I getting ready to paint my firewall & inner fenders back to the original med. olive (504).
I got ss acrylic enamel with the hardener.
I'm having second thoughts if this is the proper stuff to use.
After searching here, I'm thinking of taking back my primer to get a urethane primer to cover the etching primer in the rusted area (after sanding). See Pic.

I already got this paint so not sure what to do. I only go $25 in this Quart (nonrefundable) but everything else is.
recommendations.
s/t

Urethane will hold up better but unfortunately, brake fluid will eat right through urethane paint too.

The enamel you have will be fine, esp sence it is an underhood application and also because you will catalize it. Enamel paint (solid colors) will hold up for 3-5 years depending on how well you take care of it. Urethane jobs can last 2 times that, even more if well taken care of. Just figure if the increased duarability of urethane matches the cost increase for what you are trying to achieve.

The urethane primer would be the best undercoat to use.

Don

Urethane will hold up better but unfortunately, brake fluid will eat right through urethane paint too.

The enamel you have will be fine, esp sence it is an underhood application and also because you will catalize it. Enamel paint (solid colors) will hold up for 3-5 years depending on how well you take care of it. Urethane jobs can last 2 times that, even more if well taken care of. Just figure if the increased duarability of urethane matches the cost increase for what you are trying to achieve.

The urethane primer would be the best undercoat to use.

Don


Thanks Don,
This paint is metallic, does this add to any problems?
Should I primer the whole thing? or only the area that will be sanded to bare metal? My original thought was to use an etching primer then primer on just the area that I sanded. But after reading this I'm thinking it will look better if I spray the whole area? Whats your thoughts?

My goal was to paint this so in the future I can do the whole truck, without having to do the firewall.
Do you think If I stay with the same brand, but use a urethane on the outside
it will look like I used two different paints?
Thanks for your help.
s/t

Thanks Don,
This paint is metallic, does this add to any problems?
Should I primer the whole thing? or only the area that will be sanded to bare metal? My original thought was to use an etching primer then primer on just the area that I sanded. But after reading this I'm thinking it will look better if I spray the whole area? Whats your thoughts?

My goal was to paint this so in the future I can do the whole truck, without having to do the firewall.
Do you think If I stay with the same brand, but use a urethane on the outside
it will look like I used two different paints?
Thanks for your help.
s/t

Let me start with the surface you will be painting on. As long as the paint undernieth is ok, you don't need to sand it back down to bare metal. I would feather edge any rust spots and then hit them, like you said, with some etch. Then spot prime with primer surfacer.

As far as the metallic enamel goes, you can spray it, but it will be hard to control the metallic flow to keep it looking even. You won't be able to color sand and buff it later either.

Here is a link helping to explain that:http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=285705

Jambing in your truck is a good idea. That way you can just concentrate on the outside later when you go to paint the whole thing. However, you would be better off either changing out your color for a solid color, (You can sand and buff solid colors in enamel) or going with basecoat/clearcoat for metallics. I know it's more expensive but much easier to use in the end and to boot it will give you awesome results. Depending on the color, you could paint the firewall still with your enamel and paint the outside with base/clear. There may be a slight color/metallic match, but under your hood, nobody will notice or care.

Don