TR2/3/3A some rattle can primmer

[sp53]

Well I cannot find or missed a couple small parts that need to primmered and painted black. The weather here is getting cold and the mixing of paint is not recommend for the lower temp, so I am thinking I could purchase some rattle can primmer and hit a couple of the small parts like the heater vents with it. Or should I make an effort to use paint with hardeners. I am look for ideas on how to deal with this.

 

[CJD]

I keep a half dozen cans of the $1.09 cheapo paint from Home Depot or Lowes on hand at all times. I used to sand blast small part and then clean with kerosene. I found that the kerosene would fish-eye the 2 part fancy primers if I did not allow a full week for the parts to air dry. BUT! The one dollar rattle can paint can actually be sprayed over kerosene damp parts with no issues! I ran a couple tests, and the cheapo rattle cans hold better than the 2-part, so long as the parts were blasted first. The only down side to the cheap rattle cans is that they dry thin, so there is no filling. All the small imperfections show through. Still, for under-dash and frame parts, the finish is nice enough.

Notice I keep saying "cheap". The higher priced Krylon and Rustoleum will fisheye just like the 2-part primers. Only the cheapest cans cover anything and hold well.

 

[sp53]

Thanks John that is interesting. The parts I am talking about will be blasted first. Now do you primmer and then paint or just paint right over sandblasted metal with no primmer?

 

[CJD]

I have been using just black epoxy primer for all the frame and under-dash parts that call for a gloss to semi-gloss finish. The rattle cans give just a little more gloss. When I rattle can I use it on bare metal and with no additional painting. With the primer, I use it on bare metal with no top-coat for frame parts, and with a color top-coat if I need another color other than black (Unless I specifically need grey or red for a job, I always buy black primer and keep it for small parts). Because the rattle-can paint is very thin, it seems to resist chipping even more than the epoxy paints.

Like in your case with the weather, I often don't want/feel like mixing epoxy primer. The end result is I would say my car frame parts are about 2/3 epoxy primer showing, and the other 1/3 is rattle can.

Oh, I do also keep a can or 2 of Rustoleum on the shelf. If I have a part that needs a little better finish, yet I still don't feel like mixing, then I will use a couple coats of the Rustoleum over bare metal. It covers the tiny sand marks completely with 2 coats, and looks much better than "frame" quality. The cheapo cans would take at least 4-5 coats to completely cover sand marks...so not worth the trouble if you need smooth.

 

[Got_All_4]

Use self etching primers over bare metal and the longer you let it dry the better. Then you can top coat it. Dry times are always calculated at 70 degrees so if it's cooler let it stand longer. If it's warm out then a little sooner is ok. Use better paints and primers even where it doesn't matter. I was priming my fuel tank and realized I had no black paint. Bought one of those dollar cans at WalMart and used the entire can on the tank and never covered the primer thoroughly. It was like a can of tinted lacquer.

 

[sp53]

The world of auto painting is vast. When I restored some tr3 top bows, I had it painted with body color and it chipped big and bad in a couple of spots. On this car I have the bows in epoxy primmer and might just leave it that way. Maybe I could thin down the body color somehow with reducer or something and it might not chip so much.

Ona earlier restoration, I used some self-etching primmer on some under the dash brackets and put the top coat on the next day and I guess the top coat spider webbed because it looked like one. I guess what my question is really. Do I want to spend 25.00 for a can of epoxy or self-etching primmer when I have a quart of it setting here but needs to be mixed? I did see some self-etching primmer for 5.00 a can but it sounds too good to be true.

I had body color put into a rattle can and have been painting bolts that will show, like under the hood and it is working well because it is thin. I did primer the bolts with epoxy primmer that I thinned more than usual to spray through my touch up gun and that seems to working well. I guess where I am at is to look for some rattle can epoxy primmer that is reasonably priced. But again I heard there are primers that are lacquer base and not to get those because the paint will have a bad reaction. I really appreciate all information I get and maybe someday I will learn a system that works for me. Until then, I am going to pester you guys.
steve

 

[Rut]

Steve,
For metal parts that need a good coat of paint, I also use a self etching primer. If the top coat really matters I’ll use a sealer over that, but most times I just top coat over the self etch. My 2 favorite brands of self etch are Rustoleum and Duplicolor with Rustoleum being preferred. I almost always top coat with the same brand over self etch, but these 2 brands play well together.
Rut

 

[titanic]

Well I cannot find or missed a couple small parts that need to primmered and painted black. The weather here is getting cold and the mixing of paint is not recommend for the lower temp, so I am thinking I could purchase some rattle can primmer and hit a couple of the small parts like the heater vents with it. Or should I make an effort to use paint with hardeners. I am look for ideas on how to deal with this.

It has been a long time (and I don't even have a TR3 anymore) but doesn't the heater body and doors have a wrinkle finish?
Berry

 

[sp53]

Yes every tr3 heater I have seen is wrinkle paint on the doors and lower body, but my guess is the vent tips for the defroster were gloss black and put on after the car was painted at the factory.
steve

 

[titanic]

Yes every tr3 heater I have seen is wrinkle paint on the doors and lower body, but my guess is the vent tips for the defroster were gloss black and put on after the car was painted at the factory.
steve

I forgot about the defroster "nozzles".
Berry