Rocket Richard

Not that I'm ready to paint any time soon, but it's all part of the plan.

I was looking around for epoxy primers and ran into this "SPI" brand (Southern Polyurethanes Inc.). It seems to be a small business. From their website I see that Year One has used them for some of their cars. Their website has a user forum that looks like it's got a lot of good info.

http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/index.htm

I like their pricing page too, simple and straight forward. ...no idea if the prices are high or low since I have next to no experience.

Any of you olds folks try SPI out? And the results?

MI68442W30

yes I have tried it at a shop I worked at for a very short time and it is junk .everything in the shop that the previous guy painted had to be redone,even after wet sanding and buffing it looked like crap.read the instructions on how to achieve a perfect paint job using this paint,spray paint ,bake,sand respray ,bake ,sand and buff .3 day paint job--- what a joke. the guy used house of colors paint also ,absolute junk!! the guy bought it because it was CHEAP just like him.you couldn't give me SPI paint.

m371961

People at autobody101 talk highly of SPI base/clear.

ent72olds

You usually get what you pay for...

Rocket Richard

Interesting. I just checked out what they had to say in autobody101, and for the most part reviews are good. http://www.autobody101.com/forums/vi...hp?f=5&t=18670

I have heard that their stuff is sensitive to acids or laquer thinner.

MI68442W30

it's cheap paint,= higher profit margin. bound to get some good reviews if money can be made on it. doesn't make it good paint and if it's not user friendly what good is it?

Rocket Richard

Thanks for the replies. Not sure what to think since I've been seeing totally opposite reviews of this. I think I'm pretty much sold on epoxy primer/sealers though. I'll pick something when I pretty much have to.

As a side note, over a year ago I got this air compressor for free from a craigslist ad. I actually checked out similar models online this weekend and apparently this is for an airbrush set up. New ones start at $650, so I guess I got a pretty good deal!

I'm thinking of getting a scrap hood or something from a body shop to practice on, probably at the end of summer. When I can, for sure I'm going to try some airbrushing (and the primer too).

ziff396

Auto body 101 forum is a wealth of information just like this one. I have been on it for about 4 years now. Very friendly for a forum with a lot of help from the guys there. I also have bought alot of my materials and tools from Len. Many should check it out.

moparmusclecars

I don't know how many of you guys paint cars on a regular basis, like I do, but I have used most paint products from virtually all of the top companies over the years. I started using SPI paint products probably a year or so ago, and I find them to be excellent products. You need to do your own research to actually find out what SPI is all about. Their most popular and well known clear is called, "Universal Clear". It has been put on many Barrett Jackson cars, and Pebble Beach cars. Universal is a high solids clear which contains no fillers, like other clears. Shrinkage will be minimal, unlike other brand name clears. SPI uses only raw materials, so you are actually getting what you pay for. Universal buffs great, and stone chips are virtually absent using this clear. I have discontinued using Glasurit, PPG, and Lesonal clears that I was previously using and am now using only SPI Universal. I also starting using their epoxy primer, and it sprays like glass. I had used PPG's DP40FL an had stuck with it for more than 20 years, until I started using SPI epoxy. SPI's reducers are actually a higher grade reducer than most manufacturer's make for their own paint. SPI reducer's can be used in PPG's Deltron 2000 basecoat, Lesonal basecoat, Diamont basecoat, and many others. It can not be used in Sherwin Williams and Ditzler basecoats. The reducer being a higher grade actually lays out the solid and metallic colors more brilliantly. The prices on SPI reducers run about half price of the main manufacturer's. I only use SPI reducer now in my basecoat's. I have been painting and doing bodywork on a daily basis since 1982, and have owned my own body shop since 1985. I have also had a few cars that I restored in popular magazines out on the market. I personally find SPI paint products to be some of the very best I have ever used!

ent72olds

Why would you intermix different products from different manufacturers? If it is that good, then just use the whole line start to finish.....you void any kind of warranty by mixing and matching products.

70Post

Because SPI doesn't make basecoats, that's why.

Note: they may have some limited offerings of color coats now but they don't have a full line catalog of color coats like the bigger name guys. I think, in part, this may account for some of their lower pricing. My bet is the financial commitment/funds required to manufacture and offer colors is fairly massive compared to primers and clears.

ent72olds

Patton, you hit the nail on the head there....much lower overhead....still, I would never want to pay big money for a paint job, without a lifetime warranty. I have seen several shops in my area intermix and use different clears over different base coats etc., then have failures. The paint companies involved refused to cover re-repair costs, and the shops would foot the bill....needless to say, probably lost customers in the process.

70Post

Well....also think about this. Any given collision shop is going to use "XYZ" brand of products. They are going to be spraying over some other brand of product in many cases (whatever the particular auto manufacturer used on their cars)...there HAS TO BE some compatibility available for them to do that.

I agree, it's nice to stick with one brand throughout the whole process BUT if not, that doesn't mean the job is "weak", etc. Manufacturers can rationally demand their products be used throughout to warrant their work. On the other hand, what manufacturer isn't going to also use this requirement as a good way to sell more product?? It's a business.

The killer on most of these jobs isn't the product as much as it is bad application, crappy prep work, dirty environment, spraying products over other products you shouldn't be, etc IMO.

I can show you paint jobs that used multiple brands of products that look absolutely stellar....and they have plenty of age on them without any reactions or indications of stuff going on below the surface. And I'm not talking about a "drive by"/20 footer type inspection...I mean UP CLOSE as in put your eyes right up to the surface.

ent72olds

And I don't doubt you......but I can show you plenty that failed, and cost the shops involved tens of thousands of dollars. The issues you mentioned are a given. Environment and bad prep can make the difference between a "commercially acceptable" paint job, and a concours restoration. I never mentioned intermixing making the job "weak", but, I am not a chemist.....the unknown is there. If you were to have to redo a paint job on one of your restorations due to delam or chalk out of the clear, and the re-repair cost with material and labor were to cost you say $8,000, would you want the paint company to help out?

70Post

I would answer that in the affirmative!

ctosiflying

70 Post,
I am a manufacturers rep for AkzoNobel products for the past 15 yrs. (Sikkens, Lesonal, Utech) I would absolutely refrain from intermixing products. Here is why.... Let's start with SPI, that company was started by an ex sales rep working for a company called Mac Specialties out of New Jersey (The original makers of Utech products that was later sold to Akzo Nobel). After leaving the rep. brought in one of the jr. chemist (along with a book of formulas) from Mac Specialties to start SPI in order to sell lower priced reducers, and hardeners to Utech customers. (Apparently the ex rep had an ax to grind)
After a few years SPI managed to copy most of the Utech products except for color and go to market in direct completion with Utech, Matrix, Montana, and the large manufactures.
My point is look at the two guys that started the company...

When large companies such as Akzo develop products liability is a huge concern.
So the way to combat liability claims is tight tolerance (+/- 1% industry average is +\- 3% ) in the products they manufacture including the use of high quality raw materials such as UV Protectants in the clear.
These companies do not want large volumes of warranty claims or product recalls. SURE THEY COST MORE but.. That's why the major companies offer lifetime warranties as long as your trained by the manufacture.
Small manufacturers don't have the quality control or raw materials to offer while keeping the price really low. I have seen a restoration at a very reputable shop of a 1969 Camaro vert pace car ruined do to incomparable products being used. The epoxy used reversed the basecoat and the paint peeled off in sheets!!!! The shop went after the manufacture and due to the miss mash of products they lost the claim.

My point being ... If your a shop charge for good and proven products! In the long run the pay off is better than the initial savings on cheap product. Think of an engine build.

Every manufacture has a tiered product offering. Choose the product that will give you the best bang for the buck but use it from A to Z.