Just blasted a few spots on my 67 so need to put them in epoxy primer. I have been using PPG DP 90 off and on but the price has gotten really bad. I have a small amount of DP 90 but not sure if I have enough to do this little bit. I will need to order a bunch more primer for this and other projects so was wondering if there is another epoxy primer that is just as good but much better in price. I just had someone quote a boat trailer blast and paint and they said they would use PPG industrial epoxy primer (CRE??) but I don't know how good it is. It does seem to be much cheaper than DP 90.
Epoxy Primers Quality versus Price?
LarryD
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Just blasted a few spots on my 67 so need to put them in epoxy primer. I have been using PPG DP 90 off and on but the price has gotten really bad. I have a small amount of DP 90 but not sure if I have enough to do this little bit. I will need to order a bunch more primer for this and other projects so was wondering if there is another epoxy primer that is just as good but much better in price. I just had someone quote a boat trailer blast and paint and they said they would use PPG industrial epoxy primer (CRE??) but I don't know how good it is. It does seem to be much cheaper than DP 90.
SPI is a well supported company.
Excellent customer support, and a forum with expert advice and experience.
You can actually talk to customer service in plain English and get good solid advice….
I’m an old worn out welder so my opinion isn’t worth much but Don Huttons advice is worth its weight in gold …just look at the builds he turns out and you be the judge. 👍🏼
Excellent customer support, and a forum with expert advice and experience.
You can actually talk to customer service in plain English and get good solid advice….
I’m an old worn out welder so my opinion isn’t worth much but Don Huttons advice is worth its weight in gold …just look at the builds he turns out and you be the judge. 👍🏼
I have used KIRKER EPOXY Primer and its great stuff for the price and it also sands well after three days . i am not positive BUUUUUUT i believe a lot of EASTWOODS PAINT PRODUCTS are made by KIRKER. Everybody has standards by which they adhere to for paint . I have seen people spend a fortune on paints and fillers and primers and come up with not a great job . for the average guy with a class 2/3 car that's a good runner you cant beat KIRKER or T C P GLOBAL its decent stuff and the price wont kill you. Notice i said for the average hobbyist, now if you doing a soup to nuts high end restoration you need to use high end stuff but you also need a guy with the experience to apply it. Alex
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SPI is fine, I don't dislike it but I don't use it much anymore. R-M EP epoxy is good also. DP is obviously very costly and I don't care for the new DP anyway. CRE is a good epoxy, very high build and zero shrinkage, sands well next day. Lot of resto shops here use it now. Omni epox is not as bad as some might think when used under your build primer of choice. CRE also has a clear tintable base as an option depending on job requirements. Anything in PPG's commercial line is quality and less expesive than the automotive line due to industry costs for color formulations, variances, advanced tech for waterborne basecoats and other BS they need in the auto paint industry. PPG commercail single stages are great too. I use the AUE 360 black in variuos sheens. Their Vibrance line offers VP 2050 epoxy which is the same thing as CRE but guess which one costs much more?? I laugh about it with my jobbers. DT reducer is a lot more than Omni reducer and they are made in the same building. Customers foot the bill but I like to offer them cost and product options. None of these products are difficult to use. People pamper their rarely driven cars anyway, and even most so-called inferior primers and topcoats will look better than you will in 25 years. I don't consider myself an expert, I learn all the time. Just been in this business and nonsense for few decades.
Well said Scott!
My skill level is beginner, I’m not educated, so SPI and the advice given from reputable builders allowed me to achieve driver quality.
SPI epoxy
SPI high build
SPI Black single stage
Jim C cut buff method
I’m certain that there are numerous high quality options, but do not discount the quality and support available from SPI
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My skill level is beginner, I’m not educated, so SPI and the advice given from reputable builders allowed me to achieve driver quality.
SPI epoxy
SPI high build
SPI Black single stage
Jim C cut buff method
I’m certain that there are numerous high quality options, but do not discount the quality and support available from SPI
Thanks for the info. Right now I am working on inside the rear quarter panel and the inside of the panel below the rear window so I can weld in the exterior cover panel just in front of the trunk lid. So, they won't be seen but I want to make sure it is coated well to prevent future rust. I had enough of the DP 90 left to paint the spaces and I will top it with some Omni MTK that I also have left from a previous project. This will use up my paints so I will look into the paints mentioned here to buy more. I have to do a lot of paint work on hidden spaces and the under carriage of my 67 to do next plus I am also working on a boat trailer repaint so will use the same paints on both projects.
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5,617 Posts
I like SPI as well and have even used Keystone products with good results when on a budget and have one I did in 2009 that still looks good when you peek under the cover! I get it delivered to the shop usually in 24 hours which saves my time and effort. PPG Shopline has gotten expensive as well and their profits are up so their stockholders are happy.
Situation: I actually am working back and forth on 3 projects right now, 67 Camaro, 92 Camaro, 76 Boat Trailer. The 67 Camaro is on my rotisserie and is longer term project. The 92 Camaro is probably highest priority (rust out repair, repaint engine bay and various rust repairs) as I need to get it back on the road due to gas prices (its a V6). The boat trailer is whenever but I need it done by spring. Any sandblasting has to be done outside as long as the weather continues to hold up (Washington State so not much longer this year). The goal is to get a portion of the welding, blasting and paint coating on the areas that allow me to move everything into the shop for other winter work that doesn't involve blasting or sanding. The way I work on these is to do small areas at a time so I don't use the paint very quickly. Except for the boat trailer, the work I am doing now is all hidden except the engine bay on the 92 Camaro so I don't need a 2K primer over the epoxy.
SPI Products: I am concerned with shelf life as it will take a while to use the paint. I just got off the phone with SPI and they said that their epoxy primer has a 2 year shelf life after opening and their epoxy activator has a 1 year shelf life after opening. They said anyone's single stage or base/clear can go over their epoxy. They also said the topcoats can go directly over the epoxy primer.
So, here is what I am now thinking after the info above and talking to SPI:
1) Sandblast or sand
2) Shoot 2 coats of SPI epoxy primer (Buy 1 gallon of epoxy primer and then buy 1 quart at a time of the activator as needed)
3) Shoot 2 coats of Omni single stage topcoat for added protection even though areas are hidden
Later when I paint the two cars, I will use Base/Clear for those.
SPI Products: I am concerned with shelf life as it will take a while to use the paint. I just got off the phone with SPI and they said that their epoxy primer has a 2 year shelf life after opening and their epoxy activator has a 1 year shelf life after opening. They said anyone's single stage or base/clear can go over their epoxy. They also said the topcoats can go directly over the epoxy primer.
So, here is what I am now thinking after the info above and talking to SPI:
1) Sandblast or sand
2) Shoot 2 coats of SPI epoxy primer (Buy 1 gallon of epoxy primer and then buy 1 quart at a time of the activator as needed)
3) Shoot 2 coats of Omni single stage topcoat for added protection even though areas are hidden
Later when I paint the two cars, I will use Base/Clear for those.
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10,721 Posts
PPG's CRE and the commercial line is sold by jobbers who have a commercial contract with PPG in addition to the auto line, not all jobbers carry it. I've used and presently stock Lumabase sealers, never tried their other products but not fearful of doing so. All products depend on what your jobber sells. I use local jobbers because I naturally get a shop discount and have daily deliveries if required. Omni is a lower line wthin the PPG family. PPG Shopline is sold by jobbers who sell PPG exclusively. My jobber does not sell it because they offer PPG, BASF, Lumabase and other company paints. Omni Plus basecoats offer a higher quality and better paint matches than Omni but not always as good as DBC. Lost yet? Omni Plus black is just as black as DBC but less that half the price. Is Omni or Omni Plus garbage? That depends on what your objectives are. Bikes I've shot with Omni clear 15 years ago look just fine today. A friend shot his daily driven flatbed with Black Omni 20 years ago and that thing never got washed and lived outside and still looked good. Of course it's not Concept or as black. Buy whatever you or your customers want, and from a seller that provides tech and product support if you don't regularly do this or have a rep like shops do.
Any hidden areas or backsides do not need a topcoat over epoxy, they will outlive you.
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9,355 Posts
No need to topcoat SPI black epoxy. It has plenty of UV protection.
Have you considered a chassis paint? You are painting parts no one can see, and it would be the best on a boat trailer. It resists rock chips, road chemicals, engine fluids. Some of these types of paints can be applied directly to metal. No primer needed. Or it can be applied over epoxy primer if you like. I used epoxy primer first and then a chassis paint.
I used PPG EST900 chassis paint everywhere. There are many other brands.
Subframe
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Under my car. Floor pan, trunk pan, frame rail, shock absorbers.
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I think you are planning to paint the engine bay. It works good on the firewall and inner fenders.
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Radiator support.
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Floor pan
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I used PPG EST900 chassis paint everywhere. There are many other brands.
Subframe
Under my car. Floor pan, trunk pan, frame rail, shock absorbers.
I think you are planning to paint the engine bay. It works good on the firewall and inner fenders.
Radiator support.
Floor pan
The pics look really great... I have had the 67 since 95 and way back when, before life happened, I sandblasted and painted the under carriage with GM Chassis Black... It has been stored since then and the GM Chassis Black is showing little pin points of what looks like rust pits. So, I haven't given chassis paint a thought. I will take a look at the PPG chassis paint you mentioned if I can get it in my area.
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9,355 Posts
Hands down SPI epoxy will outperform any chassis paint. You can take it to the bank….
Here is a chassis I painted with SPI epoxy
Been out of town for several weeks so getting back to this thread. Given a quart of DP 90 and activator is almost the same price of a gallon SPI epoxy primer and a gallon of SPI activator, I just ordered the SPI stuff. I do plan to top coat the SPI even in areas that don't see daylight or very little daylight for added durability and rust protection. Next up: I have been using Omni MTK 9300 but even that has gotten too expensive so looking for a good catalized top coat paint that I can gun spray directly to SPI epoxy primer for things like the fender liners, engine bay, underbody, and interior body. The exterior body will come later in Base/Clear.
I suggest you wait until you have shot something like the inner fender with SPI black primer to decide on top coating of certain parts and areas.
SPI primer cures to a semi gloss ( very subjective term) and after seeing the results I decided to leave it as the final coating, as many have done.
Just a passing thought from someone that over thinks far to much.
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