MetalEd

What should I use to restore the hood and roof lines? Several previous owners have gotten too happy with the power sanders before primer and paint and have seriously rounded over (out?) the hood lines and roof lines. It looks like it has been sanded dozens of times, maybe primed as many and only painted 3 times. Maybe to remove the rust over and over.
There are a few pinholes in the hood (maybe from too much sanding?) and and I would like to sharpen the lines with a little build-up and hand sanding. Everything is going to be chemically stripped and spot blasted to clean the exiting mess. Then Phosphoric acid wash, fill pinholes, etching prime, filler buildup and sand before any sandable primer and paint? I assume this is the correct procedure.
What type of filler would I use? one of the "Hair" or "Glass"? I don't think it would need "all metal" or a "Fiber" fill since there is very minor bumps and dings in the metal... Nothing would be over 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep I think, but there is spotting rust on the roof that will have to be cleaned up and I would like it to have a shae other than "Flat" to it... hehe...
Thanks for any suggestions on a good filler material for this work!

jcoby

i'm not a pro, but i have painted a few cars now.

strip, blast, phosphoric wash, epoxy primer, in that order. the epoxy primers act as both a primer and a sealer and replace the etching stuff with less fumes. the traditional etching primer is cheaper though.

after that, filler, another coat of primer (filler primer if you're willing to work for a great looking final product) and then your base + clear. make sure your final primer is a compatible color with your basecoat. grey is normally ok but some colors need white or black.

as for what you're talking about fixing, a picture would help. i don't know how you'd make a roof or hood flat. they've got pretty serious compound curves in them and a good sized ridge down each edge.

your pinholes are probably from improper filler application. they probably mixed the plastic like cake batter. you really need to fold and sweep it to get all of the bubbles out.

rusted metal should be replaced. if not replaced, it should be completely neutralized or it will come back. i wouldn't go any more than 1/8" thick with the plastic, especially on a roof or hood since it flexes quite a bit and takes the brunt of the heat from the sun. if you can beat or pull the metal roughly back into place you'll come out ahead. a $150 pin puller from harbor freight works wonders for most dents that you don't have room for a hammer and dolly.

as for fillers, i tend to use the premium bondo or 3m stuff because i can get it locally. a lot of guys like the evercoat brand but i've never used it. i stay away from the cheaper stuff. there is a difference. tiger hair is for replacing chunks of missing metal. avoid if at all possible. it's nearly impossible to work with and isn't worth using on a car you really care about. metal filler is for structural joints, like where the quarter meets the roof and where the roof meets the a-pillar. avoid for everything else.