Correct Primer Over Lacquer

[Mike M.]

Re: Correct Primer Over Lacquer

Ok. It is not that much harder to go ahead and remove the old primer too. Lacquer thinner, a Scothbrite and some rags will do the trick (I tried it). I'll get it all off. Thanks for the guidance. Mike


My plan is to prime with a good 2 part epoxy primer. Others have said then to shoot a lacquer primer over that. Problems with doing such?

[Dick W.]

Re: Correct Primer Over Lacquer

Ok. It is not that much harder to go ahead and remove the old primer too. Lacquer thinner, a Scothbrite and some rags will do the trick (I tried it). I'll get it all off. Thanks for the guidance. Mike


My plan is to prime with a good 2 part epoxy primer. Others have said then to shoot a lacquer primer over that. Problems with doing such?

Why would you want to put 70 year old technology primer over modern materials?? Use what ever the paint manufacturer recommends. Personally I use PPG DP as a primer, and K-36 as a primer surfacer. Then use PPG top coat. ALWAYS stay with one manufacturer so that if you have a problem, you have someone to go back to. If you don't you might as well call Ghostbusters for help

Several years ago I heard a DuPont rep tell a painter that was using lacquer primer surfacer under modern materials, "boy, you are gold plating peanut butter"

[Norris W.]

Re: Correct Primer Over Lacquer

I don't believe laquer primer ever quits shrinking. When my '69 L88 was new, the original owner here took it to a local Corvette shop and had a luggage rack and radio installed, along with several other personal touches. When I started restoring the car in the late 80's I removed the rack and radio and fixed the all the holes in the deck. Back then I would glass holes, skim 'em with a filler, and the prime and block multiple times with laquer primer. The car went through Bloomington in '88 and a couple of NCRS Top Flights in '89 and '90 with no deductions for paint, but now you can see the rings around every repair. With today's catalyzed primers I do not think it would be an issue. I also have a '68 Biscayne that I paid a local shop to strip and paint. I went to check on it in a couple of weeks and they had stripped the whole car with a cup brush on a grinder and the metal was pretty well cut up. He primed it with DP, blocked it the next day and shot it that afternoon with bc/cc. I told him at the time I would prefer it sat in the sun for several days before painting, but he said with the new primers it was not necessary. Several months later all of the scratches in the metal showed in the paint. The point in all this ramble is that even the new generation primers need to not be rushed. I see the bodyshop guy I use now frequently prime and paint fairly quickly, but he uses heat in his booths and also is probably not using primer to fill heavy scratches or other flaws. Unlike Dick, I actually prefer Dupont products, but it's just a personal preference. Regardless of the brand I would always use their top line. Most majors have multiples now.

Be sure and use a GOOD respirator. From being sensitized to the catylists in the past any exposure now, even something as simple as mixing primer, produces asma like symptoms. Once it gets you, you are "got" for life.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Correct Primer Over Lacquer

Not to be a wise guy, but it has been almost 2 months since the start of this thread and the initial responses suggested that you remove all paint and primer and then paint with modern materials.
If you do not want to go base/clear then use any of the good single stage paints that are available.
Good luck.

[Norris W.]

Re: Correct Primer Over Lacquer

Not to be a wise guy, but it has been almost 2 months since the start of this thread and the initial responses suggested that you remove all paint and primer and then paint with modern materials.
If you do not want to go base/clear then use any of the good single stage paints that are available.
Good luck.

Bruce, my ole' granddaddy usta' say every cloud has a silver lining. Maybe by bringing this back to the top of the forums somebody who is thinking of stripping and painting a car got some ideas on it.

[Dick W.]

Re: Correct Primer Over Lacquer

I don't believe laquer primer ever quits shrinking. When my '69 L88 was new, the original owner here took it to a local Corvette shop and had a luggage rack and radio installed, along with several other personal touches. When I started restoring the car in the late 80's I removed the rack and radio and fixed the all the holes in the deck. Back then I would glass holes, skim 'em with a filler, and the prime and block multiple times with laquer primer. The car went through Bloomington in '88 and a couple of NCRS Top Flights in '89 and '90 with no deductions for paint, but now you can see the rings around every repair. With today's catalyzed primers I do not think it would be an issue. I also have a '68 Biscayne that I paid a local shop to strip and paint. I went to check on it in a couple of weeks and they had stripped the whole car with a cup brush on a grinder and the metal was pretty well cut up. He primed it with DP, blocked it the next day and shot it that afternoon with bc/cc. I told him at the time I would prefer it sat in the sun for several days before painting, but he said with the new primers it was not necessary. Several months later all of the scratches in the metal showed in the paint. The point in all this ramble is that even the new generation primers need to not be rushed. I see the bodyshop guy I use now frequently prime and paint fairly quickly, but he uses heat in his booths and also is probably not using primer to fill heavy scratches or other flaws. Unlike Dick, I actually prefer Dupont products, but it's just a personal preference. Regardless of the brand I would always use their top line. Most majors have multiples now.

Be sure and use a GOOD respirator. From being sensitized to the catylists in the past any exposure now, even something as simple as mixing primer, produces asma like symptoms. Once it gets you, you are "got" for life.

Norris, I do not dislike DuPont paints, but when they changed tech rep's in my area, the jerk that came in here was of no help. PPG, on the other hand, had just assigned a young progressive rep that knew his stuff. He came to our shop and presented tech sessions for two different NCRS Chapters on painting. Plus, we do not have a good DuPont jobber in this area anymore, they are the type, if you know what you need, we can probably get it for you.

[Norris W.]

Re: Correct Primer Over Lacquer

Norris, I do not dislike DuPont paints, but when they changed tech rep's in my area, the jerk that came in here was of no help. PPG, on the other hand, had just assigned a young progressive rep that knew his stuff. He came to our shop and presented tech sessions for two different NCRS Chapters on painting. Plus, we do not have a good DuPont jobber in this area anymore, they are the type, if you know what you need, we can probably get it for you.

Dick, I didn't mean to imply that you dislike Dupont, just that you prefer PPG and I prefer Dupont. The Dupont jobber here isn't a great operation either. It is owned by a family who owns a HUGE automotive warehouse distributor operation with quite a few retail parts stores of his own in the Southeast. His one little local paint store is probably a blister on a knat's ass in comparison with the total volume of his operation. The guys that run it are friendly enough, but weak on ordering and follow up. I don't have any reason for them to jump when I need something, since I'm just a low volume hobbyist, but the local shop that does my work rolls his eyes when the subject of service from the store comes up, even though he's probably one of their better customers. It's a shame when people in any business take their customers for granted. It makes 'em easy to pick off when somebody comes to town with a better product or better attititude and service.