The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop marine paint

This is going to sound crazy but, can marine paint be used on autos? Would there be any benefits? What about any drawbacks? I am going to spray a boat for a friend this weekend and got to wondering about this.

Most marine paints, and by that I mean what they would use to paint steel hulled vessels tend to be epoxies. They are 2 component products that have to be applied quite thick as they are not UV stable and over the course of the coating's life they chalk and slough off. The point is to put enough on to have an average of enough on over the life of the job to provide the protection.

Most of your automotive paints have vastly superior UV properties to be much more viable just from that standpoint alone.

Bruce Palmer
[email protected]

Bruce,
If automotive paints are superior to marine paints, wouldn't it make sense to use automotive paint on a boat? That is, if you want a paint job that will really hold up. The guy at the local automotive paint retailer told my friend that he couldn't use auto paint on his boat( it is a fiberglass boat). He said that it wouldn't stand up to the abuse like marine paint will. Was he wrong in saying that? I had told my friend that I believed a b/c job would be ok. Was I wrong? If we use marine paint, how many coats should be applied?

Most marine paints are made to be immersed in salt water! They will scratch a lot more easily than automotive paint. Automotive paint on a boat, however, I think would be a no-no, cause the automotive paint isn't nearly as flexibile, and would crack off... Look in the Shoreway Marine Catalogue
(They are most likely on line, too.) They sell a teflon-based bottom paint that might interest your friend. Guaranteed to boost engine rpm and lower hull drag. No bottom growth, too.... I use it on snowblowers, up here, and sure enough, snow won't stick!

I wonder if that teflon paint would work good on the underside of belly-mower on tractor? Grass is always sticking to it and paint gets worn off.

Aircraft grade paint works great on old trucks. I painted my '49 flatbed with
" Courtaulds Aerospace " paint 7 years ago & it shines like the day I painted it & I have never waxed the thing yet. I used "American Airlines Blue". That paint had a special primer/ sealer that had to be applied under the top coat for proper adhesion. This paint was produced in France & I understand it is now illegeal in the U.S.

first off--i ain't trying to be a smartass, just making a point--why don't you use latex house paint? how about because it's not made for a car. different applications require different paints. boat paint (gel-coat) is famous for not holding a shine, chips, and generally you can't spot paint chipped areas and they be not noticed. gel-coat also fades faster, (you gonna run a road tarp on yer truck?) if you want to use epoxy type paint, check out dupont IMRON, it's the stuff used on semi trucks. THE NEXT PART IS IMPORTANT---ANY TIME YOU SHOOT EPOXY BASED PAINT USE A GOOD RESPIRATOR, A PAPER SUIT, AND COVER ALL EXPOSED SKIN WITH A LIGHT COAT OF VASELINE!!! an idiot will tell you you don't need this protection--if you think you don't i'll have my brother in law e-mail you, he is one hell of a painter, and does custom graphics--he will also be dead before the end of 2002---he has advanced lung cancer. guess what the doctors found in his lung biopsy. i've used imron for years for stuff i've painted, it holds up well, and is easy to maintain--it is pricy though. to me it's worth it--provided you do it right. best of luck---and remember that 99% of a good paint job is the prep

I've got a steel boat. The paint below the water line is two-part epoxy. I'll tell you this much, the most expensive paint I can buy for above the water fades to the point I cannot spot paint in less than a year. I wouldn't use it for a vehicle is just doesn't seem of good enough quality. I suspect that manufacturers know that steel boats have to be repainted every two or three years and don't concern themselves with UV protection.

OK, I get the point. Don't use marine paint on autos and vice versa. Wasn't intending to anyways, just got to thinking out load. Anyways, thanks for the replies. Oh, by the way, if you use latex house paint, make sure it is the exterior kind, it has mildew inhibitors in it.LOL

Ok, let me clear up a few things.
You may know, I was a paint rep for five years and here is the skinny.

"Marine paint" is a VERY vague term. There are "Marine Paints" that are all in a label.
They mix the color in Acr enamel, Acr urehtane, single stage and base clear, and simply put it in a can with a "Marine Paint" label and tell you to use it "above the water line".

I know very little about the painting of real live in the water boats, but I do know that Urethanes are usually used on the "above the water line" and "bottom paints" below water. The "bottom paint" is VERY MEAN stuff. It has a ton of zinc and lead in it and is very toxic and EXPENSIVE.

As for painting a "trailered" boat, Any autograde paint is fine. Those custom painted,blown motor flat bottoms out at the lake are all basecoat/clear coat, just like your new car.

IMRON is NOT an epoxy, it is a polyurethane.

Epoxies are limited to primers and sealers in the automotive/truck industry. In boats, there is top color products that are epoxies.

If you want to see the toughest paint systems for your truck, go to the paint store of choice and ask to see their "fleet recommendations". You will see what is used on logging and gravel trucks. NOT just the paint, that is the easy part. The SYSTEM is bare metal up, what is under the paint is as important.

[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: MARTINSR ]

MartinSr What would you use on the top of a boat.I have to paint the black on my glassboat(small area on top) as was wondering if i could use the base coat clear coat.Scratch the gelcoat and seal it?? It fades real bad each year were the sun hits it.

Phat, I would go with the top of the line fleet paint in the brand of your choice. DuPont-IMRON, PPG-Delta, Shermwin Williams-Genesis, Martin Senour-Prism, etc. They all have a bc/cc system. I personally don't like IMRON, PPG's Delta lays out real nice and is one of the best.

I would use Genesis with a HS urethane primer/sealer. It is a super system with the longest warrentee in the fleet paint business.

Martinsr, I have seen pictures of your truck, and the work that you have done and it looks very, very good. I would like to ask a question. Why is it you don't like IMRON? I was thinking when I redo my pickup to use it on the frame. I have used it once on an overall and really liked the results but found that my respirator was inadequate. Thanks

IMRON single stage is fine, I was refering to IMRON basecoat/clearcoat. The BC/CC has horable metallic distribution and it takes much more to cover. I did a back to back test at the SW tech center and of the three (Delta, IMRON, or Genesis/Prism) the Delta was the nicest BS/CC to shoot, hands down.

I also don't like IMRON because it is WAY over priced.

On a frame for instance, I would vinyl wash etch prime it, black epoxy prime, then a good economy urehtane SS like NASON, OMNI or Martin Senours MSU. I have to tell you (without reveiling to many trade secrets) these paints are near to if not as good as the top of the line.

Thanks for the reply. I have copied the info and have put it in my files. I may have to pick your brain again later when I start restoration. Lionel

Lionel, any time. And I thank you for the kind words!