Here are some of the products I'm currently using to treat the bare metal. I'm surprised the self etching primer is still good after several years, but it is bonding and coating well. There's barely any left anyhow, and I'll be purchasing a new batch very soon to finish the car. I'm a big fan of Eastwood coatings and cleaners and have used them for years. Not so big on their tools, however, as they are quite expensive and Harbor Freight often has the same tool for significantly less.