General question!!!!

cllong1

Promoted Users
I have become addicted to SPI epoxy and it is really great stuff. Since epoxy is the basis of good foundation for a paint job, I was just wandering does epoxy ever shrink or draw back like some primers will? I dont think it will just wanted peace of mind from more experienced painters. Thanks Guys
 
Just my take on this. Yes all paint,primers,fillers and paint products shrink to some degree. When doing a "show finish and long term finish" Time and Sun are your best friend! Had a few customers get mad when see there car sit out for a week or so in sun. I feel SPI epoxy is the best on the market hands down.
 
It was just one previous paint job on top original 65 mustang paint. I’m sanding off failing clear coat in some areas that was left behind after car dat in sun for several years. I’m always on here so I need you guys help. Thanks
 
Just to compare the difference leave some leftover epoxy in a mixing cup and some leftover 2K urethane primer in another. Let them sit for a month or so. The urethane will looked like parched earth. Cracks through it, shrinkage, and very brittle. The epoxy will come out of the cup in one piece. It will shrink some but it will still be flexible and look like a hockey puck. Probably would make a good hockey puck actually.:)
Point being epoxy has minimal shrinkage and excellent flexibility in addition to it's superior adhesion to metal and corrosion resistance.
 
Point being epoxy has minimal shrinkage and excellent flexibility in addition to it's superior adhesion to metal and corrosion resistance.
gettin a little scientific, but would this be because the epoxy cures instead of dry? as in a chemical reaction with the epoxy as opposed to evaporation with the primer?
 
gettin a little scientific, but would this be because the epoxy cures instead of dry? as in a chemical reaction with the epoxy as opposed to evaporation with the primer?

2k Urethane also cures as opposed to drying by evaporation like lacquer. Catalysis would be the correct term I think. Epoxy also cures by catalysis but with completely different chemical components. So the process is different but it still cures because of a chemical reaction. All that being said I slept through most of my Chemistry classes so Barry et al feel free to correct me if I'm not completely accurate. Maybe Barry can comment on why epoxy chemically is superior.
 
I know all you guys are pretty sharp gurus, but the short answer I needed was to make sure that by spraying a couple of coats of epoxy for at least 24 hrs before base coat or any primer would basically prevent lifting or cracking of a new paint job. I am only going down to metal in places where its needed. Please keep it simple for me Im a newbie but doing really well with you guys help. I didnt think that SPI's epoxy shrunk, I was only asking for knowlegde of the product. But I really need this question answered, if panels are straight, such as hood and trunk and no body work needed can I spray base directly over spi epoxy if no body work is needed and spray clear.
 
The paint job is only as good as what it is sitting on. When it is sitting on top of an unstable product, it is unstable. Original lacquer paint on a 65 Mustang is not stable. Whatever they painted it with is peeling, which makes it unstable. You seem to be looking for a miracle product you can put over crap and make everything good. There is not such a product. As good as the SPI epoxy is, it can not correct what is under it. It needs a correctly prepared substrate to do what it does best. If this stuff was easy, nobody would pay me to do it. You will not get anything but the correct way to do something on this forum, even if it is not what you want to hear. Anything other than stripping that car to bare metal is half-assing it, period.
 
I do not have a problem with corrective criticism and respect everyone's response because I was asking for help. This is a little project that I just wanted to paint and drive and have a good time. As I stated earlier, right now Im not going down to bare metal. Just wanted to put a decent paint job on the car and cruze, which Im still going to do. But I have no hard feelings whether its half ass or not. I appreciate all you guys giving me input and will keep asking questions.
 
Thanks Texasking for responding sometimes I may not make myself clear when asking a question but the answer usually comes out sooner or later.
 
The only thing I would add to this thread is the Mustang should be acrylic enamel from the factory, not lacquer. That is kind of irrelevant if there is a second paint job on top of it that is failing but the epoxy is probably less likely to attack an old Ford paint than a lacquer based GM paint.

Bottom line is, whether or not there is deteriorated, failing paint under the epoxy or accessive build thickness of 2k primer on top of it, your paint job will be exactly as good as it's weakest link. The de-lamination you referred to earlier will continue to spread and may well create bubbles down the road in your new paint if not removed.

Good luck with the project. My wife had a 66 when I met her. It is good to see one getting some love.

John
 
After having a thorough conversations with these guys they explained it very well, its very clear that I need to remove all previous paint and start over fresh. Thanks again because I just didnt know what type of future problems I was going to run into due to lmy ack of knowledge but this post really set in and changed my mind.so I will be stripping it down to bare metal.
 
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