Soon I will be getting my camaro sandblasted down to bare metal. Im not quit sure what the proper routine of doing the body work and paint.

Im under the impression thatoncethe body is down to bare metal Irepair the sheet metal of any dents or rust spots. ThenIapply body filler over the repaired area and sand it down until the concour is correct. Then I apply a thin layer of body filler on the whole car and sand it all down to fill any other small unoticed imperfections. Then apply primer and sand it, then a base coat of paint and then a clear coat.

Is this correct? I have never done anything like this. Would it be better to put primer on right after its blasted to bare metal to keep it from rusting or is there something else that should be sprayed on?

 

also, is body filler and bondo the same thing?

what are some quality paint brands that arnt expensive? whats the best kind of paint to spray on the underside of the body?

 

Put an epoxy primer on the body after its blasted. The metal will be clean and the primer will keep it clean. You can acctualy put filler over most ep[oxy primers but I would always just sand it off the area for the repair.
There is no need to apply a thin coat of filler over the whole car. That is what filler primer is for. You will want to sand the epoxy primer and apply filler primer on top of it. (filler primer=primer surfacer, not to be confused with primer sealer).
Bondo is a common name and the big name on the filler that most auto parts stores sell. Its also the name of the Bondo/Dynatron corp. The can with "Bondo" on it is not that good a quality. The Dynatron is better. Evercoat and 3M also make good fillers. You can get them at automotive paint suppliers.

 

If the car is bare metal you first want to put an etching solution on the car, this will prevent rust in the future as well. This also helps with paint adhesion. You just wipe it on and rinse it off.With this stuff there is no need for a paint gun.MadMike was correct about the Bondo brand, its the cheap stuff, get a good 3M brand.filler

Take car of any major metal work before you use fillers, like replacing metal. If there are bad rust spots, ie holes, you will want to but a fiberglass filler over that first, ruff sand it, then but the body filler in. Try to remove as many dents and dings with hammers and dolley first. This takes a little experience and skill, but you have to learn some time.

Once your happy with the body work then you can use the primer surfacer Mike was talking about. This fills in small imperfections, then you can wet sand it. After this is done you ill notice more spots you missed. If they arent to bad you can use some glazing putty right on top of the primer, and then prime again. Never wet sand the filler or putty, or get it wet. It is porus and will absorb water, then later it will rust all over again and bubble up, we've all seen the bondo buckets right!

In Michigan we have Finishmaster, for all the supplies and goodies like this. Have fun, and take your time!