Flat black paint or primer, that is the question.
 

I am near the point I need to start putting paint on my 58. I have seen many cars and truck with flat black primer. That is the look I want but I hear they make a flat black paint. I prefer paint over primer (no pun intended). Are there any pros or cons to primer over paint or vice versa? I will be doing it myself starting with the back of the Cab and front of the box. I am in the process of building a powder coating oven out of and old freezer to power coat the wheels and larger parts. I believe I can have this truck done by spring.

Scott

Hi, I'm not an expert on paint, but I've used hot rod flatz paint made by a company called tcp global, had good luck with it. The trouble with primer with no sealer, it absorbs moisture over time and doesn't handle uv rays very well! Good Luck

You can have flattener added to the paint at the paint store when they mix it.
Also a lot of old hotrodders use John Deere Blitz black. I ordered a gallon a couple years ago (haven't used it) and it was like $37

Kay'
here's the thing on primer, as the others mentioned it is pourous & will absorb moisture, and likely will fade to some gray or brownish color fairly quickly as it won't be able to take the uv's.....alllllso.....because it is primer it is most likely engineered to be easy sanding and therefore won't likely be very resistant to any type of abraision.
Automotive paint's with flattening agents are a kinda hit & miss thing. Oft times it'll end up dryin' blotchy some spots semi gloss some flat, unless ya got a way to keep the paint constantly mixing both on the bench & in the gun whilst applying it.
I would look at going the way of one of the engineered products such as the "flatz"
products previously mentioned, I also seem to recall a product advertised somewhere called "hot rod black" i think it was by evercoat. However if you are in kind of an experimental mode why couldn't you use say like....tremclad or rust-oleum in a flat black
& spray it on, it's like what 35-40 bucks a gallon. just real slow dryin' is all.

BTW.....whatcha gonna do for wheels on the truck, moon's & trim rings always look good with flat black particularly with wide whites...but the red wheels are kinda gettin tired, were it me i'd go with either apple green or aqua.
Mikie
near ottawa canada
58 merc 100 panel & 64 econo p/u

here's what john deere blitz black looks like..love it

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/h...ruckyah002.jpg

Metal will rust right through primer as it has no sealing properties.

I "foam", brushed on flat black RustOleum on the inside of the engine compartment, frame and underside of the body. Turned out pretty decent. If I where going to do something as drastic as paint the entire outside of the truck, I would prolly foam brush it on as well. Of course, I certainly don't have the kind of high dollar finish requirements as many folks do. Personally, I believe if I were to paint it, it would take another fiffty years to have the same beauty it already has. That being just my own humble opinion. I do like like to see the spit polished versions as they give a great contrast to the style of mine!

Deere's Blitz Black
 

Deere's Blitz Black is the best. Easy to paint. Inexpensive. Looks great.

Nick in WI