Durable Paint for Automotive Use

[VWandDodge]

I'm searching for a good, durable paint to use for the pedal cluster of old Volkswagons, brackets under the hood of my pickup, and perhaps some other parts of my VW Golf project. I know someone who used Hammerite paint and used it on the trailing arms of his VW project. He claims it showed no signs of damage when clamped in a vice for welding and also wasn't fazed by the heat from welding. I've been playing hell trying to locate it here, in the OKC area. I've been performing some online searches and one result took me to a forum where a couple of people stated it's not all that great. I'm half tempted to go with a Rustoleum primer and paint for my projects. I was tempted to get some of the parts powder coated but I don't want to shell out that kind of money.

Any advice or recommendations is appreciated.

 

[930dreamer]

I've used auto type primer and paint with good results. VW truck? like single/double cab?

 

[ibedayank]

expoxy paint in a rattle can

 

[Karnage]

Por15 or KBS

 

[Stuart in MN]

PJ1 spray paint is good stuff if you're okay with gloss black. It's sold at motorcycle shops for painting frames and engine cases, or you can order it from Summit Racing: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PJI-16-GLS/

 

[BMW Guy]

Have you considered powder coating ? A little more money but very durable.

 

[VWandDodge]

I've used auto type primer and paint with good results. VW truck? like single/double cab?

No VW truck here. It's my 1997 Ram.

Por15 or KBS

No POR-15. I've seen it applied and don't care for it. It also depends on humidity in order to cure, which there is little to none here, in Oklahoma. What is KBS?

PJ1 spray paint is good stuff if you're okay with gloss black. It's sold at motorcycle shops for painting frames and engine cases, or you can order it from Summit Racing: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PJI-16-GLS/

Funny story -- I'm actually looking to paint most everything gloss black. I will check that out.

Have you considered powder coating ? A little more money but very durable.

For the price I don't like how it chips and scratches, hence why I don't want to go that route.

 

[Jay H 237]

Eastwood's "Chassis Black" may be what you want. Available in can or spray.

 

[Hammer1963]

Most local NAPA stores carry a bargain line of 2 conponent catalyzed paint in basic colors. This paint will be much more durable than anything out of a spray can. Of course you will need to spray the mix or you could actually dip your parts and hang them to dry. I've dipped parts for many years with very good success. If you decide to dip the parts and are using Black, the results are really surprising. Done properly, the parts will almost have a porcelain look

 

[countryroad82]

You can go the catalyzed like Hammer1963 says and it will hold out great, the only problem is having to clean your gun every time, which is both annoying and runs up in cost if you figure in your cleaner. For my personal junk I use Rustoleum on plenty of small parts and it holds up very well if you prep correctly. I also use POR15 but you said you don't like it so that is out of the question, but it does work very well I must say, I have a metal pipe I coated years ago that I had buried and left in the elements for a 2 year experiment and it still looks nice so imagine if it is something you will actually take car of lol. Anyway hope this helps with your decision.

 

[dwm]

I powdercoat my own small parts. It's cheaper than quality paint, and faster due to dramatically less cleanup (no sticky overspray, no solvents to clean the gun, and I can use the part as soon as it cools off from the oven). Obviously it can't be used on everything, but where it can be used easily (small metal parts), I prefer it to paint.

Eastwood Rust Encapsulator and Chassis Black works fine for me for many other things. I always have some on hand.

 

[KermitFrog]

I've used Chassis Black for a lot of the stuff I use.

 

[trexdoink]

Duplicolor is very good paint for something small like that. Goes on smooth and dries quickly.

 

[VWandDodge]

You can go the catalyzed like Hammer1963 says and it will hold out great, the only problem is having to clean your gun every time, which is both annoying and runs up in cost if you figure in your cleaner. For my personal junk I use Rustoleum on plenty of small parts and it holds up very well if you prep correctly. I also use POR15 but you said you don't like it so that is out of the question, but it does work very well I must say, I have a metal pipe I coated years ago that I had buried and left in the elements for a 2 year experiment and it still looks nice so imagine if it is something you will actually take car of lol. Anyway hope this helps with your decision.

Any tips on prepping for using Rustoleum? Also, I don't have a paint gun nor experience using one.

I powdercoat my own small parts. It's cheaper than quality paint, and faster due to dramatically less cleanup (no sticky overspray, no solvents to clean the gun, and I can use the part as soon as it cools off from the oven). Obviously it can't be used on everything, but where it can be used easily (small metal parts), I prefer it to paint.

Eastwood Rust Encapsulator and Chassis Black works fine for me for many other things. I always have some on hand.

I'd forgotten about Rust Encapsulator. There is another product called Rust Bullet(?). I do know people who've used both products and stated them to be superior to POR-15 in both coverage and ease of application.

Duplicolor is very good paint for something small like that. Goes on smooth and dries quickly.

I should have mentioned I've used it and not been very happy with the results.


I think that, overall, I'd rather avoid using any type of spray paint from a rattle can. Something applied with a brush would yield better coverage.

 

[Hammer1963]

Any tips on prepping for using Rustoleum? Also, I don't have a paint gun nor experience using one.



I'd forgotten about Rust Encapsulator. There is another product called Rust Bullet(?). I do know people who've used both products and stated them to be superior to POR-15 in both coverage and ease of application.



I should have mentioned I've used it and not been very happy with the results.


I think that, overall, I'd rather avoid using any type of spray paint from a rattle can. Something applied with a brush would yield better coverage.

A lot of people make the mistake of wiping done their parts with Lacquer thinner of Acrylic Enamel reducer. These products tend to leave a film on the parts, thus not promoting good adhesion.

Once I have prepped the part to the condition I am trying to achieve, I take wax and grease remover and clean the parts. Then believe it or not, I spray Windex on the parts and then flood them with water. Yes water promotes rust, but if you take clean compressed air and remove the water quickly, you will have no more corrosion present than if you left these parts out in the open air for any length of time. Once this is done, I use a Metal prep solution on the parts. This will help dissipate any surface rust that has crep up.

Purchase a good aresol etching primer and apply to your parts. It works on cast iron, steel and aluminum. A light transparent coat will do the job. You're not looking for build, just a film to bite into the surface.

I mentioned dipping the parts for the specific reason of avoiding the use of a spray gun and it has the ability to creep into crevices that some spray applications will not reach.

Wet on wet your application, meaning once the primer has flashed well, dip or spray your parts. When I dip, I use a baking pan about 2" deep. Lay the parts in the pan and poor a sufficient amount of paint into the pan and use a spoon to ladel the paint on areas that are not covered by the paint. Hang the parts and watch them gleem better than they ever did when they were new. Note, you will need to pull the dripping paint off of the end of the part. A paper towel works great for that. Another tip is to take your left over paint and place it in a refrigerator after use. You can get a few more hours out of the product by doing this if you are going to do this over a period of a few hours.

I have used this process for 20 plus years with great results. Good luck

 

[VWandDodge]

A lot of people make the mistake of wiping done their parts with Lacquer thinner of Acrylic Enamel reducer. These products tend to leave a film on the parts, thus not promoting good adhesion.

Once I have prepped the part to the condition I am trying to achieve, I take wax and grease remover and clean the parts. Then believe it or not, I spray Windex on the parts and then flood them with water. Yes water promotes rust, but if you take clean compressed air and remove the water quickly, you will have no more corrosion present than if you left these parts out in the open air for any length of time. Once this is done, I use a Metal prep solution on the parts. This will help dissipate any surface rust that has crep up.

Purchase a good aresol etching primer and apply to your parts. It works on cast iron, steel and aluminum. A light transparent coat will do the job. You're not looking for build, just a film to bite into the surface.

I mentioned dipping the parts for the specific reason of avoiding the use of a spray gun and it has the ability to creep into crevices that some spray applications will not reach.

Wet on wet your application, meaning once the primer has flashed well, dip or spray your parts. When I dip, I use a baking pan about 2" deep. Lay the parts in the pan and poor a sufficient amount of paint into the pan and use a spoon to ladel the paint on areas that are not covered by the paint. Hang the parts and watch them gleem better than they ever did when they were new. Note, you will need to pull the dripping paint off of the end of the part. A paper towel works great for that. Another tip is to take your left over paint and place it in a refrigerator after use. You can get a few more hours out of the product by doing this if you are going to do this over a period of a few hours.

I have used this process for 20 plus years with great results. Good luck

Very interesting and much appreciated. I've used acetone as a prep agent. What are your thoughts about using it? I am aware of using compressed air on parts cleaned with water will prevent flash rusting. I learned that from a local engine builder as that's the final step of everything he has cleaned prior to assembly.

Rather than dipping, is there any reason I cannot use a brush?

 

[Hammer1963]

Very interesting and much appreciated. I've used acetone as a prep agent. What are your thoughts about using it? I am aware of using compressed air on parts cleaned with water will prevent flash rusting. I learned that from a local engine builder as that's the final step of everything he has cleaned prior to assembly.

Rather than dipping, is there any reason I cannot use a brush?

On the dipping vs brush, just for appearance purposes. I haven't used Acetone to wipe down parts. I don't know if it will leave a film. Sounds like a Google question to me

 

[JSBriggs]

Ive had good results with Rustoleum industrial (was hard hat) rattle cans. Very durable and touches up easily. You can get it at Lowes/HD etc.

-Jeff

 

[5lima30]

Around here I've seen quite a few people use the Valspar tractor and implement paint that they sell at TSC for frames, undercarriages, etc. The black color they have has an OEM look to it as well. I have not used it for vehicles but have used it for farm implements and can attest that is very durable and noticably "thicker" even in the rattlecans. YMMV.

 

[VWandDodge]

Valspar is a fantastic interior paint and anything that can handle agricultural will be perfect for automotive use.

 

[countryroad82]

When I use Rustoleum I prep just like I prep a car. If it is a rusty bracket for example, I either sandblast (usually I do this but I have a blast cabinet) or clean to the best of my ability with a wire brush and sandpaper (I like to sand parts after I get them out of the blast cabinet too, it knocks down the texture the glass bead leaves), then wipe down with wax/ grease remover. I etch and prime, scuff the primer and shoot the paint. If you are just painting small parts, rattle cans will be fine, but you can also brush it on with good results, you said you don't know how to use a paint gun. If you want to learn how to use one this is the best time to learn, go buy a cheapie and have at it!! To get Rustoleum or tractor paint to gloss well while spraying you need to thin it at around 4 parts paint to 1 part thinner (4:1). Hope this helps!!