Posted on another forum, redirected here: "Done a bit of digging but still not sure which way to go, a bit outside of my normal field. Cherry Cougar XR7, '68, interior fire (it was not the only thing that was gutted). After being hosed down and standing, the cabin is rusty. I'm against dipping it (acid seep out over time), maybe baking too. Only thing that seems to make any sense is media blasting. Plastic might work, soda would but is costly over here. I have my own blast equipment, and experience. Won't even attempt to restore it, more a case of restifying. Any long term practical experience?" Anyone any ideas or links to previous threads? I don't have much luck with searches... All the best, John.
For the interior, sand or wire brush the loose rust off and paint it with 2 or 3 coats of rust proof paint like Tremclad or Rustoleum. For areas you will see, sand with an orbital sander and kill any remaining rust with metal prep or the equivalent then prime and paint.
Several good threads on this topic. The general consensus seems to be as per TR Waters ^^^ response. You can prep the bejesus out of the metal but the exterior paint won't stay stuck for long. The heat seems to cause a metalurgical change that prohibits good paint adhesion. I'm sure somebody with more specific knowledge than me will chime in here soon.
He said it's an XR7. That's a fairly rare feline and worth some dough restored properly. So, yeah, it's worth the trouble. If it happens to be an XR7G, it's off the hook valuable.
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