Primer and prep question

[thebebop]

Ok, I finished the truck several months ago but one thing that kept bugging me was the 57 hood on my 55 truck. I looked for quite some time for an original 55 hood in decent shape locally but could never find one so I broke down and ordered a re-pop online.

This hood has the black "epoxy" primer on it from the maker. I've never dealt with this type of stuff before so here are my questions.

1) Can I just scuff the black primer and apply color? If so what grit paper should be used?

2) I am using 2 stage paint...Urethane. If you think I need to apply primer over the black stuff before the color will lacquer primer work or do I need to go with something else? I ask because I have a gallon of it already.

[b-mac]

I'm no expert, but my dad was/is a painter. I've helped him with many aftermarket panels. I would leave the existing primer in place. Typically they claim that it is electrostatically charged, and bonds well. But prep of that primer is very important. Scuff with 220, or even the rust colored scotch-brite pads, but make sure you scuff every square millimeter of that panel. If you leave any part of it unscuffed, your new paint will not adhere, and it will create a weak point from which all of your paint will begin to peel.

As far as the lacquer paint goes, I don't have much experience with lacquer. The guys that are good at it can do a fantastic job with lacquer. But I don't think it would be a good idea to mix lacquer with urethane. If it were me, I think I would put a urethane primer sealer over the epoxy that's on the aftermarket panel (assuming you don't need any filler), and then put your urethane 2 stage over that.

Beautiful truck by the way. I'm glad I'm not the only one who obsesses over small details.

[OrrieG]

b-mac called it right. I would prime with the recommended tone for the top coat. The repop panels come black which is good for under darker colors, but your light green will probably need a gray. Not many guys shoot lacquer anymore; the modern paints are more forgiving, dry super fast and easy to fix any problems that occur.

[thebebop]

Nah would never use lacquer paint but I have used lacquer based primer and that's what I was talking about to go over the black epoxy primer. I get your points however...was just trying to avoid another $100 bill for urethane primer if it didn't matter. Sounds good and thanks for the help ya'll

[58CameoAZ]

I am Just asking here, have you put the New Re-pop hood on yet?
You might do a test run and make sure it fits like the Original 57 hood
hate to see you go through all the work and find out it needs to be tweaked to fit!
FWIW
Allen

[thebebop]

yes was planning on fitting it before paint. The 57 doesn't fit all that great either but I understand the gaps weren't that close when they were new either. Hopefully the re-pop won't be too bad

[_Ogre]

i would also plan on block sanding the hood after primer, those repops can be wavy

[b-mac]

Good point Ogre. I was thinking of this light yellow, high-build, urethane 2K primer me and my old man used to use. Max is probably two coats with that stuff though. Anything deeper would need filler. I've heard horror stories of that high build primer cracking like dry clay when people put layer after layer of it on.

[dyno]

I never have trusted that black epoxy that comes on the repop panels, but then again I tend to be a bit on the OCD side of life! Who knows how clean the metal was and how good of a primer they use. I strip the panels with a quick strip wheel, epoxy primer, 2k filler primer, block with 220, another coat of 2K, block again until flat, wet sand to 400 grit, then topcoat.