fire-rust cleanup

[widehatch]

i'm buying a bus that had an engine fire. the fire was not very bad but did scorch the paint and now has surface rust. its been sitting in the new mexico desert for a few years so its a dry bus. its going to arrive to me at the end of the month here in Tennessee where its very humid. to keep this thing from rusting anymore whats the best way to remove the rust and seal it for painting? does anyone have any experience with this? i was told i can use naval jelly or muratic(sp?) acid as an option to media blasting.
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Missouri Micros

[Campy]

I have often used a "metal prep" on smaller things like rockers and wheels to condition the metal before painting but anything with acid in it has to be rinsed off with water while it is still wet, then quickly blown dry with compressed air before flash rust sets in. That is why I have never done it on anything big.
Epoxy primer or metal etching primer will seal the bare metal body from moisture but be sure and spray on two coats to get full coverage and protection, and the metal, in the case of epoxy primer, must be conditioned so it will stick well..
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[widehatch]

here's some pictures of the bus, as you can see its not that bad. does anyone have any pointers on the best way to get rid of the rust and prep it for painting. im trying to figure out a way to do this without taking it to get media blasted. or is media blasting the best option.

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Missouri Micros

[Campy]

If I owned the bus, I would have crushed glass shot over the back half of the bus (where there is rust). If the lower part of the bus were the problem, then the media would get into the "sealed" areas, e.g., rockers and outriggers, which would be a problem. In your case, you do not have to worry about that and the crushed glass will take it down to bare metal, even where there are pits. The metal would be conditioned so you could clean it up, then quickly spray two coats of epoxy primer over it to prevent corrosion of the metal. Also, you might think about buying a pressurized media blaster and doing it yourself.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[infantibus]

If you are looking for quick rub used motor oil on all affected areas, this should wrok for a couple weeks/ months. Have you considered just ricking the fire damage with some clearcoat?
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73 Westy auto "Rotten Loaf"