paint question

[mopowers]

I'm getting ready to start body work on my 66.  I'm done with the metal work.  I don't plan on stripping the whole car, although there are a bunch of places that will be down to bare metal (trim holes welded, patch panels, etc.)  Question is

1)Do I put the plastic filler directly over the metal on the places where I have to use some filler?  Or should I shoot some primer over the metal first? 

2)After I lay a skim coat of filler on, do I have to prime the whole car before I paint it, or can I just shoot some primer on the spots where I did some body work and just scuff up the rest before painting? 

The car has the original paint by the way.  It is in suprisingly good shape, just old and ugly white.  I plan on using some cheap 1 stage enamel.  I don't want to break the bank painting the car.  I want that money to go to parts that count at the track. 

THANKS

[eldubb440]

u can body fill over bare metal since u r going for a quicky..... but treat urself to a decent 2 part primer to bury everything (the whole car), maybe a coat of etching primer under it.....then guide coat it, block it, and u should be ok. the primer is the key!

[eldubb440]

one more thing....DONT use laquer primer!

[mopowers]

It just sucks because, as everyone else here probably knows, body work is a long process.  My body is really straight.  I just have to put some filler where I welded up all the trim holes (about 60-70) as well as a couple patches.  I can't finish the filler and prime it in a weekend, so what do you suggest I spray over the filler while in progress until its all done?  I can't just leave it exposed can I?  I just don't want to have to mix some paint everytime I do some work on it ya know?

[eldubb440]

u can leave it exposed for a bit if it is kept dry. why cant you work a panel or two at a time and prime the car in pieces? mixing a little primer and cleaning the gun only takes minutes

[Lars]

Epoxy primer over the welds, then a small skim on bondo. That's the way I'd do it.

[Ryan (Strange246)]

Epoxy primer over the welds, then a small skim on bondo. That's the way I'd do it.

[eldubb440]

Epoxy primer over the welds, then a small skim on bondo. That's the way I'd do it.

im a big fan of epoxy primer,  U-Tech makes a reasonably priced epoxy, no need to etch under it. im also a big fan of stripping the car completely; personally, thats the only way i do it.  its all a matter of how much time and money is in the budget.

[mrspeeddemon]

It just sucks because, as everyone else here probably knows, body work is a long process.  My body is really straight.  I just have to put some filler where I welded up all the trim holes (about 60-70) as well as a couple patches.  I can't finish the filler and prime it in a weekend, so what do you suggest I spray over the filler while in progress until its all done?  I can't just leave it exposed can I?  I just don't want to have to mix some paint everytime I do some work on it ya know?

If you need to, just primer the spots where you did work, but shoot the whole thing with primer before you paint it, other wise you'll get "bleed through"- the color may vary between the primed spots and not.

[mopowers]

So, I'll shoot epoxy primer over one panel at a time.  Can I shoot it over the original paint also?  I really don't want to strip the whole thing.  It's NOT a show car. 

[eldubb440]

it works over the origional paint if the origional paint is "sound" and not peeling. scuff it good with 220 for adhesion. id finish any body work with 100.

[dangerdawg]

couldn't you use laquer primer to get car straight? sanding most of it off anyways, then go over it with epoxy primer sealer? just asking.

[71 demon child]

Laquer primer is    I wouldn't.It doesen't have any adhesion qualities whatsoever.It hardly has any fill qualities either.Bite the bullet and get a 2 part filler primer,prep that ,and then seal it with a good epoxy primer/sealer.Even the cheapest 2 part primers are way better than any laquer primer.I know your not trying to make it a show car but the little extra expense is worth it.That epoxy primer that you want to use is not going to be any good when it peels because there is laquer primer underneath it.It will stick to the laquer but you take a huge risk of the laquer not sticking to whatever.Laquer likes to shrink too.If you can swing it,let'er rip brother.

[72swinger]

all i have to say is  YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR ..........   been in the paint business long time now and always have people asking what is wrong this paint job , and just yesterday someone asked me why his paint job came out all cracked looking .come to find out they bought the paint on ebay            spend the money now or you might have to do it twice and spend twice as much later...

[eldubb440]

Laquer primer is    I wouldn't.It doesen't have any adhesion qualities whatsoever.It hardly has any fill qualities either.Bite the bullet and get a 2 part filler primer,prep that ,and then seal it with a good epoxy primer/sealer.Even the cheapest 2 part primers are way better than any laquer primer.I know your not trying to make it a show car but the little extra expense is worth it.That epoxy primer that you want to use is not going to be any good when it peels because there is laquer primer underneath it.It will stick to the laquer but you take a huge risk of the laquer not sticking to whatever.Laquer likes to shrink too.If you can swing it,let'er rip brother.

     dont waste your money on laquer primer... epoxy does it all.

[fourspeed]

Lacquer primer was nice because it dries quickly and sands easily. It shrinks and will show every sanding scratch... maybe not now, but months from now. It does nothing to prevent rust - it actually absorbs moisture.

Get a sandable epoxy primer. You can work a panel and prime it, then when you're ready to paint, lightly sand the car, prime again, and spray color. Most epoxy primer is not sandable. It will tend to gum up the sandpaper. Epoxy primer will fill most sanding scratches (which helps the paint stick) and won't shrink like lacquer.

Ask the paint store for some reasonably-priced sandable epoxy primer.

[eldubb440]

i just picked up a gallon of u-tech epoxy and 2 qts of activator for $100 and change. sprays good, adheres good, fills good, sands good . smells bad. 

[71 demon child]

i just picked up a gallon of u-tech epoxy and 2 qts of activator for $100 and change. sprays good, adheres good, fills good, sands good . smells bad. 

    bingo!

[Evan]

I dont mean to steal the thread, but i just had a bad experience with lacquer primer. Nobody told me not to use it. I'm relatively new to bodywork. Anyway, could someone tell me step by step what to use on bare steel if you need filler. (I mean what all should i use, and in what order - including all primers and filler, and what do i use directly under the paint?) thanks,   -Evan

[eldubb440]

I dont mean to steal the thread, but i just had a bad experience with lacquer primer. Nobody told me not to use it. I'm relatively new to bodywork. Anyway, could someone tell me step by step what to use on bare steel if you need filler. (I mean what all should i use, and in what order - including all primers and filler, and what do i use directly under the paint?) thanks,   -Evan

epoxy.....epoxy......epoxy.....on bare steel, u can rough it up, body work it (doesnt matter if you cut through), re-epoxy it, block it. did we mention EPOXY ? use a guide coat when block sanding.   im waiting for the "what is a guide coat?" question.   bring it!

[Evan]

i know what a guide coat is, but what should i use for one?

[eldubb440]

i know what a guide coat is, but what should i use for one?

i just use a quick drying spray bomb, but it prob cheaper to put a lil black in a gun. anything that dries fast and wont clog your paper. doenst have to be black either, just something u can easily see on the primer.

[71 demon child]

i know what a guide coat is, but what should i use for one?

  It's used for detecting high and low spots when you sand.To the untrained eye it's mostky going to show up low spots.

[Evan]

i just use a quick drying spray bomb, but it prob cheaper to put a lil black in a gun. anything that dries fast and wont clog your paper. doenst have to be black either, just something u can easily see on the primer.

so i could use a second gun filled with any black, even some leftover flat black lacquer primer that i have laying around?

[eldubb440]

i just use a quick drying spray bomb, but it prob cheaper to put a lil black in a gun. anything that dries fast and wont clog your paper. doenst have to be black either, just something u can easily see on the primer.

so i could use a second gun filled with any black, even some leftover flat black lacquer primer that i have laying around?

YES!     thats about all laquer primer is good for. a medium transparent even coat is fine. i put it on while  the epoxy is fresh, but dont put it on so wet that the laquer thinner attacks the epoxy!  if the epoxy is hard, id hit it with a scotch-brite first. u r on your way!

[Evan]

what do you think about urethane primer?

[eldubb440]

what do you think about urethane primer?

it works well, id put etching primer under it on the bare metal areas.... personally, epoxy is all i use. IT DOES IT ALL! why use multiple materials? costs more, more gun cleaning, and the epoxy works better and holds up longer. i think all non-epoxy primer is pretty much obsolete! i keep a can of aerosol etching primer on hand for little pieces such as brakets and hardware. dries fast, paint rite over it.

[Evan]

thanks a bunch, i just learned a lot. i have a rattle can of etching primer too. the reason i ask about urethane is because i just bought a gallon because i got mad at the last car i did with lacquer. I'll use the urethane this time and then i will get some epoxy primer. any brand recommendations? thanks,     -Evan

[eldubb440]

thanks a bunch, i just learned a lot. i have a rattle can of etching primer too. the reason i ask about urethane is because i just bought a gallon because i got mad at the last car i did with lacquer. I'll use the urethane this time and then i will get some epoxy primer. any brand recommendations? thanks,     -Evan

as stated earlier,i like " u-tech " epoxy, its fairly low cost compred to others and works great! i use it on all my personal cars. if i was doing a "customer job" id give them the option of something more expensive such as "glasurit" that stuff is awesome but expensive. i was using glasurit epoxy 20 years ago before most people heard of it. back then i worked in a porsche resto shop. its all we used.

[Evan]

Ok, thanks a bunch,        -Evan