Now I know everyone has some sort of an idea or guess or supposition or theory but I’m looking for the real reason, like a scientific explanation of, why is rattle can enamel not as durable or hard as the original paint?
I’ve spilled gas down the side of the factory Mariner Blue paint of my 1950 truck dozens of times and it seems to have no effect on the paint. She was top coated by an amateur painter many decades ago with fire engine Red for her duty as, a fire truck. That had just about every problem that one could possibly encounter with a paint job, i.e., drips, sags, wrinkles, dry spots, fisheye and over the years has now gone flat. It is also pealing from the old original paint in many spots from an ill prepared surface. Yet gasoline seems to have no affect on that paint either.
Now I had the running board sandblasted last year and painted them with several coats of Rustoleum rattle can enamel paint. So the paint has had nearly a year to cure now.
Last week I was topping her off with that cheap $3.79 gas, in anticipation of some $4.00 a gallon Labor Day gas. Like an idiot I drove it straight home and parked it in the warm garage, which is attached to the kitchen. I kept smelling gas all afternoon but that is not unusual since she always smells bad after we come home from our exercise. Later in the day I went out to get a tool off the bench and I noticed a small puddle on the floor. Thinking that the durn puppy couldn’t hold it and had soiled my garage floor I grabbed the paper towels, twern’t pee! The cool 55° gas had expanded in the 70° garage and had run down and filled the ridges in the front half of the running board. The paint was blistering up like I had applied a stripper to it.
So that’s the question, what is the difference between this enamel and the other two that are on the cab?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
