Bumper paint: Enamel vs. Lacquer vs. Epoxy
- Thread starter Carve
- Start date
Does not appear look like gloss but is more shiny than satin alone. I think it looks great on bumpers/undercarriage.
I came here to say this as well. It holds up very well, comes in satin, is easy to touch up, and is readily available.
I'm a fan of this too, as well as tractor + implement enamel. Seems like much better value brushing on from a quart can.
In general, enamel or latex, gloss is the toughest paint but it shows every flaw. I use gloss when looks don't really matter. Satin is soft and easy to scratch but also easy to touch up. Semi-gloss is a nice compromise.
I've always been tempted to try the farm stuff from Tractor Supply but every time I'm shopping they only have black in the gallon cans and I'm too lazy to order and experiment with the smaller cans.
Rattle can it with RustOleum. Really. Cheap, fast, and will hold up as good as anything else, and better than some.
Oh interesting- I wasn't aware of this product. Is it really primer-free, or will it stick better with primer? Is it satin or glossy? How is it for touch-ups?
I don't use primer, I'm sure I'm going to die and take a trip to that hot place down below to quote Chubby Parker but that's how I do it.
OK- I picked up a can of VHT for $12. I still feel weird not using primer though. It's not "required", but would it work better with primer?
Also, the top of the tire carrier is open (so you can attach accessories like a cargo tray). How do you guys recomend preventing corrosion in there? I was going to spray down the hole, but I doubt I'll get full coverage that way. I could spray, but then also pour some oil in there and try to coat everything
Also, the top of the tire carrier is open (so you can attach accessories like a cargo tray). How do you guys recomend preventing corrosion in there? I was going to spray down the hole, but I doubt I'll get full coverage that way. I could spray, but then also pour some oil in there and try to coat everything
As above, I'd go with a first coat of self-etching primer first.
My opinion is that most people that advise using primer have always used it or simply prep poorly. I've done both and that's why I suggest trying it. Worst case you screw up one single paint job and curse me. Best case you save yourself time and money on every single metal thing you paint for the rest of your life. Or when you do your bumper the "right way" buy a small piece of angle iron, clean it to bare metal and prep it. Paint it with no primer and let it fully cure and stick it somewhere with similar exposure to your Jeep. In a year take a look at it and compare it to your bumper. Once you have the paint for your bumper there are plenty of ways to test it (even without testing on the real paint job).
This is what turned me
Krylon, with an 8 minute drying time. I've been using this for a while now with very good success. Use a self etching primer, on bare clean metal. This also touches up nicely, with a little sanding.
Last edited:
Why? The guy asked directly if not using primer would be an issue and you just say, "use it." Have you tried and had bad luck or is this just, "I was taught to do it that way." Just saying use it isn't really providing any information to me and I can't imagine it's much help to him either. Not hounding you but why just regurgitate this stuff, why do you use it?
kenosha whiz six
TJ Enthusiast
There ya go!it doesn’t say vari-prime on my tshirt because they didn’t pay to put it there but vari-prime is th shiznit,plus it comes with the fan-mode on th spray-nahshizzleKrylon, with an 8 minute drying time. I've been using this for a while now with very good success. Use a self etching primer, on bare clean metal. This also touches up nicely, with a little sanding.
View attachment 280801
kenosha whiz six
TJ Enthusiast
Self-etching primers have zinc chromate (an acid)in their chemistry and it eats into th metal surface creating a porosity that is more aggressive than just sanded scratches.subsequent layers of paint tunnel into this micro porosity and adhere better
Honestly, I don't use it. I simply want to hear why people use it. I know when you just spew out what you've been told sometimes you got nothing to say. Fine. This is the perfect place to say, it helps with adhesion, it helps with corrosion in my experience. I don't want to really hear about the label or what you read, what is your experience? But I almost never hear that. it's just "use it." It's not helping anybody. I've used modern paints on steel and they don't have adhesion problems. So what's the deal, why is this so difficult for people?
kenosha whiz six
TJ Enthusiast
We use hand signals on the trail, I'm thinking of one that fits this situation.
