OK here goes, this may be a dumb question but I have to ask. I plan to epoxy prime the body shell as soon as I am done with the underside. When using epoxy primer I have read most must be top coated fairly quick what does everyone do when you cant topcoat that quickly? I am not that good at using filler and most of the repro metal must have some thin filler to get small imperfections in the panels out, and I just cant work that quick with good results. I was under the impression that you are supposed to epoxy prime, then filler work then regular primer. Am I missing something? any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

epoxy prime,body filler with in a week if possible.On a restoration job,a week is impossible.After a week it should be roughed up with 80 grit before applying body filler.After body work,reprime with epoxy and wait an hour or so and apply rethane primer surfacer.

I am doing a complete frame off restoration and replacing almost all the panels in the process. I am spraying expoxy primer as I finish the areas and before any filler work. The next day before the expoxy gets real hard I rough it up using 80 grit sand paper. Once all the panels are welded in, I will go back and start the filler process. This maybe an extra step, but I'm not that fast and I live in south florida and did not want to take a chance on the metal rusting. I've heard that exposing expoxy paint to sunlight (UV) can damage it over time, but I have the car in a warehouse so this is not a concern for me.

And I hear you on that filler thing. Seems like what little filler work I have done I put on a whole lot, then sand off almost all of it, only to find out I need more on the same spot :confused: . But, I'll get it eventually.

Thanks guys I appreciate the tips. I am glad to see I am not the only one in this spot. I just had read the horror stories of waiting to long to coat the epoxy and some had said that it really is horrable to sand. But you gave me a plan I will get the panels to bare metal and epoxy them then coat with the filler and do my best at getting it done. If it takes to long I guess I will just have to sand it, before the re-epoxy coat, hopefully its not to to bad to sand. Also, when you say top coat with urethane do you mean the 2k filler primer? And I can relate to the filler comments I can never seem to get that right but I have to learn becuase I want this car to be as close to perfect as I can get it. Might take me a while but with the help from this board and practice I can master it "the plastic will not win" LOL. Really shouldnt be to bad almost all the pabels have been replaced so it will just be skim coats not like repair patches. Thanks again.

Yep,urethane primer is the same as 2k primer filler.If the car has alot of bodywork Ill prime and block twice,the first with epoxy primer and polyester primer surfacer,block,then epoxy and urthane filler prime.Its an extra step but if it has alot of bodywork and its a dark color its for the best.

"the plastic will not win" :D :D Amen to that!!