Can just primer and clear coat paint be used

[MEASURE TWICE]

I sort of thought a white colored primer used after sanding down some rust on steel, might require also some paint beside the primer.

I have some clear coat paint I could used if necessary.

It actually is not for a motor bike. That I will do some time separately from this project.

The project is that the pickup truck bed rails, had just a few small areas I want to stop the rust found, when I removed my shell to redo the weather striping.

Since the area is not going to ever be seen with the shell on the truck, it is not a big deal to match automotive paint.

At the hardware store I got Krylon ColorMaxx White 12 Oz. All-Purpose Spray Paint Primer in a spray rattle can.

The truck is white. If I sand down to metal to clear the rust off and put 2 coats of primer would that be sufficient.

I have some Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel Gloss Crystal Clear Spray Paint that might still be good, but it is old, I could buy touch up little bottle from Dealership or similar maybe a good Auto Parts Store if necessary. Then a more exact color match, which I really don't care about much could be done.

I mean, just to have the shell with new seal back on the truck, not leaving rust in a few spots un-attended to is all I care about. When I get rid of the truck it really won't matter as the shell goes with it and would be as is. 124 K on it and intend maybe 200 K. I have ran 230 K on a past pickup.

MT

 

[Wevil Kenevil]

You can use Rust-Oleum and clear coat but make sure to remove as much rust as possible as painting over rust is like putting a bandaid over gangrene.

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

"Rust & rot: What to do and how to treat two major enemies of modern living Paperback – January 1, 1976
by R. M. E Diamant (Author)"

Not quite 50 years ago I had this book, maybe from a library. Yea, besides sanding down to metal shiny, they did mention in the book something that could treat the area to paint to further prevent internal seed of rust not seen.

I am not going to do that, but will sand a little area to bare metal.

Primer in white spray goes on after prep.

When I thought about the clear coat being paint in a question, a regular paint, I feel it is for the reason, it is just paint without pigment. I found a couple of old spray cans of clear coat in both high gloss and matt-finish (low gloss).

The fiberglass on the edge of the shell underside, not near the seal I will be replacing, has areas that seem to show bubbles in the fiberglass on the camper-shell. I could add some epoxy resin or polyester resin to touch it up. It does not look like it would cause it to chip off any fiberglass.

I guess when buying a new shell if I ever do for another pickup, I may look on the undersides of the shell to see if that is just part of a not so great manufacturing process.

A heat gun and a plastering trowel seem to got gouge the fiberglass. Razor blades will catch too much. Anything that is left I gently used a drill arbor with those fabric coated abrasive wheel and it looked real good.

For some reason they mention to attach the seal to the shell underside and not the truck bed rails.

I will have to work upside down, but a chair I have I can sit down and follow carefully some pencil lines drawn on the fiberglass ahead for unrolling the double ribbed rubber seal stuff.

Sticky backing on the seal is good for the straight aways, but in the corners, curves they mention to use Gorilla Super Glue Gel 10 seconds No Drip stuff. Using a small cut on the inside of the bend allows for a nice radius curve.

The corner of the sheet metal on the truck bed rails also are not completely feathered smooth. The stick backing on the seal is just not enough without extra glue is what I have understood.

Clamping shells on pickups, rather than drilling and leaving a place for rust to develop is a better way to go.
So 10 years of rust on the threads of the clamps that have steel bolts through aluminum clamp parts, is great with saltwater from wet windsurfing sails over the years. Galvanic corrosion going on big time. So they are not just PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench to clean up. I will throw them away.

The replacement clamps I got, they seem to have galled threads that they sold me at the business, but another store I will see if they have better stock. The 20% restocking fee I was told they would not impose given what I feel is a defective product. I asked them to see if they could free up the threads on the new parts, 4ea, but they really did practically nothing. I will not feel comfortable using stuff with that quality.

I knew the job is a big hassle to do, but Winter and rain is soon to be upon us. The shops only warranty for 1 year on a new shell. Waterproofness the manufacturer do not claim anything. I guess I am almost glad I am doing the job myself given this in print and verbally over the phone. Now I can only blame myself if it leaks!

The tricky corner area where to put the merging seal from metal to over onto the bed-liner just behind the cab window.

The fiberglass fibers I would like to cover up, even though they are not where the seal is placed.

I have the hoist above, so moving the wood over to an already cleaned area, frees up to clean that glue and on squished foam seal. The rubber double ribbed seal is a better slightly more costly stuff to use, but that is really needed.