long story short i stripped my 79 rabbit down to metal and all i had was some little black micro hole spots, even though there was paint on top. i thought i was doing the right thing by going after these with ospho and a wire wheel which did seem to dig the black out.

i thought i could keep it wet, wipe off and then rinse with water.

i tried my roof and rinsed like crazy with water and things appeared ok wet and i scrubbed with a red pad.

to my horror i came out later and the whole car looks like its covered in powdered rust. you can see the streaking and stains which can be thick all down the sides of the car as well, all nooks and crannies.

i searched and thought i could activate it with itself and agitation and again rinse. this works on a small section but as soon as its rinsed it spreads like disease and streaks on the car

none of the auto chemicals i have will touch it and there seems to be a film left no matter what even if a rewet i did a test and sanded with 180 grit on dried yellow areas and black powder comes off like a guidecoat before i start scratching up the metal.

even after i rinse or use a cleaner the paper towel is left with orange film.

i have no idea what to do now, that stuff has basically made my whole chasis a mess. i can't even imagine getting it out of all the cracks now since it won't active and be carried away with water.

is the only way out of this to blast all the cracks and sand like crazy? will it be safe for epoxy after that?

I know you said you tried this but the ONLY solution is that the ospho should be re-wet with more ospho and then rinse off cleanly. This is key - it needs to be reactivated so it can then be washed off with soap and water. Don't be afraid to use a lot of water, it will not hurt the metal. Dry your panels well afterward and you will be fine. Blow out any crannies with compressed air.

Needs to come off before epoxy or any other DTM primer.

i wonder what im missing here is it supposed to reactivate and completely go away or am i just hoping to get rid of the surface stuff and the colored coating will still be on the metal and needs to be sanded?

i can't even get to that point its like melting some wax and washing it with water just spreads it closer to the edges and puts new streaks down the side of the car and thick!

does it take longer than just wetting and scuffing in rinsing before it activates?

The black is converted rust and will not come off without media blasting. No need to be concerned with the color but rather the acidic film that covers it.
You need to apply more Ospho and then before it dries scrub with soap and water, then rinse it completely.
Once that is done you blow it dry with compressed air to get any water out the seams and pockets. Apply Wax and Grease Remover (I like to spray it on) and wipe it off with a clean shop towel before it dries. You may need to repeat this process until the towel comes up clean.
Then go to your epoxy or DTM 2k primer.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:....... scrub with soap and water, then rinse it completely.....

Using soap is very important. You need a surfacant to lift up the residue, and the
best I've found is TSP (tri-sodium phosphate). Dawn will work in a pinch.

As was stated, don't worry about the discolored metal, just sand or blast the residue
off and clean it well. It's not as bad as it looks. Keep calm...

so is the acid the stuff that comes up on the paper towel? thats my big problem right now that crap just keeps coming and putting more ospho on isn't letting soap and water take it away, nothing does

i will try the tsp if its better and let the ospho sit longer. will pressure washing help at all?

just so i understand there is still a coating left if it comes up clean with a paper towel. is that acid to?

The chemical reaction of the acid with the rust neutralizes the acid. The problem comes from the non-reacted acid lying on the surface of the metal. When you apply more Ospho you are insuring that any residue acid is liquid and will be neutralized by the soap.

Generally the film left by the acid is white in color (if I remember correctly). If when you apply W&G remover and the towel comes up clean, you are good to go.

Also, if you have hard water and let it dry on the metal it will leave a white film as well.