The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop pleeeaaaasssseeeee help

i'm finally getting to the body priming stage of my truck. i would like to keep it in primer for a year or two maybe longer.is there a primer which is consistent to paint. won't absorb moisture,can be washed,etc.

please help
thanks
kid

kid,

My vote is for a 2k primer, which is a 2 part catalyzed primer..sort of like paint in drag. I think you can even have it tinted to achieve a faux paint job. It's as tough as paint.

Stuart

epoxy primer - can even be found in a limited range of nice colors

Bill

are both these the same if not what are the advantages and disadvantages of each

thanks fellars
kid

The only concern you will have with the epoxy primer is it has a relatively short recoat window in which the top coat must be applied for the chemical adhesion to work as designed. If you pass that window of opportunity you will either have to scuff it and respray with more epoxy or a sandable primer with better filling attributes before you paint your color coat. Epoxy primer does not fill scratches or voids very well. It does look a lot better than rusty metal though.

I would also suggest not leaving the primered parts outside uncovered for a long duration as UV, pollution and dirt will attack the primer over time. Should that happen to a significant degree you may have to re-strip and start over. Use a good truck cover if you do not have a garage or shed available.

so it would probably be best to paint it after going through fixing it right?

kid

kid,

Might be stepping on my old withered air hose here, but as far as I know, epoxy primer is another name for 2k primer. This is a catalyzed primer meaning there is a part A and part B, which when mixed together harden through a chemical process.

The primer I use is quite heavy bodied and will cover a multitude of sins...I am under the impression that it is impervious to anything and can be treated as a final coat if desired.

I am not a professional painter, this is
information I have gleaned from the friendly folks at my automotive paint store...and I use these products and procedures myself.

Stuart

What is the primer you use ?

kid

kid,

I use Limco 800k and LH 820 hardener. I think these are BASF products. Your best bet would be to go to a automotive paint store near you and talk with someone knowledgeable.

Stuart

PPG's DP90 is a good pruduct. Comes in 6 colors or so.

http://www.ppg.com/refinishftpsite/docs/P-196_DPLF_Epoxy_Primer.pdf

If you want to protect the primer but want it to look flat, get a top coat and add a flatener agent to it.

There are alternatives to PPG and Dupont which are just as effective and cost much much less. See if anyone in your area carries the Matrix paint system products. I am quite happy with the results.

The 2K primer and epoxy primer are the same thing in my opinion. What I did on my 54 was strip it to bare metal, primer it with Epoxy primer (PPG DPLF50) and then did the body work on top of that. Some agree with this and others do not but it is an acceptable practice. I am now priming the finished pieces using a direct to metal high build primer over which the color will be applied.

kid,

If you still aren't' confused enough, do a search using the little icon at the top of this page. Type in "primer"..you will see everything that has been written on this subject since man has walked upright.

Stuart

Kid, after reading all the posts, I went back and reread your original post. I believe that if you want to keep your vehicle in primer for a year or two, and have it resist water (as opposed to absorbing it) then you require a primer SEALER. The sealer part is vital to your needs. They were originally developed to prevent primer colors from bleeding through to topcoats but the Dupont Value Shade Sealers I use are great for resisting the effects of weather. They are also good at sticking to bare metal provided you prep the metal correctly. No matter whose brand you use, shop for sealers only or the primer will absorb water, oil, waxes whatever. Most primers are like a spronge, they are designed to absorb. Sealers are designed to act as a barrier. By the way, Value Shade is a two part primer and it is urethane based. Be careful when asking for 2k primers because Dupont actually makes one called 2K, it's not a generic term for them. One other thing, it comes in three or four colors and I believe it can be tinted. That DP 90 that was mentioned before is another kick butt primer that people have been applying to chassis parts for years.

Joe

PPG's K36 Prima is a primer/sealer and I have it under a lot of paint under a number of different vehicles. Zero Rust paint is also designed to be a primer and will stop rusting. But the UV/sun will fade it out. You'll then scuff the top and shoot on whatever when you are ready. I did DELSTAR on Zero Rust and after a month or so still looks good.

thank you very much i'll get down to the parts store and see what my optiuns are you've all been helpful

thanks
kid

i painted my 72 when i was in high school with cheap paint store primer, and then added a coat of a non-gloss sealer. it weathered well and when i sold it after i graduated it still looked ok, some spots had faded or picked up stains but it cleaned up ok. i put a coat of wax on it once in a while, not sure if it did any good or not, but i was in high school and didn't really know what the hell i was doing. the primer looked all right, much better than green and rust, and waaaay cheaper than a real paint job and i did it in my buddies barn on the weekend. i think we spent more on beer than on the paint and supplies.

I agree with Pugly. It is primer sealer that should address your needs.

My advice is to go down to your local auto paint supply store. I don't mean a NAPA-type store, I mean someone that specializes in body supplies.

Talk to a good counter man (this usually means an older guy - in my experience) about your application. There are so many options out there, he should be able to make a sound recommendation for you and his advice is FREE!