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How much primer to paint a 55

718 Views 50 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  Old Buzzard, 
tibalda
I am getting ready to order primer and I am trying to determine how much I need. After getting an education on this site about using epoxy base and then a urethane primer on top to facilitate sanding later on since I plan to paint my car one part at a time over a long time period. My car is a 55 2DR HT two tone. I will be using single stage paint and keeping the colors which is India Ivory and Dusk Rose (white on top).

One question is how much of each primer is needed and a second is what color primer should I get. I assume white for the India Ivory - but what for the Dusk Rose? Is it typical to apply two tone primer for two tone cars?

Thanks for any help you can offer.
Art
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55wagoncrazy
If the DTM urethane primer can be used to build up the surface, then you are fine with that. I would also make sure the maker of it advises it can be
used over straight epoxy primer. Some DTM primers are not intended to be used over anything else. If the DTM urethane is a high build, there is no
advantage to using a polyester primer. These are harder to use and are reduced with lacquer thinner that can make them hard to control because
lacquer thinners no longer come in different temp rating. Urethane solvents come in about 4 different temp ratings for use in different temps.
I use only one body filler All Metal and can spread it as uniform as any glaze.
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Shadetree55
tibalda said:
I think I need lessons from you on doing a project in a financially responsible way. :)
Click to expand...
Not really difficult to do in my case LOL---a fixed income pretty much dictates that. I shopped for bargains on good used parts--most bought from our group of good members here. Got an excellent front bumper with guards and grill from marketplace that came off a 55 nomad with 30,000 miles on it for 500 bucks including shipping. I did put all things new in and on the engine except for a used edelbrock intake I picked up at a yard sale for 25 bucks--and the stainless dual exhaust that Mikey gave me a heckuva deal on. Not gonna get all the defects out of the paint but by the time I finish some more wet sanding and about 4 stages of cutting and buffing it won't look too bad. No shortage on paint as the white and red both are 5 coats so can disguise a lot of ugly. I'm at the point of just wanting to drive it. The pic posted below is now going to delay me about 3 weeks as I gut my patio/hothouse. whoever closed it in evidently didn't worry about comfort. no insulation, framed with 2x4s and evidently didn't have a square or tape measure. I've seen it high as 130 degrees @ the ceiling. So------starting tomorrow it's getting a total renovation. Then I'll be able to get back on the car and shooting for Sept 1 for a finish date.

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Had a few Tri 5's
tibalda said:
Thanks for your response. I realize there are different ways of doing things and there are multiple ways of doing it right. As I novice I would at least have an approach before I get started and I am still not 100% sure how I will approach it. I don't have the skill to do perfect metal work so I expect to need some filler. I do plan to do a panel at a time - although I was planning to do the blocking across the whole car to level the body across panels.

Right now my thinking is as follows:
  • Strip paint
  • Do metal work
  • Epoxy prime (Tamco DTA epoxy)
  • Urethane primer (Orion 2K DTM Primer)
  • Body fill where needed (USC All Metal filler) - especially my Frankenstein weld joints. Use good waterproof filler to take care of any pin holes
  • Urethane primer (Orion 2K DTM Primer)
  • I am thinking to do a light blocking step here to identify areas that might require more filler that I didn't pick up by hand
  • Polyester primer
  • Block
  • Fill significant low spots with glaze if too deep for just polyester primer (USC Icing glazing and finishing putty)
  • Seal
  • Paint
I appreciate that some don't use epoxy and go straight to urethane DTM primer. I also understand the point to stay away from glaze, but since I don't have the skills, I will find low spots when I block and need something to fill them. All that said - does that seem reasonable at a high level?

Thanks,
Art
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Big list....Don't forget 80 grit wherever you body fill over your primer. Use a guide coat on your blocking. It identifies low spots quickly. Take a plastic spreader, like 4 or 6" and run it over the low spots to get an idea how low or high something is. Look for the light between the panel and spreader. Don't use glaze in the low spots unless it's real minor. Use body filler. Glaze is for the extremely minor stuff at the very end before final. When feeling for imperfections, put a piece of paper, a thin rag or piece of plastic under your hand. Sounds strange, but you will feel waves and imperfections easier.
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tibalda
BamaNomad said:
There's no such thing as perfect ... in anything! and Good Enuf varies with the individual.. :)
How long do you want to spend priming and sanding? Do you ever want to drive the finished car? :)
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I like to set my goals high and eventually come back to reality. I don't really ever expect perfect because I don't have the talent. Understanding the steps needed for perfection is helpful and then I can decide how far to go.

Thanks,
Art
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Old Buzzard
Lots of new panels, bare metal, welding on the bucket list heap.
So far, <2 gallons of bondo, with about 90% swept up off the floor.
On gallon 3 of DTM urethane primer with 2 left. As with the bondo, it too is on the floor.
We subscribe to the theory that we guide coat everything after each primer session. We also "sand it til it bleeds" on the first application of hi build. Bleeding is seeing hi spots appear, and guide coat still visible in the low areas. It's then time for a recoat, re-block. Reblock is done with 180, 220. and even some 320, dry.
It's then prepsol and a good cleaning while looking for boogers, pin holes, etc. We circle them with a lead pencil, skim with Dolphin Glaze, sand those spots.
Once it shows a consistent surface, it's 1 more coat and finish sanding up to 500/600 and water.
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Bitchin'57
Had a few Tri 5's said:
Big list....Don't forget 80 grit wherever you body fill over your primer. Use a guide coat on your blocking. It identifies low spots quickly. Take a plastic spreader, like 4 or 6" and run it over the low spots to get an idea how low or high something is. Look for the light between the panel and spreader. Don't use glaze in the low spots unless it's real minor. Use body filler. Glaze is for the extremely minor stuff at the very end before final. When feeling for imperfections, put a piece of paper, a thin rag or piece of plastic under your hand. Sounds strange, but you will feel waves and imperfections easier.
Click to expand...
Flowable body filler (glaze/glazing putty) should only be used for very thin low spots. Do NOT use the single part stuff that comes in small metal squeeze tubes. Use only two part fillers.
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Shadetree55
Bitchin'57 said:
Flowable body filler (glaze/glazing putty) should only be used for very thin low spots. Do NOT use the single part stuff that comes in small metal squeeze tubes. Use only two part fillers.
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what I used on mine was this
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Bitchin'57
Shadetree55 said:
what I used on mine was this

View attachment 398017
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As long as the filler requires a catalyst, you're good to go. I tried a single part glaze once a long time ago (Bondo brand I think it was), and it had a bad reaction with the other products I put on top of it.
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Shadetree55
Bitchin'57 said:
As long as the filler requires a catalyst, you're good to go. I tried a single part glaze once a long time ago (Bondo brand I think it was), and it had a bad reaction with the other products I put on top of it.
Click to expand...
Only thing I liked about that stuff was the smell
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tibalda
Old Buzzard said:
Lots of new panels, bare metal, welding on the bucket list heap.
So far, <2 gallons of bondo, with about 90% swept up off the floor.
On gallon 3 of DTM urethane primer with 2 left. As with the bondo, it too is on the floor.
We subscribe to the theory that we guide coat everything after each primer session. We also "sand it til it bleeds" on the first application of hi build. Bleeding is seeing hi spots appear, and guide coat still visible in the low areas. It's then time for a recoat, re-block. Reblock is done with 180, 220. and even some 320, dry.
It's then prepsol and a good cleaning while looking for boogers, pin holes, etc. We circle them with a lead pencil, skim with Dolphin Glaze, sand those spots.
Once it shows a consistent surface, it's 1 more coat and finish sanding up to 500/600 and water.
Click to expand...
I find myself rereading this threads to make sure I absorb as much as I can. I assume based on your post you aren't first using epoxy - is that correct? My plan was to start with epoxy and then urethane following some of the advice given here. I am thinking of getting the whole car primed, sections at a time, and then start with blocking. I have some waves in my quarters that I would like to try to get out which I believe will require a light coat of filler. If the urethane primer sits for a long time do I have to scuff it before applying filler on top?

I appreciate the thoroughness of your post and others and I plan to have a lot of the information plastered in my garage for me to read as I move through my project.

Thanks,
Art
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Old Buzzard
tibalda said:
I find myself rereading this threads to make sure I absorb as much as I can. I assume based on your post you aren't first using epoxy - is that correct?
Click to expand...
Once stripped, we go over the entire car with 180 and a da. It's then cleaned and primed with epoxy primer. All metal repairs are recoated with epoxy.
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