Auto body repair & detailing: Auto Body repair, toyota pickup truck, grit sandpaper

Question
Hi!

We've begun repairing my 1991 Toyota pickup truck.  Its got a lot of rust and dents that I wanted to fix.  My intentions are to repair these things and repaint the truck. I started sanding off the old paint, and I guessed that removing the clear coat would be necessary if I was going to re-paint it.  The problem is, I've removed a lot more than just the clear coat, and because of that, I thought that maybe Ill just go to bare metal.  Currently, the box of the truck is half paint and half metal and its scratched up really bad.  Honestly, I have no clue what Im doing.  What do you suggest is the best course of action for what I want to do?

Answer
You do not have to remove the clearcoat unless it is peeling. Sand the truck out with 320 grit sandpaper then prime bare metal and bodywork with a self etching primer. About 3 coats. When dry resand affected areas. with 320 try not to break through to bare metal if you do reprime. After sanding. Seal with nonsandind sealer an paint Hope this helps.


                 Brian