I am installin new floor pans in a 69 camaro, i purchased american sheetmetal that doesnt have any paint or primer on it, what do i need to do to prepare this bare metal surface for paint, and what type of paint will work? can i use epoxy primer? how do i etch the metal to ensure proper adhesion? any help will be appriciated.

I would degrease, prep your welds (smoothing) then sand with 100 grit, blow off with compressed air, degrease again and shoot some epoxy on it.

Hey man, you may want to shoot some weldable primer on the flanges on the sides and front and back before you weld it to prevent corrosion in those spots...
It didn't come with EDP on it?

no edp on it, it is just bare metal. can you recomend some products to use (degrease, epoxy prime) and is there anything you can get in a spray can for this? i have seen the weld thru primer before. thanks

and also was wonder if there is anything that could be applied with a brush that would work, because i have to be careful not to overspray on car or in door jambs. I was planning on prime/paint the panel before install and then touching up after welding.
(car has good paint but had a shoddy panel patch job on it, i have all the interior out to reapolster so i thought it would be a good time to put in two floor pans)

I wouldn't use the weldthru on the entire thing, I am a big fan of PPG products. There are others out there that people use. I would not suggest using anything in a can as those products usually don't last as long or are as durable... At least anything that you would buy at say autozone or napa... Maybe a product from a automotive paint supply store...

If you aren't worried about the finish of it, you can brush anything on, it'll just look not so good...

Check out eastwood for come aerosol can type paints that might fit what you need. Make sure that you tape off the jambs and windows and such to prevent overspray...

thanks i think i will degrease, then epoxy the panel with a sprayer, paint the flanges with weld thru primer, install the panel and go back and grind/sand the welds and the apply the epoxy in those areas with a brush so i dont have to worry about over spray. im not concerned about the finish as much as the corrosion resistance. the patches that were in it were homemade out of flat sheet metal. i just want the correct ribs under the floor pan and seal out the rust. then blackout the bottom of car . not a show car but nice driver.

I used Chassis Saver on mine . I am real happy with the results.Dryed to a ceramic type finish.I finally learned to use thin coats,heavy coats make alot of air bubbles.
http://www.magnetpaints.com/underbody.asp

I've never used anything on mine. (except soap) Here's original, if you're going for that look;
http://epitomesrebuild.com/images/224.JPG