I've never used it either. If you read the instructions, it requires pretreatment of the metal. I'll bet that guy just slopped it over the rust.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
I have used POR15 on several small projects, I like the product. It is a very tough coating when cured and just like powder coating, it can trap stuff under the coating. If the surface is prepped correctly and sealed as much as possible from future intrusion, it stays put. I think the user in the video was expecting miracles, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!
1957 Chevrolet 5700 LCF 283 SM420 2 speed rear, 1955 IH 300U T/A, 1978 Corvette 350 auto, 1978 Yamaha DT175, 1999 Harley Davidson Softail Fat Boy
The trick is᠁ to follow their instructions. Clean, clean, and clean, zinc phosphate with their Metal Prep, wash with detergent to remove the powdery iron phosphate residue, let dry, then apply within the correct temperature range.
I have had great results with it, but it has peeled and fell off when I took shortcuts or just applied over a dirty substrate and rust or, when I did not wash the powdery white iron phosphate residue from the surface.
As with anything in this phase of work and any product out there - the technique to a fine result is spending 95% of the time on surface preparation. And, there will be those who had good results and others who have not. Best thing is to buy a small can, try it on small parts, and see if you like it or not. It seems to stick best on rough or cast surfaces rather than smooth stamped steel too. On some of my frames it has peeled and others not. I would say results are mixed. A one ton frame has been sitting exposed now for over 10 year in spite of some minor UV fading it’s held remarkably well.
When it doesn’t adhere, it can literally be pulled off in small sheets. Wasted time and money. Don’t be in a hurry and do what you can to prep the surface to increase the odds of success.
You couldn't pay me to use the stuff again,i've just completely had to re-do the entire chassis on my '50. Despite following the instructions to the letter it hasn't lasted well. I should add this was a California truck and had minimal rust. As a consequence i've since had to replace my LH outer cowl section and much of the inner wheel well and also the lower RH outer. The chassis was a complete mess,the POR has peeled off in sheets. Here's what my RH wheel well looked like,you can also see part of the chassis in the shot too. Rust!
Last edited by jockbolter50; 10/22/20238:51 PM.
1950 Chevy Advance Design 3100 in Scotland In the Stovebolt Gallery More pix on Flickr. I've definately got this truck thing in my blood ... my DNA sequence has torque settings "Of all the small nations of this earth,perhaps only the ancient Greeks surpass the Scots in their contribution to mankind" Winston Churchill.
A lot of people believe that it a miracle product, and super easy to use. In my experience, it is not easy to use. If all of the labor intensive prep work which they call for prior to application is mandatory, why not just sand blast it, and spray it with epoxy primer instead? The results are far superior to slapping on POR15 and hoping that it encapsulates the rust and grime in all of the crevices which only sand blasting can remove.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
I guess some people believe different things. Worked for me, and I am only 1/2 way smart. Its not brain science. Prep the metal, apply the product. Same as anything else.
There are a few other Rust remedies HERE in the Back Room (old Tech Tips). I thought we had done a product review for POR15 but it was ZeroRust.
Looking up POR in the in the SEARCH link on top menu, there are a number of discussions about it in the Forums.
~ Peggy M 1949 Chevrolet 3804 "Charlie" - The Stovebolt Flagship In the Gallery || In the Gallery Forum "I didn't see this one coming. I don't see much of anything coming. :-O"
I love the stuff. Been using it for years...... However I've always used it on things that I have sandblasted then straight to por15......especially on chassis. It also make it so easy to wipe are clean anything off. 10 years on my last chassis and still looking good and I only put 1 good coat on them. I drill a 1/4" hole in top of can and squeeze out small amounts at a time then tape the hole. It keeps it "fresh". I have a small can on my work bench that i use out of and after a year its still good.... its also tough as nails. I've had to grind it off on places for ground connections and its tough!! Just my .02.
I am not saying that it is a bad product. It is just more work than I care to do unless I am having it sandblasted first. And since my sandbaster guy offers to epoxy prime it as soon as he is done blasting, I am all done when I go pick it up and don't have to wait for the next time I shed my skin for the POR 15 to come off.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
I’ve used POR 15 since the mid 1990s and have had great success. It’s my go to for chassis parts. As others have said, it’s ALL ABOUT THE PREP WORK. Take your time and don’t cut corners. I always media blast all parts, clean/degrease thoroughly, apply the metal prep and thoroughly rise it off. And the final step is to only apply POR 15 when the parts are thoroughly dry. In humid weather I’ve even used a heat gun and propane torch to drive moisture out of smaller parts. I’m always amazed at how much water drips off of a part when you warm it up.
Yea, it can be a bit of a pain to use, but worth it in my book. Keeps out of the bars! 😜
Here is the thing. What do you do if you do not have access to a sand blaster or someone who does sandblasting? I don't and its a big pain if you are a backyard/driveway builder like me. So not that many choices. With the POR, you are supposed to sand, wire wheel all the loose stuff, degrease, then spray it all down with their etching product, rinse, dry and then apply.
One thing I have noted over the years is that the black they now sell is not the same black they use to sell. Just not as good. Frankly, I always found the silver to be the better product anyway, with the black as the second coat. So I am always silver as the first coat.
Now c`mon, I live in the sticks and I can find someone who sand blasts. Does great work and a great price. Body work is another story. Prep work and gloves ,long sleeves(suit) for the POR 15. Its that tough. Like brand new