What primer should I use once I'm to bare metal?
Cobra Member
Joined: June 9, 2004
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Rattlecan primer is great stuff...for scout projects, mailboxes, and rusty Huffy bicycles. Once you get to automotive projects, put down the can and walk away.
Once you get the car to bare metal, wipe it down with some phosphoric acid like Rustmort. That will dissolve the microscopic surface rust. Then you can take one of two paths.
1. Etching primer, which chemically bonds to the surface with an acid component. Many customizers put vintage iron in etching primer and let it sit for years without problems. You scuff it when you're ready for filler primer. Most etching primers cannot be applied over fresh body filler.
2. Epoxy primer, followed immediately by urethane 2k filler primer. Epoxy primer bonds with a catalyzed adhesive, so it's best to topcoat it before it completely cures, so the topcoat takes advantage of the bonding properties. Epoxy primer can also be used as a sealer coat just prior to paint. This step seals any contaminants and allows the colorcoat to go on smoothly, without fisheyes, etc. Also allows uniform color coverage.
On Coppertone, I chemically stripped the car to metal. Welded my patches. Used body filler to fix all dings and weld seams. Applied epoxy primer followed by urethane 2k filler primer. Block sanded the filler primer, applied more filler primer. Blocked that filler primer. Applied more epoxy primer, followed by the urethane basecoat, followed by urethane clear.
And no, you can't use a Harbor Freight gun and get good results, so don't ask. Buy the most expensive gun you can find, clean it real good when you're done, and ebay it. Consider it a rental if you can't afford to keep it.
Once you get the car to bare metal, wipe it down with some phosphoric acid like Rustmort. That will dissolve the microscopic surface rust. Then you can take one of two paths.
1. Etching primer, which chemically bonds to the surface with an acid component. Many customizers put vintage iron in etching primer and let it sit for years without problems. You scuff it when you're ready for filler primer. Most etching primers cannot be applied over fresh body filler.
2. Epoxy primer, followed immediately by urethane 2k filler primer. Epoxy primer bonds with a catalyzed adhesive, so it's best to topcoat it before it completely cures, so the topcoat takes advantage of the bonding properties. Epoxy primer can also be used as a sealer coat just prior to paint. This step seals any contaminants and allows the colorcoat to go on smoothly, without fisheyes, etc. Also allows uniform color coverage.
On Coppertone, I chemically stripped the car to metal. Welded my patches. Used body filler to fix all dings and weld seams. Applied epoxy primer followed by urethane 2k filler primer. Block sanded the filler primer, applied more filler primer. Blocked that filler primer. Applied more epoxy primer, followed by the urethane basecoat, followed by urethane clear.
And no, you can't use a Harbor Freight gun and get good results, so don't ask. Buy the most expensive gun you can find, clean it real good when you're done, and ebay it. Consider it a rental if you can't afford to keep it.
I Have Admin Envy
Joined: January 30, 2004
Posts: 6,740
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If you choose epoxy primer one of the best is PPG DP40
Another option is UniPrime DTM from PPG, I used this on my '66 Galaxie. It is a primer/surfacer that works both as an epoxy primer and an primer/surfacer. You can topcoat directly on it. I sound as if I am plugging PPG products, but there are other great ones out there like sikkens.
Another option is UniPrime DTM from PPG, I used this on my '66 Galaxie. It is a primer/surfacer that works both as an epoxy primer and an primer/surfacer. You can topcoat directly on it. I sound as if I am plugging PPG products, but there are other great ones out there like sikkens.
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