The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop POR 15

Ok,I am still a newbie here, but before becoming a teacher worked for several years in my fathers garage, though have to admit my trainings mostly shade tree and always came with my infamous 5 feet or 5 second warrenty, whichever came first. I have my truck to frame, and have been researching and everything involved. This por 15 appears to be some kinda wonder stuff at stopping rust. Now this truck means more to me than my ol dog, so this project is a one time deal. The truck will be a driver but it is my grandfathers truck so I want a new truck when I am done. Is por 15 and it's associated materials the real deal. I have all the resporators and all of that, and I do not mind spending the money if it is the best. I would like honest comments.

it's a sealer type product mostly. nothing !!! kills rust unless you blast it down to the metal then seal it from moisture.
there are several products on the market that pretty much do the same, or at least tought the same outcome.
i have completely painted (by hand) my whole frame in gloss black, front end in dull black, and inner fenders gloss, many dozens of small bits on Caroline's Lucinda Bolt w/ this stuff. if it lasts me 15-20 years I'll feel good cause I'll be 70 by then. Lucinda's a daily driver. spraying this stuff can be VERY hazardous The main thing about POR15 is avoid direct sunlight from it so under carriage parts are what you paint. :p
so
there are many ways to look at the answers. do what you believe is the best for what you can do. it doesn't make much sense to me to buy and ship paint from a catalogue when you can buy something locally that is just as good.
hummmmmm

i've had por15 under my cab for 6 years now, no problems, but then again, it's garaged and isnt driven in the rain much.

Por15 is great for frames or anything you can get to both sides of. something like a rocker paney dosen't work very well because you cant get to the other side and it continues to rust. por15 should be top coated any where it comes in contact with direct sunlite because the uv rays eventually break it down. I use it all the time and works great when applyed properly. There is a store locally here that carrys it.You can't ever totaly get rid of rust (there is always a nook or cranny you can't get to) but you can slow it down to a point that is manageable for many years. por15 and others seal the rust and eliminate oxygen to hamper the oxydation process.

Look into a product called "Rust Bullet". I've used it and it seems to have worked well. It is a one parter and I brushed it on but I'm sure there are hazzards if sprayed.

I used it on my frame and inner fenders with a lot of success. Also used it on our Nova.

I'm helping a good friend of mine and AFTER sand blasting his chassis he decided to go the POR-15 route. I went to look at it yesterday and it really looks like a professional job. I did not use it on my 37 but it will definitely go on my panel. The reason why is the very reason some folks don't use it. COST. But if you figure all the rattle cans of primer and then the rattle cans of paint its about the same. My nephew just used $45 worth of rattle cans to prime/paint a chassis with the "good" (?) rattle can stuff. For a total of about $75 the could have purchased the Por15 and the bottle of prep stuff to go with it....and including shipping. I did use POR15 once. I used the gas tank kit and it has lasted real well for the past 8 years. I watch my pennies but sometime its better to "do it once, do it right". My friend thanked me yesterday for talking him into doing his with it. There are some other stuff that is probably the same stuff but by a different name so take your pick. Oh, my friend put his on with a brush, two coats, on a 68 frame and had just a little left out of the quart. Man, it looked good.

Achipmunk mentioned using a kit on his gas tank. If it was inside his gas tank I would tell him to worry. For you guys that also have your A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) license, you know that sort of thing is banned in aircraft. Years ago it was a thing to do with aircraft tanks in general aviation. Worked for awhile then the stuff started to flake and clog fuel lines and filters. Real bad things happened and the FAA said no more. Just something to think about.

Beltfed,

I agree, if the tank is bad, you're better off getting a new one and save yourself the headache.

I used POR-15 unsucessfully in a battery box area. It continued to rust underneath.

Lee

It hasn't been on mine very long, but I can say that POR15 goes on easy and looks great. Just be sure that you don't get it on your skin, cause it will not wash off. The solvent just seemed to thin it out and spread it over a larger area. Also don't plan on cleaning and reusing the brush. IMO you should just use a cheap brush and dispose of it when your done painting. Finally, be extra careful to keep the lip of the can clean. If there is any POR15 on the lip it will bond the lid and the can together with no hope of seperating them without destroying either the lid or the can or both.

I'm a firm believer in POR-15. I have used it on the frame, suspension, inner sides of body panels, floor pan, etc. of my '61 Studebaker Hawk and no problems 6 years later. Except for the few pieces that were exposed to direct sunlight for a few days everything looks powdercoated. This stuff is tough, and don't worry about getting it on your skin... because you'll be worrying about the inevitabe, you will get it on you no matter how careful you are. I've found that if it dries, you can get the majority of it off by soaking it and using your fingernail... just stay in the shower a little longer. Best storage solution is to clean out a plastic oil bottle, pour the quart into it and squeeze as much oil as you can and put the top on. It will stay useable for a long time.

Por 15 was bought out by these people
http://www.kbs-coatings.com
KBS Coatings :: Stop Rust :: Out Performs POR-15
There is a story about it in the news section of stovebolt, at the bottom of page under tech tips

If you open a can of POR and want to close it up and re-open it again, put a piece of plastic wrap over the can and then put the lid on. It comes off again that way.

I don't see anything about POR being bought out by KBS. I do see a clip about a store switching lines. Being a big POR-15 fan I'd have to see what the other product can do to be convinced it's a better product.

beltfed: never heard anyone mention problems in the tank. I did use the kit back about 1999 inside my tank and then put a coat of the Black stuff on the outside. My tank sits right smack dab under the seat on my 37. To put gas in I raise the bottom portion of the passenger side seat. When doing this I can look straight down into the tank. After 7 years it still looks great and clean. However, just as a precaution I put a cut off valve and filter right under the tank and also an inline filter before it gets to the carb. This is standard procedure for me on most anything. I do however plan to put a tank under the rear chassis somwwhere in the near future. Has anyone else used or had problems with the tank treatment besides aviation?? I would imagine they had a cracking problem due to vibration?? Hmmmm, I have vibration problems at about 125-130mph :p

Achipmunk, I turned wrenches on "suck & blow" engines which use JP4 or high grade kerosene. The fuel cells were fitted with bladders or self healing tanks so I didn't handle the problem directly. Most prop engines, not turbo prop, use aviation gas with its higher octane. That may make a difference. I think it would only delay the failure.

POR-15 comes off your skin with a s.o.s pad real well. Oh, and a little mineral spirits helps too. LOL Thanks for the complment big A!

I don't know about the POR 15 but I used the POR 20 on my 454 headers I followed the instructions to a tee... prepped, cleaned, treated, baked on, and it still pealed about 10 minutes after I first started the engine ! so after spending $75.00 on POR20 header paint and watching it peal before my eye's I would have been better using a couple of cans of BBQ paint "for $10.00"
Good Luck

Its all about prep, and the age of the can you are using- POR 15 has a pretty short shelf life, only about 6 months.

I used their fuel tank repair kit on a motorcycle tank a few years ago and it has held up well. Some people say that you need to keep gas in it to avoid peeling.

I don't think POR-15 is the magic bullet that some people think it is, but it has its place.

after the comments above it was interesting to read and article in Old Cars Weekly a week or so ago. It discussed POR15 in gas tanks and the conclusion in this article leaned to it being good stuff. It also listed, but I can't remember what it was, as to why Por15 doesn't crack or peel inside a gas tank. Did anyone else read/see this article?? As I mentioned earlier mine is still looking good after 8 or 9 years.

A customer of mine builds off-road jeeps and swears by the stuff.

He says that you can pound on it with a hammer and it doesn't crack or flake off.

He does warn that you need to paint on top of it if you have any part exposed to sunlight, though.

Can anyone give me feedback on how POR 15 compares to Zero Rust? Don't they both serve the same purpose?

I've been using POR-15 for about 8 years... this is the first I've ever heard of it having a shelf life. I've opened cans before and not gone back to using them for up to a year without any problems. My prep consists of bead/sand blasting, wire wheel, or sand, wipe with lacquer thinner and apply. The only place I've ever had it come off of was clean smooth metal where you'd have problems with any sort of paint sticking.

You got lucky. POR cures with moisture. Any mosture gets in the can and it partially cures. Maybe you were lucky. They used to talk openly about the shelf life, maybe now they don't or they have improved the product. I used some about 6 years ago but haven't purchased any since. I've got a can sitting in my garage that has a hardened layer on top that cured without me ever opening it. It sat in a drawer for about 3 years.

1stproject, I hope that someone will give feedback to your questions about POR 15 vs. Zero Rust. I'll be interested in what they have to say.