stable product that can be sanded after curing, primed and painted, the manufacturer's rep discouraged it. I do not know how much more protection ZR will give you though on top panels under your color coat. You could always use ZR on your panels and then clear it with their crystal coat product for shiny side application. ZR is meant to be a direct to metal application so using it over old finish may not be the best application.

ZR is an excellent primer. I tried to use it as a top coat with their crystal coat and the crystal coat didn't work so great. Maybe if you used a better clear it would have.

If your substrate is ok, no loose or flaking, ZR would be fine. I used it on my truck in a scuff and shoot and it worked well. The ZR faded but I shot PPG DAU on top of it and no rust through.

Zero Rust works best direct to metal but if it goes on over sound old paint it sould be fine also. Sound old paint is probably covering good steel which would require less protection anyway.

What we suggest as a base for an automotive "paint system" is to apply the ZR let it go to full cure and build your sandable system on top of it. ZR will shrink 50% during the curing process and I'm sure most guys would want all that shrinkage completed BEFORE doing the finish sanding and painting..... so put the ZR down, leave it alone for 30 days and then apply the high build primer and block sand for flat and proceed from there ignoring what is at the steel level.....

U-POL has a nice single package clear that I like for exterior applications. In combination with ZR I think it makes a really nice poor man's base coat / clear coat if one of our colors work out. The U-POL #1 clear is in aerosols too......

Bruce Palmer
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