Hot Rods Primer question

Hi Guys.I am still slowly getting the paint off the 56 Chrysler. I have a question about when I get ready to primer her. I guess I am old school. I always used lacker primer before painting a car. Now what is the difference with that primer and the expoy sealer primer beside the price? The paint store said if I put the gray primer on thick enough it would be the same. If I stick to the primer I use should I switch to the black? I heard gray shows up all the scratches? I will be painting in acrelic enamel {please excuse the spelling . LOL.}Thanks in advance. Bruce.

 

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Epoxy primer is the way to go , especially on bare metal.

 

You definitely want to seal that up.

 

Not sure what the paint store meant by 'putting it on thicker, it'd be the same'? Rust can form through lacquer primer, no matter how thick it is. Epoxy will not allow rust to form.

Epoxy is a great primer, but it's also VERY toxic, so you have to have the right personal safety equipment (i.e. mask, suit, etc.) to spray it or you can really screw up your health.

You also have to consider the top coat(s), so you want to use a 'system', so that all coats are compatible with one another. If you trust your paint supplier to guide you, fine, but if you have any doubts, look for info elsewhere for info.

 

Any primer applied thicker than the manufacturers spec. equals failure.
Begin your education now by reading and following the Product Information Sheet from the acrylic enamel manufacturer.
Lacquer products can give good and lasting results if applied properly and the bare metal is acid etched before any primer is applied.

 

Bruce, go with either epoxy or 2K primer if you are not going with a lacquer top coat. Only use lacquer primer if you are using lacquer color coat. If it's going to sit in primer for months go with the epoxy, if you are going to paint the color sooner you can use 2K.

 

Southern Polyurethane Inc. Epoxy in grey, black, white, red oxide. Product makes 2 gallons and is best I have used if priming bare clean metal. Great product and great service. Also sells matching 2K and 2K high fill product, clears, etc. Their black is terrific on frames and driveline.

 

I took my wife's Dart for a drive the other day. It still looks ok, even though it sat outside most of it's life....

It was painted in 1991 with Centari over acrylic lacquer primer. Like almost everything was, back then.

But yeah, I generally use a urethane primer on the few cars that I've done recently. I haven't bothered with epoxy over the bare metal, because the 2k urethane primer does fine (for example, I put it in my 55 in 1996, then drove it for 14 years before putting paint over it). But I don't really know what I'm doing either.

 

But Jim, You look good doing it and have fun too!!

 

I've been putting acrylic enamel over lacquer primer for forever. Damn, wish somebody would've told me I can't do that. No doubt the newer 'systems' are superior, but I've never run into an issue. I've also never painted more than the occasional beater, but the paint never exploded or fell off. YMMV.

 

40 years ago all we had was laquer primer , it worked , but it shrinks...forever ! If you use it , you have to allow extra time for it to "off-gas" , it will still shrink , but not as much. epoxy is really good stuff , rust can't creep under epoxy & it doesn't shrink , 2K primers build quicker & don't shrink once cured , another plus. 1 more vote for S.P.I. , reasonable cost , excellent performance.

 

I recently used some lacquer primer after using 2k for years, it sure does shrink and doesn't build or sand like the modern stuff.

Progress in paint materials is good. But it's expensive, and non traditional, and usually more dangerous, too.

 

I almost tried the new stuff on the last paint project a few months ago. I guess taking that big first step is the kicker. To my advantage, I'm slow as hell, so the lacquer primer has plenty of time to gas off. It's hard to pony up the $$ when I've got perfectly good product sitting on the shelf, cheap bastard that I am..
Anyone starting fresh, I'd recommend stepping up to the new stuff. It's leaps & bounds better than the antiquated primers & paints of our youth. I eventually will give it a try.

 

Paint it all brother ,PAINT IT ALL

 

x3 SPI

 

Slowmotion, I have done the same for years with no problems but I guess the paint world is changing. Bruce.

 

It's not that the acrylic paint won't stick to Lacquer primer, it's the shrinkage issue with it. Your enamel can look perfect two days after you paint it, but 3 months later it can be full of sand scratches from the lacquer primer shrinking. That's why back in the day, show cars were left in primer sometimes for 6 months or more to let the lacquer primer shrink before block sanding then putting on the 30 or more coats of lacquer color coat.

 

Go SPI epoxy, you won't regret it!

 

Bruce, have a look for a thread from Paint Guru on this very subject. Excellent advice on there.
I Have just stripped my 39 Chev Coupe to bare metal and epoxy primed it. A lot of work, I feel your pain.
Russell

 

X 2 as earlier stated. Best stuff on the market and half the price of PPG and makes more product.
Squeege here in AZ is also good product and equal quantity epoxy but I hate the baby crap yellow color.

 

BJR.Thanks for the heads up on that information.Bruce.

 

Thanks to you all for your input.Bruce.

 

Hi Bruce, yes ypu could use an old fashioned lacquer based primer, or as others have mentioned a low priced 2 k epoxy primer, but make sure you have good ventilation and wear a 3M style respirator with a P100 filters.
Epoxy usually has no "Iso", but 2 k urethane primers sure do, and Urethane paints, can be super deadly.
What is this being painted with, BC/CC, Urethane 1 stage, Acrylic enamel, or even tractor type synthetic enamels.
I have done the following too, but it's not for everyone.
After stripping panels, I have mixed Rustoleum type rusty metal primer, cut up to 50 % with enamel reducer or xylene or even acetone, lay on 2 to 3 coats.
This must now cure for a while say 2-3 weeks, after this have used all types of 2 k urethane primers surfacers, high builds etc, top coat with what you want.
However, this is not for everyone, and Epoxy Primer, you are good to go on top real quick as per 2 k chemical cure.
Just be aware the lacquer primers draw moisture, and are not great sealers I guess, but epoxy primers will sure seal up well...

 

Bruce, You might check out the Eastwood site. They have some very good free video tutorials on body prep and painting. Safer to pick a "system" from one manufacturer and stay with the product from start to finish rather than mix and match. I learned the hard way!

 

Thanks Guys I am going to go with the epoxy primer now. Like I said paint is changing and I guess I have go with the crowd now.LOL. Bruce.

 

if you are putting it over your bodywork to be sanded later,i would use a lighter colored primer,not black,it is harder to see the scratches in the black stuff, i always guide coat mine before i block out the deep scratches,it is just easier to see them with a dark guide coat. harvey

 

Firstly, I don't know much about but I am learning an am having great results with primer.

I've been using SPI primer with great results. The product is user friendly, has a great mixed pot life and goes on smooth with a slight sheen.
Barry, (the owner of SPI) usually answers the phone with questions. Oh, and (in my area) it's about $170.00 for 2 sprayable gallons.

Epoxy seals the metal and will give you time to do bodywork and apply fillers as needed as you work on the car.

So, I'm on the wagon with Bondolero and others that like SPI

 

The best primer has already been removed, there's no better base for a repaint than the original non failing Factory paint. Other than fading was there really a reason to strip it to bare metal Bruce???

 

Slopok, the original paint was in really rough shape and some one just shot primer to give it that old time look. I am still stripping away the paint in some spots .Check out the pictures.I have just scuffed up other old paint jobs on other old cars and reshot them but this ones a bitch. Theres primer on top then the old paint is coming off in pieces and leaving rough spots and then there a primer under it.Bruce.