The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop EDP coating on new parts

I might have used the wrong abreviation in the title, "EDP" ?? When you buy new sheet metal parts today, they often come with a black coating on them that I called EDP. My question is: For parts that won't be seen, is it OK to use these parts "as is"? I'm thinking right now about bed cross sills. Will they resist rust well enough, or should I put epoxy and paint on them before using. Also, I have a new tailgate that came with this same coating. Should I apply epoxy, sanding primer and paint, or can I skip any of that? Im curious about how tuff is the EDP? How well does it resist rust? etc.

I don't trust whatever paint comes on aftermarket metal parts, EDP or anything else. I can't tell by looking at it to be sure if it is EDP, and I don't know what kind of prep was done before the EDP or any other paint was applied.
And no, EDP will not hold up on unseen parts.

The black coating is designed to keep the steel from rusting during factory storage and shipping. Strip the black EDP and prep/prime/paint as if it were bare steel.

got it. Thanks

Elctro-Deposit Primer aka Electrophoretic Paint Deposition.

Electro Deposited Paint, is the correct terminology and has gotten a bad name within the industry due to a couple of factors.

First, some manufacturers use lacquer-based coatings that are sometimes mislabeled as EDP. Lacquer is porous, allowing water absorption and subsequent rust formation beneath which leads to premature failure and must be removed. You can check by putting some lacquer thinner on a rag and wipe the black coating. If it smudges or gets on the rag, sand it all off.

Secondly, authentic EDP coatings lack UV resistance and will deteriorate over time when exposed to sunlight. Should you observe any signs of coating failure, it is essential to remove the affected layers.

However, EDP cannot be left as a final finish. Therefore, all EDP-coated parts must be top-coated with a UV-resistant finish to ensure long-term durability.

If neither of these conditions exist, then they are suitable as a base coat. Scuff it with 220-320, apply an Epoxy primer then finish as usual.