I am getting ready to paint my truck and unfortunately i dont know much about what is good paint to use and what is not. I plan to paint the truck a good glossy black when im done. Does anyone have any tips on what primer maybe i should use and where to get it? Is carquest a good place to buy one? I hate to ask so many questions but who better to ask it to then you guys.

I understand there is probably a million good paint but if anyone can steer me in a good direction for some primer and paint that isnt crazy expensive it would be great.

 

I think you need to go and do some reading in the paint and body forum. There are a lot of threads and "how toos". I have read a lot of them so far. The one sticky in there is really good.



I have the epoxy primer to use on mine, but I will be stripping one panel at a time and it could take me years to get it just in epoxy. LOL

I am going to be using SPI (southern polyurethanes incorporated) primer, high build, base, and clear. I have not sprayed any of it yet.

As far as brands...I will leave that to the ones who know more than I do.

Gloss black requires that the body work be absolutely perfect. It shows every little ding and sanding mark. I am not that good, plus I do not have AC.

 

http://southernpolyurethanes.com. Some claim there single stage is the blackest black there is, some blacks have a brown or blue, ect tint to them. I haven't used their epoxy primer yet, but supposedly has decent fill and easy to sand. If you were going a color spi didn't have, I just used prospray basecoat and it was reasonable (half the price of what ppg dbc would have been) and it sprayed and covered well for me. kinda hard to find though, usc bought the company a few years ago and not good getting it out there and known about. I used u tech once too, owned by sikkens, and liked it better then lower lines from other bigger paint manufacturers.
Your right there are many good brands of paint, most of the big names like ppg,dupont, basf are pretty comparable when it all boils down. You normally get what you pay for and a cheaper line will be cheaper. Southern polys seems to be the exception, in there products seem high quality without breaking the bank. black is one of the most affordable when it comes to paint colors, and normally covers well as well.
You want an epoxy primer over any bare metal and good ideal to seal everything up with it too before paint. Over epoxy primer many use a high build 2k urethane primer if have bodywork areas. Most epoxys don't have a lot of fill and aren't real easy to sand.
Normally you want a to use a primer or sealer (epoxy primer reduced makes a good sealer) that will best help coverage of what you are spraying if possible. I would use a black epoxy primer under black paint.
I Buy supplies from my local carquest. They are one that handles body supplies and paint and carry basf and a few other major lines. Not sure what yours carries. Just stay away from lacquer primer and paint (like the duplicolor they carry at carquest) if you want a job that will last and stand up to chemicals and the elements. and also not requiring spraying a ton of coats.

 

My suggestion would be to stick with one brand and "system" for the entire job from the metal to the finish coat. As was said most of the major brands are comparable in quality (since their main buyers are "pros" a company selling junk wouldn't last long) but are not always compatable with each other or even with different "systems" within a brand. I would choose my brand by going to the suppliers (many brands have their own distribution stores and don't advertise themselves much and aren't on every street corner, check your yellow pages under automotive paint and body shop supplies) and talk to the people behind the counter. Ask about the pros and cons of the various systems they sell, ease of application for a beginning hobbiest, costs, equipment needed (don't kid yourself here, be honest with them as to what you have and/or can afford to buy. You aren't likely to get a very good paint job with a 115V compressor and 50.00 spray gun designed for painting houses and lawn furniture), safety hazards (some paints are DEADLY without the proper protective gear, once the fumes are inhaled there is nothing medical science can do except watch you die!), durability, prep procedures, etc. Two places to avoid: the one that is too busy or seems bothered to answer your questions completely, and the one with the pimply faced kid behind the counter that starts each sentence with "I've been told..." or "We sell a lot of..." or other such giveaways that the closest he's ever gotten to a spray gun was when he stocked their boxes on the shelves.

 

I would ask 1st is --is this job a quick paint job or a professional looking job or 1 that looks professional but not all that particular as long as it shines and no runs.
PPG IS MY FAVORITE! I have over 200 complete paintjobs under my belt and many more 1/2 jobs...I believe if cost is the reason for asking around for advice that you do a OMNI paint job....It is near 1/2 the cost of ppg and sold by most paint dealers. I prefer CONCEPT on a black job but you use what you figure you can afford. I know price is outrageous and the best advice is....Do as nice a job as possible/but if you get dirt and runs.....no sweat----just wait a while and buy all the materials and do it again. Most guys in their backyards sweat out a perfect job --but it may take a few sandings and you will get it to look great. Omni is thinner than Concept,but well worth buying. PPG is getting tooooo high!!!! Take your time/clean everything 5 times/ mask perfectly/wait till weather is good/have all materials read and understood/make sure paint gun is clean/watch for h2o in lines/ wear respirator/ GOOD LUCK!!!!!Bill

 

Good advice here, even more on the paint and body forum, I'll add some of my own. I contacted my local auto paint supplier, asked when I could come in for some advice, told him honestly what my skills and equipment were, then listened. He suggested the Omni line for priming and sealing due to the lower cost. I'm going to base coat/clear coat it with the PPG products, which he said is compatible with Omni primers. For areas that won't be base/clear, such as rear axle, frame, etc, I'm using Omni acrylic enamel, mixed to the same paint code, sprayed over the Omni epoxy sealer. So far, I'm happy with all the products.

 

I've bought a new primer from Sherwin Williams. It's a high build direct to metal catalyzed epoxy with no isocyanides. Neat thing is that there are two different catalysts for it, with one you can spray it on, with the other you can squeegie it on, surfacer and primer all in one! Haven't used it yet, I'll report on it after I do.