VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 long-term bare metal protection

Included with my '32 Coupe are several pieces of sheetmetal, presumably repro parts. There's a RF fender, pair of running boards, a floor pan for the rumble seat area, and the shroud that goes beneath the radiator and wraps around the front inside of the springs, plus a spare tire "well" or pocket that goes in a front fender. This is all bare, unpainted steel, and I have no immediate plans to install the stuff.

How best to protect it? I'm thinking of spraying it with a light-weight oil of some sort. (ATF?, motor oil?) Everything will be stored inside, but not in a heated area. This protection might have to last 10 or more years.

I would wipe them down thoroughly with lacquer thinner or acetone, then spray them with gray automotive primer. That will last indefinitely and provides a good base when you or someone else eventually uses the parts.

All the Best, Chip

I would spry them with (rattle can) Blaster corision preventer. Available at Menards. Like a wax that more or less dries on.

Primers are not waterproff.

Do not put oil on the sheet metal parts.

If it is going to get painted, then I prime it good, other than that I use CRC SP-400


I use to coat any machined part/ surface that will NOT get painted. It is easily removed with brake cleaner or such. It sprays easily, goes on wet, then dries to a semi tacky waxy surface.

The CRC product mention is the same as the Blaster product I mentioned. I use it on some of the sheet metal under my modern vehicle to prevent rust due to road salt.

Sand blast if no rust then soda blast then clean with pre-paint cleaner. Then apply two coats of 2 part epoxy (2mils) Regular primer will allow rust through, epoxy will not.

When you want to proceed to paint at a later date. use a 3m scuff pad to give the surface some tooth (do body work as required- clean - epoxy prime and then apply your paint coats.

I use a two part self etch primer on bare metal that is later be painted.

Best advice I can think of is move to Colorado (or Arizona or New Mexico).
I stored unprotected stripped parts for a F**d in a shed in Colorado for almost thirty years and all they had was minimal surface rust.

lol

Here is coastal Virginia i think bare metal would last 5 minutes before it would flash rust !!

Scuff the bare metal with a red scotchbrite pad then use body wash or thinner with a lint free paper towel. You can use rattle can etch primer. It will not absorb the moisture like regular gray or red primer will. I have had my Olds chassis etch primed for the last couple months and it looks like I just did it. When your ready for paint lightly scuff it, wipe with body wash,then either spray sealer or urethane primer on it. Wetsand 400, then wash, then paint. Super nice finish. The epoxy route described earlier is the way a lot of guys are also going as it saves the urethane primer or the sealer over the etch step.

Like the dog said, keep oil off of any metal that might be painted at a later day. When that day comes, you'll be glad you did.

Indeed....

I was trying to avoid prep work at this point: sanding, etc. Plus, I figure that any kind of primer is likely to get scratched in handling/storage, leading to rust and more prep work prior to painting.

"It seems to me" that brake cleaner, mineral spirits, acetone, etc. should remove any oil when preparing to paint, why is this not the case? We have to clean oil/grease, etc. from engine parts before painting, do we not?

And, wouldn't the CRC stuff be as bad to remove prior to priming/painting as oil?

Please educate me.

Plan old cheap Rustoleum spray primer has a rust inhibitor that may fit the need. Read the manufactures instructions to see if it fits your preservation need.

I remove all grease and oil with solvent and paper towel. Then wipe or lightly spray on metal prep. I use Ospho but there are plenty of others. I do not let it dry. After the surface darkens a bit wipe it off with paper towel. If it dries just add a little more and wipe it off quicker. You don't want the white coating left when it dries in place. It will last for months even in our high humidity Texas Gulf Coast environment. If there is a bit of rust present the metal prep will remove it particularly if a small stainless wire brush is run across the rust a few times. If a brass brush is used you may get a little copper plating.