Before I paint...

[Steve Jelf]

... I'll prime. Does it matter whether the primer is red, gray, or black?

[speedytinc]

WHEN you get rock chips & scratches, rather see the chip lt grey, red or black?
Dumbest thing to do is grey primer a black fender. IMHO

[Steve Jelf]

Yep, same with wheels. I just wondered if the color matters in any other way.

[NealW]

Steve,

When I restored our 15 runabout 3 years ago, I used High-Teck Direct to metal (DTM) grey high solid primer from Wholesale Automotive Paint in Wichita. I've posted the address below. It is a two part primer that sprays well with a HVLP gun. You just need to thin it with lacquer thinner or reducer by the amount that they recommend. It is sold in quart or gallon. It had excellent adhesion over bare metal or the old brown primer on the body under the lacquer paint that I sanded off. I used a two part urethane paint over it with zero compatibility issues. It wet sands well too.

I will not use rattle can primer or paint any more. Too hit and miss on how well works, no matter how well you degrease.

Wholesale Automotive Paint
1147 S Pattie St, Wichita, KS 67211

[MichaelPawelek]

To be sure I get 100% coverage of the final paint coat I always use a “opposite” primer. In other words if the top coat is dark I use a light primer or the other way around. Try painting a white top coat over a light grey primer. It will drive your eyes crazy seeing if you did a correct pattern knowing you have to finish spraying in a set time limit.

[speedytinc]

Yep, same with wheels. I just wondered if the color matters in any other way.

I have not heard anything to that effect. The way I was taught, was to 1)metal prep the bare metal. 2) use an etching primer. This is a thin, non sanding acid etch primer. Dupont was a mustard yellow. 3) thickness primer for sanding smooth & catching areas where more body work is needed. This would match to color. Dark grey in this case. 4) sealer coat just before paint. typically red or clear. Clear in this case. Not sure if a dark grey or black is available. 5) color coat.

[Colin Mavins]

What ever color I paint, my paint guy tints the primer So yellow paint = yellow tint primer also on Lighter colors the color or the primer will slightly charge the color of the top coat. Such as a yellow with black verses grey, grey primer will give you a shade lighter yellow

[NealW]

I used High-Teck Direct to metal (DTM) grey high solid primer

The High-Teck primer that I used was 7330:

https://www.highteck.com/direct-to-meta ... -1-gl.html

[Original Smith]

It all depends. For the body and fenders I begin with metal prep, dark grey or black primer. But for the chassis parts I use Rustoleum right out of the can. It doesn't need primer.

[Professor Fate]

I used this on the body of my '26 project for final color coat. Dries quickly and covers amazingly well. High volume spray with a wide area of coverage. This is not your normal rattle can paint.
And is very easy to do repairs with to. I used their gray auto primer or their etching primer under the gloss black.
Warning: their Red primer and their sandable primer reacted under this paint. You'll be fine if you stay away from these.
Easy to repair chips with a dab of paint on a toothpick or q tip. Primer as noted performs very well.

[hull 433]

Steve,

Fenders and splash shields were painted with two coats black Japan in late 1913. Presumably something similar was in use two years later.

A black primer would best replicate this on your fender.

[J1MGOLDEN]

That paint has worked fine for me for over 40 years now.

I stopped using the primer paint about 35 years ago.

[jiminbartow]

Red Oxide primer is best because the red oxide deters rust. Grey is good as a primer, but it does not deter rust. The old man who painted my T the first time in 1971 used professional grey primer that came in a gallon can which, in the can was thick and had to be thinned for the spray gun but, he also used it thick right out of the can as a body filler using a plastic spreader to bridge small dents and deep rust pits and other imperfections. Once the repairs were wet sanded, the surface was perfectly smooth and as hard as steel. Jim Patrick