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POR-15 is BAD use Zero-Rust instead

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H

Hillbilly

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I just want to let you guys who are in-process of restorations that there is a better alternative to using "poor-15" aka POR-15
I have been restoring classic autos since 1976 34 going on 35 years now. I have done many cars which have appeared in national magazines and taken home numerous trophies (FIRST PLACE and BEST of SHOW)
por15 even when used according to the manufacturer's instrustions will end up one of two things....or both...
It will either come off in sheets, or the treated area will rust either way ,
all the time money and effort will end up on the ground in tiny bits and pieces of rust and oxidation.
I know this from personal-first hand experience.
I have lost many man hours of labor and suffered having to redo a job at great expense.
I have found a superior alternative to using p0r 15 ...
It is called ZERO-RUST .(Made and sold by MFG sealants)
I am not a salesman, nor a distributor of this product.
I am merely trying to save another person the pain of experiencing what I have gone through. I cringe when ever I hear of someone using por15. GreenCo.SpeedShop.
 
Well, I have the opposite experience with POR 15 and have used it on a couple of TR restorations now. I won't hesitate to use it on my next project either.

Not wanting to argue, just wanted to share my "personal" experience.

No financial interest, blah blah blah.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd
 
I'm hoping that mine does not act as yours did.

But all of mine was applied to stripped areas and treated with their metal prep before the POR15 was applied.
 
My experience: I've used POR-15 for years. The only time I've had issues with it has been when I've been either ignorant or lazy. First fiew times I used it the metal wasn't clean enough (of grease/oil/fingerprints). After using the metal ready that problem went away. I also tried it on some nickel plated parts and it failed. Again my fault. I didn't etch the smooth surface, so it never had proper purchase on the painted parts. I had some fail last year because I was rushing. and didn't appropriately prep the parts.

I have an old Studebaker frame sitting in the "out back." It was prepped and painted with POR-15 about a decade ago. Even after all this time, sitting in the AZ sun (POR-15 is supposed to break down under UV light) it's still not starting to rust.

We also ue a combination of it & Chassis Coat to prep all the outdoor metal down in Mexico. The salt air down there eats exposed metal in less than 5 years. Our metalwork's been outside 10 years now with no corrosion.

Your mileage may vary.
 
When I need/want to spray I use ZeroRust, but for floors etc I still prefer POR15. I've not found issues with peeling except when prep was wrong. Not scientifically valid conclusion, just personal experience.
 
I haven't an issue with POR 15. I've even seen it used on a private Rail car, with no issues.

I used it on my Chevy wagon where the window frames had rusted, painted them with the por 15 and after three years the black was starting to go clear, but was still there and the metal underneath still had not rusted.

Dunno what your results are, but I have used POR with good results.
 
We actually painted our frame with POR-15's Metal Mask, then realized that one of the little tow rings was crooked and had to hammer it back out. Didn't even crack or scuff the paint!
 
The key is a properly prepared surface. If you want the look and are too rushed to do a good job, try using Sem paints. You can brush, roll, or its RTS (ready to spray) in the can. Built in rust inhibitors, and as long as the surface is grease free your good to go. You can paint dirt and make it look good.
 
Hi Marv,
here is a link where I purchase my Zero rust from...
www.mfgsealants.com
As for you guys who are chiming in,
I just want to add (regarding por15)the steps were followed 100% in accordance to the manufacturer's reccomendations.
If you want, I'll send you pictures of my wheelbarrow which rusted so bad after using my leftover por15 on it, I had to weld in a big metal patch.
por15 is by far one of the single worst things you could do to your hard working project. I have , like I said earlier friends who have had the very same disasterous results using por15. Guys talk around do your research. That's all I can say. We all had lots of money and time invested in our projects and the last thing in the world one should do is use a product such as por15 when there are much better (and less controversial) products out there.
I really want to stress... I am not affiliated with Zero Rust in any way shape or form. As a matter of fact, Show me something better, and I will use it.
Thanks.
 
You say to do our research... but doing my research the universally best recommended and reviewed product that Iv'e found is POR15. The only warnings i've ever seen are 1) Do the prep right and 2) dont use it as a primer that you intend to paint over, it's not designed for that and top layer adhesion will likely be poor.

Yours is the first post i've /ever/ seen that describes por15 as controversial.

I havent used por15 or zero rust or any of those products, but I've done a lot of reading, since i'm stripping down a body right now.
 
Put it on the frame of my utility trailer. 4 years now outside 27/7. Looks great ,cept it's faded from the sun. Course, it says it will
 
well all I can say is this....
If you put that stuff on and it comes off in sheets and/or rusts like crazy, you can't say you have not been forewarned.
If you are in need of another opinion besides mine, I will be more than happy to give you a phone number of a couple of guys near me who will be more than happy to share their experiences and opinions of using that stuff.
It's a free country and you can choose whichever route you wish to take.
You will also have to live with the consequenses of your choices as well.
D.
 
I don't consider myself as either ignorant or lazy as Jody called us. Spent plenty of time in shops and have had POR15 come off in sheets too. That's why I use Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator. Same prep, better results. And doesn't require the special thinner from POR (should have saved my hard earned $$.)

I've also tried Mothers waxes, Looks good for a couple of weeks then, needs waxing. So I use Griot's Carnauba - it lasts over a year.

ymmv on both products but I happen to agree with HillBilly D.
 
I have used POR for about 10 years. I don't bash the stuff but I don't love it either. It has its places.

POR will come off in sheets... if applied to sound metal. There is no "tooth" on a smooth surface to help POR adhere. When I have used POR on expansive surfaces I have taken to sandblasting the entire surface I want to cover then heavily etching the surface with phosphoric acid (I use generic stuff, not their Metal Ready). If you go beyond the manufacturer's recommendations you can get POR to stick to most surfaces but it takes a lot of prep work for good results.

The name "POR" supposedly stands for Paint-Over-Rust. My experience has been that you need to get all but flash rust off the surface if you want success. Whenever I have painted over rust (after acid treating), if the rust was heavy it blisters through again.

I also like the Rust Encapsulator that Peter mentioned. I used to buy it frequently when it was still called "Corroless" paint. It is much easier to apply and can easily be top-coated.
 
PeterK said:
I don't consider myself as either ignorant or lazy as Jody called us.
Click to expand...

Whoa, hang on there a second. I was calling <span style="font-weight: bold">myself</span> ignorant and lazy. I wasn't inferring that anyone else is/was (or at least that wasn't my intent).

What's important here is that we have a whole lot of colloquial research and not a lot of quantitative data. In my post I was just trying to relate back my experiences with the products that I'd used.

This is one of those areas where I think there's a big gap in our hobby that I wish was filled. There's no-one sitting out there and independently comparing & testing these products. If I could convince these manufacturers to give me samples (hasn't worked in the past) I'd totally publish these sorts of things out there on the 'net.

There's nothing I hate more than looking at three different products and having to decide between them. The only way we seem to be able to get any information is on forums like these where we share our experiences, and the hard part of that is that everyone's experience is a little different.

Cheers!
Jody
 
I have been using Eastwood's Rust Converter (a water-base product) and Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator. Works fine, so far, as long as I follow the instructions.

1.) Sand and clean the area thoroughly.

2.) Apply one coat of Rust Converter. Let dry 20 minutes. Apply second coat of Rust Converter. Let cure for 48 hours.

3.) Apply Rust Encapsulator and let dry thoroughly.

4.) As a topcoat -- mostly on the uncercarriage frame -- I then apply two coats of Professional Rust-Oleum. I use this rather than other products because it is economical, easy to find, and -- most important to me -- the fumes are not "toxic" in my small one-car garage. Like all restoration work, this can be undone without much trouble later if something better comes along.
 
I have used POR 15 with mixed resutls. Once good, once bad. I did not apply it according to the label ie using their degreaser and acid etch. It has never peeled off in sheets. One thing I don't like about it is you can't put it over paint. I have used Rust Bullet pretty effectively. I have used the old Corroless Paint with extraordinary results. Wish I could still get it. Boy the fumes will give you a headache though!
 
One of my buddies swears by Chassis Saver
I have actually used a 1/2 pint of it one time and seems I remember it was not too bad of a product to use on a chassis. But as for doing bodywork and stuff the Zero Rust has been very good to me so far.
I actually apply the Zero Rust after I am done doing all my metal work....welding hammering grinding etc etc.
Once The metal work is done, zero rust, then I do my body filler work on top of the zero rust. Once I have the bodywork ares done to 150 grit, I then use Slick Sand which is an EXCELLENT filler/sealer surfacer. Then work it with 180,240,400 etc etc and then really paint! I don't reccomend spraying the Slick Sand or any primer over 80 grit scratches as they tend to resurface later.
D.
 
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