The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Paint on Paint, a problem??

The painting won’t come till next year some time but I’m gathering up opinions and ideas now, while I’m getting things mechanically up to snuff.
The body is solid except for a few dings, the original paint is still in tact under the red spray can paint job the fire department put on 40 years ago. Much of the red has pealed of over the years and my plans are to sand down to the original Blue (I think Mariner Blue) factory paint. From what I have gathered here it sounds like it was synthetic enamel originally. I planed on using single stage acrylic enamel this time around.
I have a buddy who owned a body shop but is now retired and building street rods. He’s telling me that I will probably have problems if I try painting over the old paint. He says that the new paint will react with the old paint and I could see problems a week, a month, or six months down the road. Ya ever hear of tat before? If that’s the case then how does a body shop paint a repair? I know they aren’t taking the repair down to bare metal.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

No problem painting over well cured and adhered old paint as long as you clean it and put a primer/sealer over it before you put the color on. No point in stripping it off if its still sticking well.

Thanks Josiah, that didn’t make much sense to me with the paint being so solid. He is always recommending epoxy primer also. Do they still make plane old Primer/Sealer to use under a synthetic enamel?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Most epoxy primers would be just fine as a primer/sealer. Check the data sheet for the product.

Hello guys gotta say my piece,sorry four on the floor I don't agree with you on this one.Im with denny's bodyshop buddy.The question on this is not about cured paint that is still sticking but about types of paints.Now Im not saying it can't be done but were talking old paint and new tech.even the sealers can react, then what,now ya got a great big mess and yer strippin anyway.the key to succesfull painting is eliminating all possible problems before they get a chance to happen.The only thing that can tell you what these problems are or are going to be is EXPERIENCE! which is what Dennys body buddy has probably got alot of, and his advise should be takin very seriosly if you want somthing to look good.As far as Bodyshops doing paint repairs we do take the repaired area down to bare metal,and the paint on most of the vehicles these days is base clear and not fiftysix years old!Bottom line what seems like the hard way is usally the easy way

acrylic enamel will cause exactly what you are talking about to you in a few years if you keep the truck and need to do paint work in the futrure ,
basically ACRYLIC ENAMEL IS ALL BUT USELESS !!


PLEASE DON'T USE IT !!

a guy that doe's bodywork and paint and was hooked on acrylic enamel and get's to paint base clear ONCE will throw every ounce of acrylic enamel he can find in the creek !!!

using acrylic enamel is like trying to take an elephant down with a spitwad in a slingshot ,

and it ain't no cheaper either , even if you use the cheapest grade of base clear it's still better than the best acrylic enamel made

I'm sorry to ramble but I do my own body and paint and that stuff just cause's so much trouble for everyone involved ,
the chemical companie's that make paint are saying they are gonna stop making it all together ,, I CAN'T WAIT TILL THEY DO ,,,

do yourself me and anyone that will ever have to work on the truck in the future a favor
get base clear and put on it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Another item worth noting is paint build up. Too many layers of prior paint being sprayed over will also allow for paint to crack and check up over time.

Start with a fresh surface and you will have some peice of mind.

I guess I should clarify. If there are lots of layers of paint one should strip down. The poster was talking about just painting over the factory original layer of paint, which should be fine. You don't really have to get all the way to bare metal, but you also don't want to make a lollipop out of the truck.

I must jump in on this one..I have 55 years of
bump and painting experience, also a body shop owner
for many of those years, and the last 20 years with
GM hand building concept cars & trucks, show cars,
and even a few NASCARS....I have pictures sent in recently to have posted on this site...
First of all, when You are dealing with paint You
dealing with chemicals, and all chemicals are not compatable...If You try using a Dupont product with
a PPG product, You are asking for problems...As far as painting over a original factory paint, it can easily be done, but an adhesion promoter, or sealer is recommended...Factory enamel is baked on finish...AIR DRYED ENAMEL is nothing but a problem and by all means needs stripped...The next culprit
is primer...too many, to include people making a living in a bump shop, use primer to bump with...They spray many coats of thick primer on, block, more prime, block, and more prime, this is trapping solvents, and they will come out somehow. My suggestion is to go with a system only like Dupont or PPG, and stay strictly within their products...Any time You stack materials there is a disaster ahead, and We all know that paint materials are sky high these days.....BB

Thanks for the pro advice Bill. It is, the original finish, and I haven't found any place, yet, that has been repaired/repainted. I'll probably go with a PPG system. I've got 6 or 8 months to figure out what I'm gonna use. With advice from people like you and my body shop buddy, I should get it right. He pretty much has me convinced that I should use a striper and start fresh. I don't think that will take much more effort than sanding. He uses an inexpensive stripper that sprays on, gets it at Farm & Fleet.
This taint gonna be a show truck, I'd like it to look as original as possible.
Denny G