I finally got tired of my car looking just barely decent thanks to the new wheels and decided to at least make it one solid color by primering it black. It turned out a lot better than I was expecting, so much so that I do believe the final color will be the same except in a true top coat of flat black paint. If the body panels particularly the roof and rear upper quarter were in better shape I'd actually put in the effort to do a gloss black top coat but due to sanding uncovering some bondo on the right front A-pillar and fiber glassing now freying a little on the upper right roof section I believe I'll forgo that unless at some point in the future I replace both parts.
I used the can because I wasn't expected much but it started looking so good I wound up doing the whole car. This is something to consider for those who decide they do not want to go through the trouble of a real paint job or want to start towards a better appearance in place of a current terrible existing surface. A proper topcoat is necessary because although the car has been looking great for about a month now, it looks like it's possible that the primer will start to thin out a little with washes, either that or some areas didn't get enough paint. There are some areas that I will have to strip and fill due to some porosity in the surface.
[This message has been edited by Joseph Upson (edited 12-31-2013).]
If you use flat black enamel spay it will stay on an will not have that spoty or thin look, it look's like prim but better, iv done it an it turn's out nice.
Looks good. But remember, primer is designed to "absorb" the topcoat of paint. Which means it will also absorb water and stuff. Maybe you could get some rattlecans of flat or satin clearcoat to go over the primer once you get the surfaces filled and prepped.
Originally posted by georgie: If you use flat black enamel spay it will stay on an will not have that spoty or thin look, it look's like prim but better, iv done it an it turn's out nice.
It actually went on pretty nicely without looking spotty, the rough area on the bumper which was purchased new a few years ago is because the person I purchased it from didn't realize the smooth black top coat on it was primer and sanded in area that was already slightly rough out of the mold.
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Originally posted by PatrickTRoof: Looks good. But remember, primer is designed to "absorb" the topcoat of paint. Which means it will also absorb water and stuff. Maybe you could get some rattlecans of flat or satin clearcoat to go over the primer once you get the surfaces filled and prepped.
Yes I mentioned that it will need a true top coat for that reason. I have an electric HVLP paint system from Harbor Freight that looks like a hand held vacuum cleaner only with a paint gun connected to the end of the hose. I watched it being used on Youtube and it does a wonderful job of putting the paint on what you're aiming at. Its just noisy. I'm going to buy a couple quarts shortly to finish it properly after the patch work is done or I replace the two troubled panels. I also intend to cut the reinforcement rails under the rear deck lid enough to allow temporary wedges to be installed in the slits to flatten the deck lid while I reglass the area to flatten out the bow that's in it now.
Won't all that spray-can paint have to come off before it gets its "real" paint job?
Duplicolor paints are all lacquer as far as I know. If you prepare the surface right underneath it, its one of the few spray can paints you DONT have to completely remove to paint over with automotive paint. I use lacquer primer (same thing as Duplicolor) and paint any lacquer, enamel, urathane over it with no problems at all. I prefer it over any catalyzed primer (and always gave me fits when I tried).
Duplicolor paints are all lacquer as far as I know. If you prepare the surface right underneath it, its one of the few spray can paints you DONT have to completely remove to paint over with automotive paint.
i am finishing up my second rattle can paint job using rustoleum universal brand spray bombs .i am pretty sure this is acrylic enamel , smells like it anyway .i would like to use a regular sprayer on my car but my compressor does not have the capacity to run the HVLP gun i have .and acrylic enamel is banned in ontario so in cans it is water base or regular lacqer or rust paint .this rustoleum spray can product is not rust paint .works great with all the duplicolour spray can primers .i have had good success with the dark grey and white .the red was terrible .it dried so quik that i could not keep a wet edge going so it looked like stripes .best results were obtained by doing one body panel at a time .lots of masking but my labour is free too me . kind of a shiny primer or semi gloss finish because of the way i wet sanded to get rid of the orange peel : the gloss white seems to work the best .i have also found that spraying at slightly colder temps(60F) than reccomended makes it easier to keep a wet edge going .this is a civic wagon i am working on: a shot of the finished tailgate .it is all painted now but is hard to get a good shot of it in my small shed . great job on your car Joseph .
How well does that type of primer hold up on the bumpers? If I don't go down to the urethane but get off the clear can it be applied to the bumpers over the original paint or original primer without popping off later? Roger is there a limit to how much time between applying the primer and when you have to paint?
IF you sand thoughly, theres no reason it wont stay on the bumpers. I do it all the time even on my own personal cars. The main thing there is not to make it a thick coat, just a couple of light ones is enough. Lacquer primer does soak up water, so you need to let it dry a few days and lightly sanded again before painting it if its been done very long. The great thing is you can primer it now and paint it 2 years from now if you want with the same results. On a metal car, its different because the metal will rust UNDER the primer because its absorbing water. If your going to prime a METAL car thats not going to be painted for a year or more, thats the one time I recommend a catalyzed primer...it dont absorb water. On a Fiero its a non issue...it dont rust.
WFTB, your Rustoleum enamel has to be completely sanded off to put any real automotive paint over it, unless its a single stage enamel. It will craize and bubble under anything else just like hitting it with stripper.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 01-01-2014).]
