Don 68

I am restoring my 68 and have stripped the paint using razor blades down to the fiberglass. I plan on using spi epoxy primer before I start the body work that it needs (just to keep the rest of the fiberglass protected). I did a frame on restoration 26 years ago and sprayed it with lacquer at the time with a suction cup gun. That wasn't to hard and I did a fair job. For the base coat / clear coat I bought a new in the box Satajet RP digital 2 with a 1.3 tip (on ebay) and will learn how to use it before I spray the car.

This will be a frame off restoration and I plan to get the car in epoxy before I remove the body to work on the frame. The car will be restored to driver condition. Its not going to be a show car just a nice driver.

My questions are:
What color primer should I use with a Cordovan Maroon base coat?.
I understand that you can sand spi epoxy primer but is this the primer I need to block sand with to get the panels smooth?
Is a Devilbiss suction cup gun with a 1.8 tip ok to spray this epoxy with?
Can any major manufactures base coats be sprayed over this primer?
Would you also recommend using spi clear coat?
How much epoxy primer, base coat and clear coat should it take to paint a 68 coupe?
Sorry about all the questions, but any comments or suggestions will be welcomed. I am not a painter but willing to try, not just to save money but because I try to do all of my own work.

Roco71

Call SPI and Andy will tell you what color of primer to use with your base coat. He can really answer all your posted question great guy.SPI epoxy dries hard but sands rather easily it dries a satin texture and when you block it you can see your high and low spots. If you do not spray your base coat within 7 days you have to scuff the primer before recoating . I laid down two coats then blocked sanded then another two coats then blocked again repeated a third time. My body still was not where I wanted it to be so I came back with a 2k high build primer. Two more coats then block again. One gallon is enough as it is mixed 1 to 1 with the activator .

Hope this helps some.

Don 68

Thanks for the reply Roco71. I'll give Andy a call in the morning. It will set longer than 7 days (more like 7 months). One of the questions I forgot to ask was how long I could let it set.

zwede

I really liked working with the PPG K36 primer we used on my '71. It has good build (much more than an epoxy) and sands nicely. K36 is urethane 2K.

porchdog

if you induce spi epoxy overnight it will build better. pot life of mixed epoxy is around 72 hours at 70 degrees as long as it is covered.

Don 68

Thanks zwede. What I have read in the threads is epoxy primer is what I need to use. One reason is because the car will set for several months before bc/cc is applied.

Don 68

Thanks porchdog for the post I have not sprayed epoxy primer before and information like this is appreciated and needed. I have read a number of your threads and they are very informative and is one reason I decided on with spi.

porchdog

there is a lot of info and help with spi here ..........

http://www.spiuserforum.com/forum.php

gkz

Just put mine in epoxy yesterday; very easy to work with. This was used as a sealer before paint. I let it induce for an hour.

porchdog

if you go past the 7 day -70 degrees window just scuff with scotchbrite and shoot another coat. clocks starts over. i have found that spi induced overnite will build as good or better than any urethane primer and is a far superior base to work on. i do not use any high build primers. they are prone to shrinkage later on .

Fordracer9

What happens if the car sits more than 7 days, or goes outside the 70* zone, then gets shot?

porchdog

you will loose adhesion . if you go past the window just scuff well with red scotchbrite then shoot another coat of epoxy. if it is sanded and ready to paint always use a reduced coat of epoxy for sealer to get the best adhesion.

Fordracer9

Would that look like paint blisters? Could be mistaken for solvent pop? I think I know why my front clip had to be painted 4 times in the last 2 years

porchdog

no, it would be more like big bubbles. solvent pop is usually a result of excessive primmer or base. this is one reason i do not use any urethane primers.

Don 68

there is a lot of info and help with spi here ..........

http://www.spiuserforum.com/forum.php

Porchdog - There is a lot of information on their site!. Received my black epoxy primer, activator and wax/grease removed a couple of day ago from Barry. My daughter is getting married this weekend and all my projects have been on hold for a while. I hope to get started again next week. Barry recommended Pro Spray for a base coat and said I should contact them as to what color 2K primer I should use with a Cordovan Maroon base coat as this color could be tricky. I e-mailed them through their web site two days ago and haven't gotten a response. Guess I will have to give them a call today.

porchdog

prospray was bought by a company that has little to no tech . i use it and like it. sprays much like ppg but at 2/3 the cost.
gray epoxy will be as good as anything else. dont fall for tinting 2k primer. total waste of base. as a matter of fact stay away from urethane primer all together if possible. all it was ever good for was one coat to hide scratches much like lacquer primer. epoxy will build just as well and is a far superior base to work on . excessive build with urethane primer is trouble waiting to happen. i use no urethane primer nor do i use a high build primer.

Don 68

porchdog - I had bought the black epoxy not only for the fiberglass panels but I will also be restoring the frame and related parts. Barry had recommended using the 2K primer over the epoxy primer because of the build. He said it would be a lot of work to block the epoxy. I am no stranger to work, but I do avoid it if possible. To my understanding the epoxy primer goes on thin and would require multiple coats. How many coats would you recommend to start the blocking process. Keep in mind that I will only spray one coat now to protect the fiberglass while restoring the frame. I may need to buy a grey gallon of epoxy primer for the Maroon color base coat if needed. Choices - Choices. What would be the correct grit sandpaper to use on the fiberglass before using the epoxy? When I sprayed this car using lacquer 26 years ago I still have about a gallon of Evercoat Feather Fill and about 3/4 gallon of lacquer paint leftover. (wonder if it's still good?)

porchdog

nothing 26 years old i would trust . epoxy only just takes more flash time for sanding. barry's primer is very good. lot of the guys on the spi site use it. i am an epoxy only painter. join the site and hook up with Jeremy . he uses a lot of barry's primer.

uncle wilson

Tks needed this info for my 68