I want to get it all one color with single stage paint. I need to clarify the process and best products to use.
First, I am not looking for a super high quality paint job. I only want it halfway smooth and to adhere for a long while without coming off in sheets.
- I will sand at least all the sun baked/surface rusted cab parts to as close to bare clean metal as I can get them.
- I am presuming there will still be rust particles and partially oxidized metal that I will not be able to cure mechanically. I do not want to burry these untreated.
1. What would be the best combination of products that play well together
to treat the rust, prevent moisture from making its way back to create surface
rust under the paint, and then obviously color the vehicle?
- I want to minimize the number of times the whole vehicle needs to be sanded. I will obviously have to sand it initially but would like to not have to block it after, I might be ok scuffing it or lightly sanding one of these coats by hand to help smooth out later coats. But there are plenty of dents and dings that won't be getting fixed so I'm not terribly concerned about haveing a dead flat level surface.
2. Is there primer or combination of primers that fit into question 1's
requirements that would give me a halfway smooth finish so that the paint
would turn out fairly smooth without having to block the whole vehicle?
This vehicle will be used for hunting beating through frozen corn fields pulling a decoy trailer. I do not want to have a ton of time and money invested in something that will probably get rubbed with corn stalks and tree limbs. I need something that will be fairly durable, look half decent, and preserve the condition of the body because it is very rust free aside from the obvious layer coating the entire cab.

I have spent a ton of time trying to wade through all the combinations available and seem to be no further ahead than when I started. Any input on others experiences that have been in similar situations would be great. I appreciate any help given and appolagize for asking paint pros how to commit the sacrilege I'm trying to commit.

The hole cab and front fenders look to be covered with surface rust form the oem paint coming off. I would sand with 80 grit until the cab and so on are bright and shiny then maybe use some kind of metal treatment if needed. after you get the metal in good condition shoot a couple coats of epoxy then shoot the complete rig with a bed liner coating. its fairly easy to apply and tough as nails, its just right for a hunting rig .
Jay D.

What would be the best metal treatment that could be put on then wiped or spongedoff? I don't want to sand a coating off and also don't want to have to completely rinse. The interior will be in still with the windshield and doors off so
I don't want to have to worry about dousing anything. I need something that will play well with epoxy primer.

if as asked before the cab and fenders are covered with heavy surface rust there is no magical product that's going to remove it by wiping it on and wiping it off. Ospho might work, but it will take a long time and you'll need to keep it wet and clean it off when its done. you can saturate rags or what ever and lay them on the body then cover that with visqueen taping down the perimeter this keeps it from drying out. this may take several applications. I like to scrub it clean with soap and water. your best bet would be to man up and sand it as clean as possible with a sander and a wire wheel on a grinder first then the Ospho. you can mask the window opening and door openings with visqueen to keep the water and dust out.
Jay D.

Agreed definitely needs to be sanded down to bare metal. Does Ospho work well? I just want to get it treated after sanding so nothing frappe in the sanding scratches or small spots that don't get deep enough don't come back. There are one pitted spots in the door so sanding won't get all the rust completely out. Will ospho penetrate and then wash off good enough to body fill over?

Ospho works slow doing as said with the saturated rag you put the rag on then change it about every 4 hours or so. it may take a couple days, in-between changes you can scrub it to get the lose stuff off. use a small s/s wire brush like a tooth brush to scrub the pitted areas. ospho is about the only thing I can think of that is available. if you can get your hand on some ACB-56 its a little more powerful. its available at most commercial janitorial cleaning supply retailers.
Jay D.