I did a complete paint strip and took the 69 in for body work. They did a good job, replaced a panel, re did all the seams, and re glassed a few areas. Now the primer. I was told they would use a urethane base primer/sealer. Turns out they used Transtar #6541G polester primer. Multiple coats. They're "sorry" for the misconception, but I got what I got. Now they mention that I may need a seal coat befor painting. They did a good job on the body, but I'm not going to let them paint it because they are too expensive, and they didn't earn the right to get more of my business. Anyway, thoughts on build up of top coat?? I think base/clear coat is the way to go, but can I just apply over the multi coat primer? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

Dont wetsand that talcum powder glued togeather with resin or i mean polyester primer . will stay wet with water for a long time and will boil paint off in little bubbles . big problems with that stuff havnt used it in 12 years . will work if your careful and dont seal over it while wet or humid

 

You will need to block sand the filler that they applied and finish sand with 320 grit and then apply a urethane primer surfacer. You should then finish sand with 400 if you are going to use sealer or if you are going to apply the BC directly over the primer surfacer you should finish sand with 600 grit. Yes BC/CC is the way to go. As was mentioned the poly filler will retain moisture for awhile.

 

Thanks for the info. It's allways a **** off when they tell you one thing, do somthing else, then act dumb and say "sorry". On second thought I don't thinking they are acting.

 

Any good shop applies a coat of sealer over primer prior to painting the base coat. Here's why:
1) Sealer will fill small sand scratches and other imperfections (more useful in a 'production' shop)
2) Imperfections in sealer, or dust blown around are easy to remedy prior to the top coat. Things like potential fish eye and other problems and lifting are more or less eliminated at the color coat stage.
3) Improves adhesion
4) Sealers can be tinted to the color coat which helps reduce cost, and aids matching the original primer color for more accurate repairs/blends
5) Probably most importantly, a catylized (hardened) sealer will form a 'barrier' and direct the paint solvents to evaporate out at the surface rather than migrate down into the primer. The result is a higher luster (and less potential for 'lifting', which isn't probably an issue in your case).

I always spray a non-sanding urethane sealer prior to painting any vehicles. Any good shop will. Ya just spray a single medium-wet coat prior to applying the base. I wouldn't fault your shop for wanting to do it, but they should have made it more clear about what they were going to do.

I looked up the Transtar "Kwik Fill" primer in my catalog. It specifically says it's compatible with SMC. I wouldn't sweat it. I haven't used Transtar but after applying Dupont, Sherwin Williams, PPG and Sikkens products for years, I tried a few what you would call second tier manufacturers urethane primers and clears. I was hesitant but I have been impressed with the 2K primers and Clears I've used. My local auto paint supplier says a lot of shops have switched to Transtar, USC, Rubberseal primers and clears. I have to say I couldn't tell the difference. In fact, the Morton 2k high build primer was better than the Sherwin Williams. It had the exact same smell, color and texture as Sikkens 2k. Anyway, I started using them at least 5 years ago. I've tracked two jobs including one on my vehicle that I don't garage. Still looks great. I read that one of the Rubber-Seal chemical engineers was a top PPG engineer. Anyway, the paint technology isn't new anymore. But it would have been good if the shop would have spelled out EXACTLY what products they were going to use on your car. Also, moisture might be a non-issue. A lot of shops have switched to dry sanding rather than wetsanding. I used to wetsand everything, but I have been dry sanding many jobs. Honestly, it would be better off dry sanding a Corvette. Anyway, Best luck.

Mark G