[Spridgets] What kind of primer?

[andrewpayne at intrex.net]

Well I've been sanding and heat gun stripping the paint and bondo from my 76. Things are moving well, and soon I hope to pull the engine and start on patch panels.  
Can someone give me a tip or two on priming?  How should I prep the metal, and what kind of primer should I use?  At this point, I just want to protect the steel. Most of the areas will be bare metal, but not perfectly stripped.  I would prefer rattle cans and have no idea what kind of paint I will be using.  I'm leaning towards rustoleum, but I do have a friend with a body shop just 7 hours away...
Drew
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