Any opinions on paint? I will be painting my '69 soon. I am thinking about a self-etching epoxy primer followed by a good quality filling primer with a polyurethane (Imron type) top coat. The body will be totally stripped prior to painting. I understand that the epxoy should be sprayed prior to applying any bondo or fiberglass (truck has some minor dings which must be filled). When spraying epoxy or poly can you use a good respirator with an organic vapor filter or do you need supplied air? The guys at the paint store are noncommital. Thanks for any help.

Steve
'69 F100

 

Try www.moparts.com

Go to the q/a board, register, then post your questions. It is a strictly Mopar site, so whatever you do, don't mention that it is for a Ford, and they will be more than happy to answer your questions. The board is extremely active, so you should get some replies within a short time. It may betray brand loyalty, but I have found tons of good info there.

Good Luck!

 

I painted a mustang about 5 years ago with Dupont Imron paint, on top of an epoxy primer, similar to what you planned. It was hit about 3 years ago on one side and the body shop re-used the Imron, but also clear coated the repair area. Today if you looked at my car, you'd see the majority of it annoyingly oxidized, even within a week of a good waxing, and the side that was clear coated looks beautiful and shiny even on a bad day. Needless to say, I'd recommend a clear coat on top of the Imron or better yet just go to a basecoat/clearcoat system. As far as the clear coat on top of the Imron goes, I've had no problem with it except where the body shop blended it with the part of the car that isn't clear coated. Basically the clear is flaking off at the edge where it was probably put on thinner to blend it, and this is in a small area where the rear quarter comes up to the roofline. When the car gets painted again it will definitely have a clear coat of some kind put on.

Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure that the guy who painted the car used a good respirator, ie, didn't need supplied air. I'm not sure if it had just an organic filter or not. I would think the paint would have some kind of instructions or warnings on it, or at least a phone number you could call.

 

Thanks for the info. I was considering Imron because of its reputation for toughness but the last thing I need after all the work going into this is oxidized paint in a few years. My late model Ranger has basecoat/clearcoat and the paint seems soft to me (that is, it seems to scratch easily). This may be unique to that paint job. Base/clear is certainly more forgiving to apply. Whats the general opinion, is this stuff tough enough? Particularly on the inside door panels (seat belt scratches) and the kick panels?

 

I had my car a 72 (VW superbeetle}painted back in 1979 with a ford candy apple red . The guy painting it suggested I use a new Immron clear coat product which was real tough, that aircraft manufacturers were putting on their airplanes. It sounded good to me at the time, since the base/clearcoat wasnt popular yet I believe. Within 3 months the Immron started peeling like a snakeskin, starting at the fenderwells. I believe this was caused from the guy not prepping the paint, so the Immron would stick. A one ton GMAC p/u run over my bug a week later, so a bad paint job didnt matter. I'm having my 79 f150 that am renovating now, done in a basecoat / clearcoat. My old 87 olds has the original factory paint on it with a base coat/clearcoat. The clearcoat on it seems soft too and gets minor scratches, but I restore it to like new with McGuires clearcoat conditioner and a power buffer pad, my 3 cents worth, good luck on the hardest thing to get done right on your truck, by yourself or by a "pro" -- a paintjob,

 

Two weeks ago I just painted using the etching primer. All I used was a organic/fume respirator and I'm still around. (little brain dead but that's old age) The fume problem is awful and the imron is just as bad so take lots of care when you do this, take short breaks to clear the air and get a fresh breath every once in awhile. The primer was a DuPont product (two part)and I finished with a PPG acrylic lacquer Ford white. Job turned out beautiful. I would recommend a clear coat also to really make it look professional. Good luck
2x2

 

 

I've painted several vehicles with Imron (the first around 1976) and have never had a problem. In fact, A 1936 Chevy truck I painted in 1981 was still winning trophys 10 years later. The problem with the clear coat peeling was probably where clear Imron was sprayed over lacquer. When Imron first came out a lot of people sprayed clear Imron over lacquer on show cars hoping to protect their expensive paint jobs. For some reason the Imron didn't seem to work well in this situation. I suspect that the lacquer may not have been cured well before the clear was applied and that the solvents in the lacquer caused the peeling. If you stick with one type of paint from start to finish you shouln't have any problems. Be VERY careful spraying Imron or any of the catalyzed paints because many have an isocyanate base that is extremely hazardous. The first car my dad and I painted with Imron we were total beginners and used nothing but a paper dust mask. Talk about learning the hard way, we were both mildly ill and the linings of our noses were so irritated we sneezed blood for a few days afterward. I have painted with nothing but a canister type mask with filters designed for organic vapors, but only in well ventilated areas. I would recommend using a fresh air respirator system. The cost of Imron (and Deltron, a similar paint from Ditzler) has gotten extremely high now so I have recently started using Omni polyurethane from PPG. It is much lower in cost and produces a nice finish, but I can't say for sure how durable it will be. The first car I painted with it was just over 2 years ago and it still looks good. I've used both the single stage and the base coat/clear coat versions of this paint and have been pleased so far. Epoxy primer is a good choice. It will stick to almost any surface and provides an excellent surface for the paint to bond to. I't a lot more expensive than the lacquer or acrylic based primers, but the end result is worth the difference in cost.