Best Primer for Old Lacquer

[Brian K.]

I put side pipes on my 66 & have to paint the new exhaust panel. I have leftover Dupont Lucite form 22 years ago (it's still good) when I painted the car & wanted to know what primer would be best to use on that panel. I originally used Featherfill when I painted the car & it held up really well. Since this isn't a critical panel I don't have to go crazy.

A shop suggested using red oxide lacquer primer. Do you agree?

Thanks

[Mike G.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

My recommendation is epoxy primer from Southern Polyurethane. Block it out and then lay down the lacquer.

[Timothy B.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

Brian,

Mike is probably right with epoxy primer because you can top coat with enamel or lacquer paint. IMO that's the best base you can put on before any sandable primers or topcoat.

That being said if you have some sandable lacquer primer use it because that panel does not see any direct sun.

Don't waste a drop of that lacquer lucite paint..

[Alan S.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

Hi Brian,
The fellow who painted my 71 with lacquer uses epoxy primer too!
Regards,
Alan

Lacquer.... NICE!

[Wayne B.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

A couple of things: 22 year old paint is a little "iffy" at best, I wouldn't use it. You want to use an epoxy primer because it seals the surface and doesn't allow the lacquer to seap down and cause problems with the fiberglass later (like dissolving it for that "bubbled" look or cracking). ALWAYS make sure your paint, thinner and lacquer are from the same manufacturer as a system. Dupont made the original but doesn't make lacquer anymore. A lot of people restoring to original, including me, use PPG.

Now the thing is, a lot of States no longer allow lacquer to be sold so you may be in one of those States answering to the commissars. Down here in Georgia, and a lot of other Southern States we can still go over to the local supplier and get what we need and my supplier said they get a ton of people that drive over from other States to get lacquer, California residents please check your little Red Book at the State line and welcome to Free America!

[Brian K.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

Is the epoxy primer commonly referred to as 2k primer?

[Mike G.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

the new stuff is much better than the old. it does not draw up like the old stuff did.

[Dick W.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

Is the epoxy primer commonly referred to as 2k primer?

Am 625 miles from my books, but I believe the 2K primer is a primer/surfacer, a product quite different from the expoy primer. PPG DP series is one epoxy. It is strictly a primer/sealer. 2K has a heavier body and is used to fill body defects and is mostly blocked off before sealing/painting.

[Mike G.]

2K Primer

A generic term for 2-component (catalyzed) primer. As opposed to the old solvent based lacquer primer such as PPG's DZ product.

As Dick stated, the DPLF epoxy product offered by PPG is not a build primer and is not intended to be sanded. Superior adhesion and sealing are it's purposes. 2K build primers such as K36 are applied over the DPLF and blocked to true up the surface.

What's nice about SPI's epoxy (besides the reasonable price) is that it can be blocked out, allowing you to go straight to the topcoat, skipping the 2K primer. And it is compatible with Lucite or PPG Duracryl.

[Brian K.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

So if I use PPG or Dupont for example, I have to use sealer then primer before topcoat? I think the Southern Polyurethane only comes in a gallon.

Remember this is just for an exhaust panel.

[Mike G.]

It's available in quarts

Check out SPI's website. That's why I suggested you go with a quart of SPI epoxy, spray 2 coats, sand as necessary and then topcoat with lacquer within 7 days. Cost-effective and durable system for your valence.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

...Remember this is just for an exhaust panel.

PPG epoxy primer does not require a sealer, but as others have said, it is not a sanding primer. If you are applying a primer-surfacer over the DPLF, then a sealer is used and reduced DPLF can be used as a sealer if desired.

Typically, the top coat has to be applied to DPLF within several days time for good chemical bonding. I'm not sure what happens regards chemical bonding when it's used under acrylic lacquer; I presume the chemical bonding is the same or they wouldn't say it was "compatible" since DPLF can't really be sanded. If you wait too long, it can be "scuffed" for applying more DPLF, but it's not typically sanded for top coating.

I believe DuPont's epoxy primer IS a sanding primer, but I don't know if it has to be sealed. I doubt it, but the best approach is to follow their recommendations...if you can get any recommendations from DuPont for acrylic lacquer.

If it's JUST an exhaust panel, maybe you're overworking the problem with epoxy primer. Epoxy primer helps you when you may have concerns about the condition of the fiberglass substrate; it does give you superior adhesion, but it's not a silver bullet if you have oil stains. In the case of steel parts, epoxy primer is a superior corrosion protection primer coat.

Personally, I would let the painter use what he thought best to use in this case, and not worry about it. Corvettes were painted in acrylic lacquer long before epoxy primer.

[Dick W.]

Re: Best Primer for Old Lacquer

Corvettes were painted in acrylic lacquer long before epoxy primer.

But the lacquer materials were a lot better than we can get today