I need some help here. I have a nice straight steel hood for my '40 pickup project. I had is blasted and primed in DP90 by the crew up at North Texas Customs. It looks good EXCEPT... pitting all over the upper surface. It isn't so deep that it affects integrity, but too deep to sand out. What is the best approach to fill the pitting in prep for final paint? High build primer and blocking? Cover the whole thing in spot putty and sand? A quality Filler like Rage Gold and sanding? And is the DP90 best left down in the pits or should it come off and a better building primer/substance used on bare metal? Thanks in advance.
Leave the dp90 in the pits. Two ways i would go about this with out seeing pics. Mix up high build and dab it in the pits like you would applying touch up paint, then block sand. second option is use a putty then sand and prime. or prime the hood with high build, but sometimes you will find that not all pits will get filled hope this helps
My '47 has pits in the hood. Irony is that 6 years ago, I got a hood from my bud (free) that had factory Dove grey paint, like new...Sold it to a guy with a 100 points '46 Woody. (for $600!) Now I have a nice '47 with a pitted hood. Guess that's why bad stuff is usually referred to as 'The Pits'. The 'up side' is all the different ways available to finish parts like this. @michael knight makes some strong points above.
I'd leave the primer on, give the pitted areas a quick skim coat of good filler (Rage is a good choice) and just level it off with a DA. It won't be perfectly flat at that point but it'll be in range for a coat of fill primer. You could just start with the fill primer but plan on two applications if you do.
Skim coat with filler, or a few coats of high build, both will need blocking to level. Depends on what you're comfortable with, you'll sand most of it off anyway. Don't try to use filler on each little pit, skim the whole panel, sand until you see dp primer on the highs.
Well you already have DP on it so SlickSand should be approached with caution. Be certain you have scuffed the DP in the bottom of the pits or engine heat will split it like contact paper. Not seeing how bad it truly is I can't say whether or not you can go right to a 2K type primer. ***uming they're average 2 different servings of a 2K would net you the most durable, cost effsctive, and least effort repair. Your enemy is engine heat so final film build wants to be a bare minimum needed to fill the holes. To ensure your 2K will adhere into the holes/pits use a red Scotchbrite pad to provide a tooth, or a mechanical bond, and add about 10% solvent to the mix for good flow and to slow drying. Give it a couple days to shrink, sand it once, easy (like a light 240), and another day to shrink again. Block it flat with 150 watching for the unpitted areas to black out (DP).Once you're past that apply another pretty double coat for the final finish sanding and don't look back. Should be fine from now on and good luck.
My 34 truck had some deep pits in it. After I sandblasted it I sprayed polyester primer over it and blocked it. Had to do it a few times, but the pits don't show now. That stuff is like spraying bondo.
If you use the Polyester I'd let it sit for a good while, I've had it shrink back over time. Your results might differ. I used that material because the pits were very deep and hey that's what it's for right?.
All the suggestions sound great! , remember though after final sand, of between 180-320, before any primer or filler- sand the hood with a red scuff pad, that way the deep pockets of the pits are sanded and this will provide a good mechanical bond with which ever step you feel most comfortable with. You will be able to tell if the pits are sanded by not seeing any color difference, if the pits aren't sanded well they will have a sheen to them or look darker in appearance I would suggest though if pits are not deep to look at a metal glaze instead of body filler. Sent from my SM-N920V using H.A.M.B. mobile app
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