I am in the process of redoing a 1958 Chevy Biscayne that was painted with what looks like a white and a sierra gold primer, never sanded down and I did a little area on the hood with 400 to see what was underneath the top coat, it looks like it was painted with a brush. But there was a small amount of body work on the very front, that was done by somebody that knew what they were doing. I will be painting it the same colors as original if it is automotive paint that is there, if not i will have to take it down to the bare metal, and i did not want to put that much in to the car. Any suggestions??? Mike Bourg
I think I need to clarify my request, I have the paint codes for the original paint, what i am trying to determine is if the paint that is on it now is an oil base enamel or a flat automotive paint that can be top coated with base coat clear coat. after re reading my previous question, it didn`t ask what I had intended, thanks for the reply as it made me read it again. I sometimes think I need to return to school, but at 75 I`ll pass. Mike Bourg
You could rub some lacquer thinner on it. If it wrinkles up or easily soften you will know what you have.
Somewhere, deep down under any layers may be on it, is the original GM lacquer. IF it's worthy of a proper BC/CC job, I'd probably start from scratch & strip it. If that's not an option, get a half pint of your base & try it to see what happens. If it goes all goofy, you know where you stand.
If it was painted with a brush, it could be anything including house paint. Pretty tough to determine via internet. If it's getting a show paint finish, slowmotion is right; down to metal and you may find a few surprises that need body work. If it's just a driver, you may be able to get away with scuffing, sealing it. If you're doing your own paint, take it by your local paint supply (where you buy your supplies) to have them evaluate it. If you're going to have a local shop paint it, take it to them to have a pro look at it and give you an evaluation/estimate. If it's not running, see if they'll drop by your place, or even take the hood off and bring it by.
Thanks for the reply's, I tried the lacquer thinner and mek and xylene, all i got was a rub off of the color i tried it on, so I will try the buy a little base coat and see what happens, I would like to just scuff it up and paint it, as it is going to be just a driver. Mike Bourg
Sorry a little late viewing this, we are in peak Paint season right now and barely have time to do anything else. Most all 1k products will rub off. You are not really determining anything with that other than if it is a 1k or 2k product. If you just don't want to strip, sand the whole truck with between 180-400 and put a couple coats of epoxy primer on to help lock everything down. Still can't guarantee some spots wouldn't peel, but epoxy will help, especially if you are spraying basecoat which has 50% more solvent than a single stage, so there is more of a chance of wrinkling the old existing finish while spraying basecoat. Some guys use a water based sealer over a old finish as well. This is not a bad idea as long as you let the water based sealer completely flash off before spraying base. There is no solvent, or some cases very little, in water-based sealer so you will not get a wrinkle, however it fish eyes a lot easier than solvent based products. Sent from my SM-N920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thanks for the reply, so far I have sanded down with 80 grit and plan on using high build primer on it next week, then let it set for about a month and see if anything happens, this appears to be my cheapest way out, if it bubble or peels then I will just strip it down to metal and go again. took a part with the paint on it to the paint store and had them check it also, they couldn`t get any reaction either. the reason for the months delay, we need a vacation, so going fishing Mike Bourg
I would not let a urethane primer sit for a month. Some urethanes can't sit over a week, they start peeling or curling up from the substrate. If you are going to let it sit, spray a epoxy. Sent from my SM-N920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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