Care after usign CLR

[BadDaddy]

I've been reading a lot of posts about using CLR but haven't seen much about care and use after the initial application. The goal for this truck is to get it running and enjoy it, so we won't be painting it for a few years. It will be parked in the weather until the fall, when I hope to get a carport built. But we also want to use it so may get wet from time to time as it tends to rain a bit here in the Pacific NW. If I keep a good coat wax on it after a complete CLR wash down will this keep most of the rust at bay for a couple years? If you leave a coating of CLR in the problem area like inside the pockets is this good or bad? Thanks

[dsraven]

I havent used much clr except for the coffee pot. i would assume though that if you treat the rust with clr and then do nothing it will rust all over again only better because it is down to nice clean steel. better to clear coat it I would say, or leave it alone till you are ready to do something with it, paintwise.

[Foot Stomper]

Anything you do to it will not delay the inevitable. If your plans are to paint it in the future, just leave it alone, otherwise it will look like a fresh band aide was just pulled off... kinda sore looking but not healed.

Bolt on some new wheels and tires and consider it a "work in progress".

[mphudak]

CLR will clean it for now, nothing you can really do other then a good waxing/polishing to the paint to keep it clean and protected. A good rule of thumb is that rust NEVER sleeps. No matter what you do, it will never stop unless it is properly treated/removed (it's a cancer), especially if it is being left in the elements. That said, i think a good cleaning w/CLR, polish of the paint and leave it as is. It's beyond what is generally accepted as patina since it is rusting, but doesn't look too far beyond and will still look really good.

[mr48chev]

I'd sand the truck down, get rid of the rust, throw some primer on it and put a coat of flat Rustolium of your color choice on it and not worry about it. That rust is a lot more cancer than "patina". I'm no fan of flat Rustolium but would much rather see that than watch a truck rot away in the name of maintaining it"s patina when there is no patina to maintain.

[Cape Codder]

If I wanted to try to stem the deterioration of the truck I would get it out of the weather. Even a portable garage shelter with a wood floor and plastic vapor barrier under it will keep it dry. Rust needs three ingredients, moisture,metal,air. If you eliminate one you slow or stop the problem. Even waxing the body will not stop rust forming between panels in the pinch welds if it is exposed to moisture.

[Coach529]

CLR and a couple good coats of wax is what I did.

[OrrieG]

Go over to the HAMB board and search for clr. My recollection is most shoot it with a flat or 40% satin clear. If you want to get a lot of new friends mention billet and ratrods.

[Cape Codder]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Go over to the HAMB board and search for clr. My recollection is most shoot it with a flat or 40% satin clear. If you want to get a lot of new friends mention billet and ratrods.

The problem with that is if he plans to paint the truck that is just more material to strip off when the time comes. Vehicles that sit outside without moving in a wet climate just don't get much chance to dry out. Maybe it is just where I live but it is a death sentence for cars here.

[1project2many]

Well, PNW has moisture and rust but at least they don't have acid rain. Paint has to come off no matter what so if they use a non-catalyzed paint for protection it will lift-n-strip very easily when the time comes.

[Task Force Era]

I've read somewhere that after a CLR cleaning, coat everything with Gibbs oil. It's supposed to prevent any future rusting. May have to apply it once every couple of weeks depending on how much it gets rained on and what not. Lot of guys use it on bare metal cars and trucks. But it should be easy to clean off if you ever decide to do paint and body work...

[Coach529]

Gibbs or boiled linseed oil.....

[_Ogre]

i see any blo or oil seeping into nooks and crannies making a repaint hard
clr will remove the rust, if you don't protect the metal it will just rust again
parking it outside after clr will deteriorate the metal even after primer
put some protection on there, you can use a roller for all i care, just cover it with something

[67 chevelle]

ospho will work for a short time , sharkhide is another longer lasting choice , not sure how it effects paint

[BadDaddy]

Ok, so I'll clarify that I'm looking for quick protection and not Patina. Thanks for the responses. The consensus seams to be paint it. Even with "a roller if need be" as directed by Ogre. So this post probably belongs in the paint thread now but what product(s) would be best for a newbie painter? I'm assuming I need to strike a balance between good protection and spraying something on it that I will regret when its time for a real paint job. I know there are a lot of paint threads already, just looking for the basics. Thanks

[tmoble]

use Prep and Etch available at HD, probably other big box stores. use a hand pump spray bottle. mix it half and half with water. spray it on, leave it sit. wear rubber gloves. do it again in a few days, most of that surface rust will wipe off. the stuff converts rust from iron oxide to iron phospate, which does sleep. knock of any loose rust build up with a wire brush first. After that AFAIK you can leave it outside. new rust will not form on top of the iron phosphate.

[Cape Codder]

I still can't help but think the best way to store a truck for future restoration is to get it out of the weather. As long as it is on dirt it is going to deteriorate from moisture coming up from the ground. Unless you are storing it in the desert you need to keep it dry. You will have condensation between pinch welds and inside panels no matter what you put on the outside of the body. Cars that sit rust from underneath not the surface.

[Coach529]

Ultimately this paint lasted 50+ years.........it will last a couple more with no problem!!

[1project2many]

I'm assuming I need to strike a balance between good protection and spraying something on it that I will regret when its time for a real paint job. I know there are a lot of paint threads already, just looking for the basics. Thanks

Traditional Rust-Oleum is one of my choices. Their "Rusty Metal Primer" goes on heavy but can be removed with solvents if need be. Price per gallon is usually much cheaper than automotive paint.