I am prepping the body for paint( so i dont get charged by the shop for the labor if they did it) and i was wondering what primer i should use. Are there any really good primers in an aerosal can? My dad has a paint sprayer but i have never used it and the can would just be easier. I have certain spots i sanded down to metal because of rust bubbling up, can i use etching primer on the rest of the body that isn't sanded down to metal. There is only the original paint on the car so i dont need to sand down to metal. later ggod bless

 

Epoxy.

 

you need the primer thats compatible for the paint thay are going to use..

 

umm if u want a decent paint job dont get crappy spray can primer, you wont get a thick enough coat to be able to sand out any imperfections. Just buy some good primer for a real paint gun.

 

The primer/sealer coat is the foundation for the final coat. It bonds the top coat to the substrate. This affects the quality and durability of the final product.

Don't go cheap *** here.

Epoxy all the bare metal at a minumum, you can do the entire car, then a high build primer, compatable with the top coat. Do this with a real paint gun, the last one I bought was a Sata, and they run about $500. There are others out there cheaper, not many that are better.

Chanches are, if you have no experience in using a proper paint gun, you would be better off letting the paint shop do all the painting. If you want to practice and learn how to do this, now would be a good time to learn, but be prepared to do lots of sanding on your 'mistakes'.

Keep in mind that primer will draw moisture. Self etching primer will work for your bare metal, but if it sits for long, the rust will start again, under the primer, and eventually come though the final coat. As soon as it is primed, put a seal coat over it, epoxy will work for that.

 

I'm not a paint guy, but my ex-brother-in-law ran a body shop (he did the body work on the MGB I restored: http://mgb64.home.mchsi.com/64mgb_20020731.html He pointed me toward self-etching primer and I used it on almost all of the small stuff that I restored myself, and I swear by it...it bites into the metal and leaves a really nice smooth surface. Everything I did with it came out great and still looks great, 3 years later...even the motor!

Rich

 

I'm not a paint guy, but my ex-brother-in-law ran a body shop (he did the body work on the MGB I restored: http://mgb64.home.mchsi.com/64mgb_20020731.html He pointed me toward self-etching primer and I used it on almost all of the small stuff that I restored myself, and I swear by it...it bites into the metal and leaves a really nice smooth surface. Everything I did with it came out great and still looks great, 3 years later...even the motor!

Rich

 

Aerosol primer contains acetone, which is used to strip paint. IF you put spray primer under basecoat/clearcoat, expect it to bubble up and peel in a year

 

I'm not a paint guy, but my ex-brother-in-law ran a body shop (he did the body work on the MGB I restored: http://mgb64.home.mchsi.com/64mgb_20020731.html He pointed me toward self-etching primer and I used it on almost all of the small stuff that I restored myself, and I swear by it...it bites into the metal and leaves a really nice smooth surface. Everything I did with it came out great and still looks great, 3 years later...even the motor!

Rich

 

Please delete...

 

Sorry about the extra posts...my browser kept coming back saying the operation timed out, so I thought it failed....

 

ok, what brand should i use, the paint gun my dad owns is nice so i already have that covered.

 

robelo primer is absolutely the best. easy to shoot, easy to sand. in the restoration shop i work in, it's all we use. wet sand the primer with 800 grit after it's dry. us a block, not your fingers. you can use filler over robelo too. here's a little tip to let you get a smooth as glass paint job. spray the robelo, then go over areas where you may have filled or which may have little dents like doors or hood with a flat black primer. block the area, then you will be able to see which spots are low, because the black will remain. use a long block, probably at least 8 inches, the longer the better. good luck.

 

Go talk to your painter, who is doing the final work. They will tell you what you need. Not all paints are compatable between manufacturers. Each paint system is designed from 1st coat to last to give the paint job.

Lesonal paints, for example, has 3 differnt lines, or grades of paint sytems. Each more expensive than the lower line. You don't mix and match, as a general rule, between the different lines.