I’m “restoring” a 1980 Mercedes G Wagon that has a lot of body rust. This is my first attempt at anything like this so I’m having to learn a bunch from the ground up. One thing that makes this difficult is that this vehicle is also my daily driver. Not ideal, I know. However, for the final finish, I’m not looking to make this a show car. It’s going to me mostly an off road vehicle so the paint finish does not have to look all that great. The only thing I really care about is preventing rust from coming back for a reasonably long period of time.

I have already started cutting out metal and welding new metal in and have tried various methods of sealing it until I can do a final paint job. I have tried self etching primer, corroseal, various “automotive” primer spray cans and short strand fiberglass. The only thing that seems to work well where rust isn’t showing through in a matter of a couple weeks is the fiberglass which I guess is to be expected as it’s waterproof. However, I have yet to sand it down and I’m realizing as I do, I’m going to expose bare metal again so I need another solution.

From what I understand I should be using an epoxy primer. My question is, would something like this be appropriate: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043YP8EC/?tag=100568-20 ? These cans are single use correct as in once you use it, you must use all of it right away? Since I’m only doing parts of the car at a time, perhaps I’m better off with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Epoxy-Primer-Sea ... B016QM67RU where I can mix just a small amount at a time? Can I brush this on or does it have to be sprayed?

I realize some of you will probably cringe at the way I’m doing this but thanks for any advice that’ll work with the constraints I have!

Check the store out here you can probably buy epoxy in quarts and just mix what you need, and yes you can brush it on.
Jay D.

I have done this in a pinch (brush on epoxy). Any of these paints (epoxy, BC, CC) are VERY liquid so getting it to brush on a vertical surface is challenging--its not like latex house paint. Be prepared to waste a lot. Also, make sure you get good coverage. The brush lines will be visible which will need to be sanded flat or you will need to spray another surfacer (high build primer) on to block sand smooth.

Another option is to bed line the truck if it is going to be just off road. I have done this to a couple of SxS and have bedlined my truck bed. Self etching primer is fine for this.

Good luck.

PS I used an actual paint brush for the small area that i needed to do that I didnt spray. After using KILLZ over the weekend on a house project, the consistency is similar and in hindsight I would have tried a small roller instead of a paint brush.