Any primer/paint recommendations?

[slepe67]

I'm getting ready to get my coupe media blasted. When it's all cleaned up, what kind of epoxy (etch) primer do I use? POR 15 I hear is the ****nit, but, do you have to prime over it? Any alternative to POR 15? Then, what kind of paint do I look for? My car is in great shape, and I'm replacing the floor pans. Blasting should reveal any more rust areas. As of now, there are no more besides the pans. I'm painting the underside, trunk, engine compartment, and interior floor semi-gloss black. Maybe even flat(PPG?) The rest of the car is gonna be white with a gloss black hood, 3 Shelby stripes running the length, with the tail lite panel blacked out.

 

[68rustang]

I wouldn't paint an entire car with por15, the underside maybe but not the topside. If you want one of the best go with the PPG DPLF primer sealer. It comes in different colors. If you want to save a little money there is the Omni line of PPG paints. i believe the Omni equivalent of DPLF is MP175. I can't remember, do a search on here because it has been talked about at length in the past.

 

[zookeeper]

I like House of Kolor's chromate-free epoxy. It's tough as nails and sticks like nobody's business to properly prepared (that means clean and sanded!) surfaces. Check with your local paint store and see what they carry and what they recommend. Now is the perfect time to talk to a knowledgeable paint guy and see what fits your budget as well as what fits your needs. Do you want a show finish or just a decent driver-quality finish that will last? I know lots of guys mix brands with good results, but I'd advise against it. Stick with one paint system from start to finish and you'll avoid any incompatablity problems from using one brand of primer, another brand of base and a third company's clear.

 

[slepe67]

Well, I wanted to get (the body) at least stripped and at least primed before I go BACK to Iraq (Trip 3). Will it be OK to let the car sit in epoxy primer for 3 or 4 months while gone? Hate to leave it as is, and hate to come back and have a rusted body. I live in FL, and things go bad quick.

 

[zookeeper]

IF the car is prepped right (bare metal and rust-free), then it's OK for it to sit for as long as you want in epoxy. That's one of the reasons I chose it, because I knew it would be months before I got around to blocking it and painting it. Regular lacquer primer is not waterproof and it would be just asking for trouble to let it sit for any length of time. But with most epoxys it's not unusual for it to sit (inside) for months or even years with no problem.

 

[68rustang]

It is Okay for it to sit in epoxy primer (inside) indefinitely. However you will need to repray the primer before you put on the topcoat. Usually the epoxy primers I have used have a window of at most one week for topcoat, after that you have to scuff and reprime before topcoating.

 

[zookeeper]

I'm not sure about all brands, but House of Kolor isn't like that. I already had my car primed and blocked and ready to go when I hit a 6 month delay. Our Suburban wadded up it's transmission, blowing a $2,000 hole in our savings and postponing my paint job. I called HoK's tech line and they said it's not a problem, just cover it up to keep it from getting contaminated with oil or silicone, then hit it with a grey scuff pad, then proceed with sealer and topcoats. You may want to make a couple phone calls to the paint company you plan to use and double check before choosing a primer.

 

[slepe67]

Sweet, answers a ton of questions. Thanks