Thread: How well does primer hold up and for how long?

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I have just primered all the sheetmetal parts and the grill on my 46 Chevy truck. I need to put it together and drive it for a while to see what else has to happen. I know the truck is comming apart again but maybe not for several months.

Can I expect just the primer to do ok for some months? I do like the way it looks, but I understand that primer doesnt hold up to the elements like paint.

I thought I would ask, cause you guys know everything! Well.... almost everything.

Thanks
Jim

Mine is already rusting through in spots, and its only been a couple of months, but then again that could be bad prep work on my part

What kind of primer?

Rattle can, rustolium red oxide.

rattle can does not hold up at all, but then again your in cali so you dont have to worry about rust anyway

I'm kind of in a hurry, but if I rattle caned some paint on it would it hold up any better?

Ya know, we do expect several days of rain still. Then it turns blazing hot. 117 degres at my town, woodland hills, last summer.

Jim

Dennis is right on the money. The FILM thickness needs to be consistant. All too often someone primes something, they see some rust and blame it on the primer. When in reality the application wasn't consistant and there are thin spots on the edges and what not.

Now, that rattle can primer, in my best George Bush voice "Notgunnadoit".

It just isn't going to protect. REAL primer, urethane or epoxy, sure, that will protect (providing it is applied properly).

That rattle can, unless you are going to strip it off OR it is NOT going to get wet I say, don't do it. Now, if it were to get wet a time or two AND get dry, it propably isn't a big deal. If it is garaged and not all dewy all night long and that sort of thing, not a big deal. If it is subjected to a quick rain storm and then the sun comes out and it drys off, no big deal.

But REAL primer it will last a long time. The little gas pump you see in the pictures was sand blasted, etch primed and urethane primed 10 years ago. It has NEVER seen a roof, it has been beside the garage all this time in the weather. There is zero rust except where I left it thin right on the edge of the metal. And that is only in a few spots.

But this is not rattle can primer, it is 2K automotive primer. By the way, it is wet with rain in the photos.

Brian

The truth is, the parts needed to be striped or blasted. I got as much of the surface rust off that I could, but I needed to put the truck together and get it out of the shop for a few months for a job I will be doing. I primed the parts today.

Whats done is done. My plan now is to spend the time to find some of the parts that need replacing, then re do the front end sheetmetal. I will be blasting all the parts at that time, so...

between now and then, should I put a coat of rattle can paint on, or will the primer be ok, for a few months?

Thanks, you guys are very helpful.

Jim

Click on the camera under my name and look at my truck,it has rustoleum rusty metal primer in the quart can and red oxide ratlle can applied very thick and its held up for over a year.I have sanded a couple of spots over the last year to look for rust underneath and so far there has been none,only where I applied it thin on the edges......so I just sanded the rust off and applied more in that area.Actually its been more like almost 2 years

I think you have the key to the whole thing there Shawn, "applied very thick". The problem with the rattle can is it is VERY thin ( viscous) with little body and a few coats may not give you the film build you need. ALSO, on the edges and stuff, it is VERY easy to apply a coat and it LOOKS like it is covered well but it is so thin there is no protection.

All I know is, if you are going to strip it anyway and prime it properly after driving it around a few months this is all a moot point anyway. A few months in bare metal wouldn't be a big deal if you plan on doing it up anyway.

Brian