>>2981270
you can do literally anything you want

you obviously are too clueless to do actual rust repair so stop over thinking it and just paint the fuckin thing. I mean you plan to roller it which will look awful compared to real automotive paint sprayed from a gun (which still looks awful without cutting and buffing)

heres an idea, whats the sheet metal look like on the inside eh? most likely the metal is all fine and what you think is bondo is probably just a thick coat of filler primer from one of the 10 dozen times the old fuck got resprayed over the years

honestly I kinda hate how ignorant you are and how low quality this OP is

>>2981270
If you wanna go full hawg strip the bondo all off and do proper body work. If not then chip/flake/peel it back to the point it is properly adhered and not full of rust behind it and then acid etch the exposed rust off and reapply as thin of a layer as you can of fiber reinforced filler to get it close to level, then apply regular filler for the last little bit to bring it up level. Use a long flat sanding block and aggressive sandpaper to block it down flat again then fill pinholes with spot putty and hit with some primer surfacer and d/a sand smooth to prep for paint.

>>2981273
I have no idea why you decided to be an asshole all over this thread
What pisses me off more than anything is people who get pissed off when someone isn't an expert in what they personally happen to be an expert in.

I'm a theoretical physicist but I don't go around getting pissed off about how everyone is an IQ 60 moron these days and couldn't solve a first degree equation. And that's a real problem. Knowing how to paint cars isn't something that a human being absolutely has to know how to do. Most people don't.

Fuck you and go back to /b/ or something. I see assholes like you day in day out contributing fuck all to threads, just coming in to gasp at OP not knowing how to do some ultra specific thing.

>>2981270
Hate to say it, but I'm betting you have rust under most of that body mud.
Suck it up, and try flaking away the putty around that exposed area. I bet you find more of the same corrosion..
But if you get lucky you can use Anon 2981291's suggestion, and just feather and fill the affected area.
As to paint with a roller?
You can, I've painted more than a few beater cars with tractor paint and a roller. It looks ... "Okay". Still better than the friend of mine who used a straw broom to paint a trailer.

Best of luck with the ride, OP.

>>2981270
You’re going to need to strip off that body filler.
Bondo is made of polystyrene dust and resin, so you can soften it with a heat gun if necessary.
As one anon said, acid etch off the rust.
Then apply a coat or two of zinc primer.
You can actually get primers with a heavy build to sand later if need be.

… if you want to put that much money/time into it.
How’s the engine? If it’s still good then maybe worth it.

>>2981301
>>2981306

OP here. Thank you.

Old vans are super sought after in my country, for many reasons. I got this one for cheap because it had been sitting in a barn for 20 years, interior covered in shit, exterior all rusty as you can see.
But the engine is good. Has little mileage on it. This van has the longer wheel base and two sliding doors which is one of the most desireable configurations.
It has no emission bullshit like AdBlue, particulate trap or EGR. Just a 2.4 liter diesel engine. No modern comforts, absolutely none. That's what I love about this van. It's great for someone who wants to do all the repairs himself.
But yeah the exterior is super rough and replacing parts is more my thing. In the past I've fixed small rust problems with Rust Converter and Hammerite. But it's not enough.
Tomorrow I'll take an angle grinder and clean off the rust to see what I'm dealing with.