The rust-oleum paint job revisited

[Bob_Koch]

Awhile back was a discussion about painting cars and trucks with rustoleum. A very cheap, but effective means of painting.

Just got my July issue of Hot Rod magazine. A nice article on the $98 paint job starting on page 94. They take a car through the whole process with a pretty honest evaluation of the results.

[grey beard]

I'll let you all see a few shots of mine in progress in a few days. I'm using Brightside marine paint from Interlux, which, unfortunately, does require primer, so it'll be a few days until I have some color (dark green) to show anyone.

One of the main advantages to this system is that I can do one panel at a time, AND there will he no overspray, since my garage is below the hedroom, and firstwife has a sensitive nose - doesn't even like WD-49. Go figure . . . . .

I'm painting the grille panel and fenders while the nose is still apart, so I can install the grille bars. Try as I might, I cannot get my hands inside the grille holes to put the moldings on, so I'm doing it before the radiator goes in - remember what Henry Ford said about lazy workers . . . . . .

[Don Coatney]

, and firstwife has a sensitive nose . . .

OK Dave I will bite. I know Tim Adams has two wives at the same time, I have a first and second wife at different times, and my second wife has a first, second, and (me) the third husband. My GG Grandfather (Archibald Coatney/Courtney) had three wives (two of them sisters) and produced 18 known children over a 52 year period with his 3 wives. Tell me why your beautiful wife (I should have taken pictures when I met both you and your firstwife) is call firstwife:confused: :confused:

[Jim Shepard]

So, what was the verdict? I used as a top coat after putting POR15 frame paint on (put both on with a foam brush). By the way, 'grey beard,' I completely disassembled my truck and painted pieces individually. After some minor body work on the nose, the grill bars didn't line up right. I was glad I had the nose off. I don't thinkg I could have done it working between the nose and the radiator

[grey beard]

Don C.

No gig mystery here - Firstwife took so long to train that I have despaired of ever starting a younger model (er' version, if you will). This means that after 44 years this month we're likely stuck with one another for the duration.

PS Don, Sandra spoke well of you, too. Go figure . . . . . .

[Jim Shepard]

Here's a photo of my frame, which is POR15 with a top coat of Rust-oleum, both applied with a foam brush.

All things considered, it turned out pretty good. I haven't noticed any paint peel or chipping.

[Tony_Urwin]

Beautiful job! I like Eastwood Rust Encapsultor and Chassis black. It's overpriced, though. I only buy it when it's on sale and free shipping, and it's still too expensive.

[grey beard]

Jim,

That is a great shot. You are obviously doing a trre "frame off" restoration. My own project started out as a spruce up and I found it's hard to know where to quit. Any further progress since that last photo? Body work?

Keep us lookin' . . . Thanks:)

[Bouncy B]

I'm doing the Rustoleum Roll-on Method.

I spent countless hours, dollars, etc. trying to spray only to be extremely frustrated. I bought a compressor and eventually three different guns. HUGE MESSES on the truck, me and everything nearby. I had everything kind of problem imaginable. Spray it, hate it, sand it. That was the routine before I followed the posting here to the moparts forum. I'm using Sunrise Red on the front and Gloss Black on the bed and absolutely loving it. It gives a great original looking paint job. I've got four coats so far. It's quick, easy, clean. The learning curve is so much less than spraying. Anyone can do it. I'm even doing mine outside. I absolutely love it!!! I wanted cheap and easy and this is definitely it! It looks great and I haven't even buffed it out yet. If you go to the moparts forum, there's lots of different cars that have been painted this way. Hopefully enough to make a believer out of you. I'll post pictures when I'm done. I'm definitely a convert!

[62rebelP23]

when i got my cambridge it had the usual 55 year old paint problem exacerbated by a respray sometime in the 70's (???) that was flaking. i spent literally a week scraping down the paint with razor blades (!!) and painted it with a brush and yellow rustoleum straight from the can. well... i decided to redo it. another week of scraping ( AGAIN with the razor blades; i'll explain this further on) and used black rustoleum this time. it's shiny but definitely not smooth, but at this time i just want to keep rust off her.

razor blades!? yep; single edge industrial, no handle, what they do is slice off the really dead paint without damaging (MUCH...) the primer underneath. it takes patience and care but you can get the cruddy topcoat off leaving solid primer underneath. soon as i get the rocker panel, driver's floor, and the holes on the front fenders around the headlights patched, i'm going to do it all over again but more carefully. and dark blue this time...

[Jim Shepard]

The truck's been done and on the road every day since mid-October. Here's a shot from early Spring.

[grey beard]

Just a few issues with this idea. First of all, there's nothing wrong with it, and it's do-able. Please don't save your $50 bucks, go down to the hardward for your Rustoleum, and expect to drive a painted car tomorrow.

When the guys say, "The key to a good paint job is in the preparation." they're not just a' whistlin' Dixie. I will soon have a group of photos to back up my rhetoric, but it's sorta like this. I'm sure there are vehicles you can sand down and start painting right now, and get good results. I doubt mghtily that any of these vehicles are Pilothouse trucks with over half a century of use on them. I have spent over $90 on just abrasives - DA discs and miscellaneous sand paper. Then there's primer for under the Interlux Brightside, if you go that route - which I have. There also will be some glazing putty to fill all the pits, grinder marks and small dings, body filler for the larger close encounters, and if your truck is like mine, some mig welding and perhaps some rust repair.

When I began sanding the nose of my Dodge, I hit Nitrostan, that dreaded air dry, lacquer base red stuff every body man used back in the fifties. That stuff has ruined many a paint job. This meant I had to sand it all out, and there was a good 1/8-inch coat under most of the paint. Took 8 hours of prep, just for the grille panel, before I could progress to the glazing putty stage. I'm using a two-part urethane putty on mine that really dries fast.

I''m sure that once I get the primer on and sanded, and can really see some color - dark green in this case - there will be more gratification. Right now my trash can is full of burned DA discs and the shop is full of dust. Oh well . . .

[Tony_Urwin]

Amen to that. I think that most stalled projects are stuck at the bodywork or paint stage. You either spend hundreds of hours getting it straight and ready for paint, or you spend megabucks for a pro to do it.

On the other hand, that's the beauty of old trucks. no one expects the $5000 pearl metalflake paint job on a pilot house. After sandblasting the stakebed for my truck, I just painted it with a brush and rattlecans.

[samuel1952]

I painted my 52 Staked bed cab with colour matched two-staged rattlecans. available via my local autobody paint shop...The colour was a perfect match and the second stage gloss works (just) ok, not by any means show but it looks respectable..will let it all cure for a month in the sun or so then try to hand buff it all and then call it done.  I used good quality rattle cans for the wheels and other black bits (bumpers etc) it it works fine..and if it gets faded or chipped i can just spray a quick touch up. The whole effect is of a well cared for garden tool.

[4852dodge]

I'm in the process of rebuilding my 48 B-1-D and I'm using Rusteoleum Dark Hunter Greeen.   It's being sprayed.  I stripped the entire truck with sanding discs and a 3M scotchbrite like stripping disc.  Two coats of high build primer and block sanded, now color.  When mixing the paint for spraying I also added a hardner from Tractor Supply to the mix.  The paint was sandable in two days and had a higher gloss.  I will color sand shortly, I'm waiting until after I install some parts in case I scratch and have to touch-up.   Tom

[pflaming]

Why strip all the paint off? I can understand that that eliminates the problem of a questionable sub strait yet isn't there a way of assuring the old paint is sound?

 

I miss Grey Beard. He and Dave Erb walked me through the rebuilding of my engine. Thanks Guys! 

[Don Coatney]

 

I miss Grey Beard. He and Dave Erb walked me through the rebuilding of my engine. Thanks Guys! 

Grey Beard and Dave Erb are one and the same.

[pflaming]

I should have known that (short term memory loss). Thanks for the reminder. Reposting this information was timely. 

Edited August 14, 2013 by pflaming

[55 Fargo]

I'm in the process of rebuilding my 48 B-1-D and I'm using Rusteoleum Dark Hunter Greeen.   It's being sprayed.  I stripped the entire truck with sanding discs and a 3M scotchbrite like stripping disc.  Two coats of high build primer and block sanded, now color.  When mixing the paint for spraying I also added a hardner from Tractor Supply to the mix.  The paint was sandable in two days and had a higher gloss.  I will color sand shortly, I'm waiting until after I install some parts in case I scratch and have to touch-up.   Tom

is all these "rust paints", Rustoleum, Tremclad, XO Rust paint, Rust Coat, Zero Rust,  Tractor enamels, are nothing more than "Synthetic Enamels", or Alkyd, the paints used in the factory for years before Acrylics and Urethanes.

I have mixed this stuff, with everything , mineral spirits, acetone, autobody enamel reducers, urethane grade reducer, you name it, and have used both acrylic enamel and enamel gloss hardeners with it too.

The rust primers I have used a lot, reduced with all the above noted reducers,once fully cured have used  either lacquer primer/surfacers, to 2 k urethane high build primers too, have even spilled some lacquer thinner on a panel once too, did not phase it.

for the hobbiest, using these coatings is much safer than the urethane types, where safety and protection is a must.

For frames, inner panels, using rusty metal primer and a topcoat is absolutely fine, no need for POR 15. Zero  rust is a quality enamel rust paint, and Rust Bullit is a great product too, have tried a few things, but for my use have stuck with the economical stuff, good prep, is key.....

[ggdad1951]

For areas I KNOW will see issues down the road for potential rust, I plan on TODD at least to POR15 the crap out of it.  I'm glad I spent the time and money on FEF with POR15 on the frame and undercarriage/under the cab.  The stuff is tough as nails, takes impact and hangs to the metal like no tomorrow.  But that's just me.

[55 Fargo]

For areas I KNOW will see issues down the road for potential rust, I plan on TODD at least to POR15 the crap out of it.  I'm glad I spent the time and money on FEF with POR15 on the frame and undercarriage/under the cab.  The stuff is tough as nails, takes impact and hangs to the metal like no tomorrow.  But that's just me.

Okay that works for you. Only consistent problem reported with POR 15 (moisture cure) urethane type paint, is it delaminates a lot of the times and peels off in sheets. Rust Bullit appears tobe a better performer, its silver colored, high in aluminum content, maybe that is why it seals well...

Whatever the choice, the point of the matter is to seal out moisture and oxygen, both of which mixed together oxidize and rust metal, whether the metal is already rusty under the coating or is clean water+ oxygen=rust, add sodium chloride and this process goes crazy...

[Barry Maxwell]

money on FEF with POR15 on the

 

 

I have been meaning to ask for a long time now. What does FEF stand for???

[ggdad1951]

Okay that works for you. Only consistent problem reported with POR 15 (moisture cure) urethane type paint, is it delaminates a lot of the times and peels off in sheets. Rust Bullit appears tobe a better performer, its silver colored, high in aluminum content, maybe that is why it seals well...

Whatever the choice, the point of the matter is to seal out moisture and oxygen, both of which mixed together oxidize and rust metal, whether the metal is already rusty under the coating or is clean water+ oxygen=rust, add sodium chloride and this process goes crazy...

I haven't had any problems with the POR15 delaminating, well, yet.  What I've painted, I properly prepped and that stuff still is on there good.  I've had issues with a top coat spot peeling, but that's because I waited too long to apply it in instances, a rough up and it sticks well.  Time will tell, TODD might not get POR15, but he WILL get a product onlong those lines.

 

I have been meaning to ask for a long time now. What does FEF stand for???

all the ownsers in my family's names in order of ownership.

 

Great grandpa's first name, my father's middle and my last.  Fredrich Elsworth Fritsche: FEF

Edited August 14, 2013 by ggdad1951

[Barry Maxwell]

all the ownser's in my families names in order of ownership.

 

Great grandpa's first name, my father's middle and my last.  Fredrich Elsworth Fritsche: FEF

 

 

Thank you for your response. That is a VERY NICE family thing!! I have seen FEF many times in past posts and wondered about it, and now I know they were all your posts. Very meaningful name for your truck.

Barry

[Dan Babb]

That's funny...I always thought it was the model name of the truck.