65nassau

Took my rocker panels off to mask and paint and I am having a dickens of a time getting the paint to stick.

I sanded off or roughed up much of the old paint, did some trimming with a razor blade where they missed it last time.

Tried repainting, used eastwood self etching primer and darned if the stuff just wants to wrinkle like crazy in about 15 % of the area ....rest is fine.

What am I missing doing? The etching primer is black and I'd prefer to use that over a gray primer, black primers are hard to find.

Do I need to clean the metal better? Tried using a wire brush and roughing up with 220/320 sandpaper.... Do I need to scrub with soap and water or?

And the longer the *&^%$# masking tape stays on there, the harder it will be to get off also, so time is of the essence!

Real life experiences.....?

timbo79

I use PPG DX 330 to clean and degrease. You can be very liberal with it. Make sure it dries before shooting... I always wait an hour or so to make sure it is all gone. Buy it by the gallon.

They also make a PPG 440 which is stronger and also removes any traces of silicon that may be on there, but I doubt any is on the rockers, though it could be....

Stuff is a bit pricey, but worth it!!

Also I always use the green masking tape I get at the paint shop. NEVER use plain old hardware store masking tape.

Good Luck

Trophy Blue

You can also use denatured alcohol.

67vetteal

You mention that the 'previous" painter had some blemish spots where paint didn't belong. This leads me to believe that your previously painted Rockers were painted with an Enamel type product such as Krylon. If your refinishing compound is a Lacquer product it will cause the condition you offer. Go get a Semi Gloss can of Krylon black and do a test area. I think you'll do well with the Krylon. (Any Enamel will serve your purpose.). Let us know how you do. Al W.

65nassau

I was thinking about that 'lacquer over enamel' as a possible problem.

It's hard to find a black primer....maybe I will try for a grey one.

I probably need to try Ace Hardware and not the big evil orange box people.

I know I don't want to shoot the krylon on bare metal ...

Thanks for the replies....

IrishMac

Some good advice! I'll move this for you to the Paint/Body section, but leave the direct here.

Tintin

Hey

Ever use "Armor All" or a similar product on your tires? If you did, it will absolutely prevent paint from sticking even in small amounts. It is almost impossible to use their el cheapo misting nozzle without having airborne particles.
I lifted this from Popular Mechanics:


There are a couple of products I'm aware of for restoring black trim-but not gray. Either the painted surface of the trim is, as you surmise, faded by the sun, or the paint film has worn through and what you see is the underlying plastic.
Bottom line: You'll have to paint these to achieve a consistent color. Good news: You can use a rattle can to do this, and if you mask carefully, you don't need to remove the trim from the vehicle. Choose an automotive paint for plastics, not something intended for rusty lawn furniture. Bad news: Before painting, you'll need to remove all that Armor All or the paint will squirm around the surface and drip off before it sticks. Thoroughly decontaminate the surface with prep solvent or lacquer thinner. Check a small area first if you use lacquer thinner, lest it dissolve the paint or trim. It shouldn't, if all of the surfaces are still in their factory state. If they've been repainted, the new paint may be less durable than the original.

bondoboy

Don't use etching primer over other primer. It is only used on bare metal.

tak82

Use SEM brand black TRIM paint for your rocker panels. It's a spray can only available at paint shops and is only about $8 a can. One can will do both. It one is the Correct color and will hold up to the abuse. If you sand them with 320 paper first and clean them thoroughly with either lacquer thinner or a wax and grease remover DX330 PPG, this will stick good. Sand them good first and try it again.