Some people can convince themselves that anything is cool. Such is the case with primer. In the last few years it has become a statement. What the statement is seems to change with whomever you happen to ask. No matter how you slice it, decorate it or sugar coat it, a car in primer is a car that is not finished. Period. Trying to play it off as a trend or style is plain bullshit. No matter how many people you find to hang out with that are driving primered cars, deep inside, you know what you really want. You want some paint. So, drive it in primer till you get the bucks, then paint the damn thing, but don't try and play it off as being cool or "with it", because it NEVER was. It was a necessity and that's it.
in a old 50,s custom book there was a picture of a 50 ford coupe in red primer under it said in the prime of life that about says it all
I guess for me primer is cool because of the memories it stirs. When I was growing up, hanging at the drive-ins, and tracks with my Dad, the meanest cars always seemed to be primer. They seemed to spend their money on go fast parts rather than paint. Not trying to start a arguement, but as I walk down a line of painted and shiney cars, I am almost never turned on, my attention wanders, kinda like seeing just one more 32. But throw in a primerd Hot Rod in the mix and I'm drawn to it straight away. I am filled of visions of slamming gears, burning rubber, squirrely rear ends, and big grins. I am tossed back to a Cherry coke between the legs, a cute girl at the drive-in, a 8-track under the dash, and a row of straw monkeys on the visor. Saturday I am painting my 54. The color? Hot Rod flatz Gray primer tone. Is it paint, yes. Will it look like gray primer? I hope so... Do I care if anybody likes it? Not really....
It's kinda like, that guy at the bar with all the tattoo's and the black eye...why does he look cool?
I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not trying to be (or look) rebellious. I just like old cars... no matter how shiny or flat they are.
As I stated before. I think primer looks cool ...to me. I know its technically unfinished. But I think Grim and some of the others said it well. Its part of the journey, part waiting for bucks and part I dont really give a rats ass about wasting 5k to paint a car that I will drive and f**k up on the road. For those guys that want to take the militant stand about how much it sucks thats OK too. Just remember that underneath that shiny color of the day we will always have primer underneath helping that hue of the day stay on your car....
I read somewhere once and it stuck with me : "As long as it's in primer, it has potential, but once it's painted, its finished."
why is an aged finish so cool? why is bare metal so cool? why is primer so cool? why is paint so cool? why is an aged finish so cool? because you are looking at something that is cool
With the enitre "rat" craze that started in the 90s, it made your car anti gold chainer. Where we cruised, it was cop bait. Only trailed track cars were primered. Cops looked for any reason to pull your over and ticket you. I had a 53 Chev highboy that the paint was real bad on it. We painted it with a prush and house paint. Yellow and red stripes. (ah the 60s)The cops NEVER pulled me over once. Yet the local drag guys would make one pass thru town in primer and their times on the windows, and red lights would be blinkin. I tell kids today, the difference between a beater and a classic is what the paint looks like
Something that strikes me as odd is someone saying "I'm making a statement, being independent, militant, letting the man know who's in charge, etc. by putting it in primer so that everyone will know that I AM different. Different ... how from all the other hundreds possibly thousands of "individuals" who are doing the same thing. It's kind of like buying a ricer and adding a 6 inch fart pipe and a wing to express individual personality. That ought to start something...
when I was a kid the truck had house paint brushed on it, and a 235 under the hood, never got pulled over. Then we swapped the big block into the truck, I got pulled over all the time. When I stripped off the paint and put primer on it, I still got pulled over all the time. When I finally painted it I still got pulled over, but not so often as time went on and I got more mature (learned what not to do to get pulled over). years later I built the 55, with a much more badass engine, it's been in primer for years, lotsa miles on it, it's had the drag racing number shoe polish in the window at times, never been pulled over in it. There goes Eric's hypothesis.... anyways, primer itself isn't cool, but some cars look bitchin in primer, even more bitchin then they'd look with nice paint. It's all about attitude
I run mine in primer for maybe a year or so, why? My body work skills ain't for shit so it seems. So in a year anything that's gonna bubble , pop, crack or fall off , will. then fix it and paint later. It's like having a new car all over again
I believe paint schemes like these look more custom than primer, and i believe primer should only be used while your car is in progress,my car is in grey prime right now just because it is not finished...in many cases the paint is what makes the car, and if they were in primer, they would be very blah i hate how primer looks Shot at 2007-08-03 Shot at 2007-08-03 Shot at 2007-08-03 Shot at 2007-08-03 Shot at 2007-08-03
All examples of my earlier point. How many would pick any of those cars and say to themselves that it would look better in primer? I guess that doesn't negate the point that the car would still look cool in primer but that just says that the car is cool, not that primer necessarily is.
Hey---I'm one of the "shiny car" guys. I always finish my cars in a high gloss finish. But---I know what you mean. There is just something kinda "evil" about a nasty car in nasty black primer. I like it on some other peoples cars, but wouldn't want my own ride finished like that. Same as "black with flames". I love it ---on other peoples cars. During the sixties, when hot rods ruled, and my daily driver was also my "weekend warrier" hotrod, It wore primer a lot of the time. Not because it was any kind of anti establishment statement, but because most of my cars were "works in progress". And, unfinished bodywork rusts!!! (So does primered bodywork, but the primer does provide a TEMPORARY barrier against rust). Many of my cars had the "patchwork quilt" look, with red oxide, not black primer, and each week the primer patches were in a different place, as the custom bodywork progressed. Eventually, the bodywork would get finished, and the car would debut with a "knock your eyes out" glossy paintjob, but there is still a place deep down in the teenage rebel corner of my soul that likes a black primered "nasty" looking car.
I remember back in the 50's when dad saw a car in primer his comment was always "looks like junk". I never did agree with him on much of anything.
50 Olds Coupe light gray primer Red rims with some trim it just looked Bad Ass the car had a rake, it had attitude it was cool, if you weren't there you don't know
Yeah, I gotta agree with CB Chief and others. I think the "primer look" depends on the year and model of the car, and how the car is used/abused. Ultimately, a car just doesn't look finished to me, and to a certain degree, it's a fad that has been over-played. I'll take a deuce with a beautiful black or midnight blue paint job over a primer look any day of the year. I've really never seen a fully completed car done in primer; only POS's put together with bailing wire and could barely run. But then again, what the heck do I know. Patrick
Why would a woman pay $150 for a $30 pair of jeans because they come already frayed and with holes in them?
It all comes down to taste, and we could all try forever to explain our positions. I come from a Drag racing back ground, and that's what I'm drawn to. I am excited by the build, and bored with the finish. So I builld my cars in flat primer hues.... The 5 cars the Supersized just posted.... For me I would rather walk than be seen in somthing that ugly. But Thank god we all have different ideas for what is cool. For me I'll keep painting with flat primers and paints, and loving it. But I am not so stuck in my ways to understand anothers way, or to bad mouth it. Or to call it a POS built with bailing wire.
Who gives a shit?!?!?!? I mean, really? I rode a rigid bobber for a few years, cuz, when I wuz growin up, guys on harleys were cool, and I wanted to be like them. After I had saved my pennies and jumped into the "culture" headfirst, it became apparent to me that what was once, wans't anymore. The "scene" became a bunch of asswipes pointing fingers at everyone else accusing the other of who or what a "real" biker was or who was a yuppie, yadda yadda... I didn't even escape the pissed off attitude towards the guys with windshields and bags and what not. Then, I started hangin around rodders because, bikes and rods kinda go hand in hand, and since I was a little kid I wanted a hot rod too. There wasn't any of that petty bullshit amongst any of these cats. I felt at home. I could wrench, and hang out, and submerse myself, and express myself in something that I loved, and everyone else who was involved, loved just the same. What are we doing here? Who cares! Theres nothing new under the sun. Its ALL been done. My car fits the trendy bill, I'm sure. But F*CK you! I built it, I drive it, I love it! I'm sure after awile, I'm gonna want some gnarly uber flaked out sled with more scallops than god, and some kinda candy finish. And if my neighbor likes it and follows suit...so f*uckin what? I'll probably help him. Jeeezuzzzf*ckingchrissst!!!!! Work on your car and shut up about it already!
In 1980 I built up a 63 Chevy II convertable, it was standard red w/white top..I put on black JC Whitney top and painted car primer gray with a coat of clear on top of that..was I too cool? ahead of my time? naaah, I just couldn't decide WTF color to paint it and wanted to drive it!
So....uhhhh...ALL cars in Primer that are unfinished are POS's...put together with bailing wire and could barely run...? uh, oh...here we go...
Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound that way. Of course, not ALL primered cars are POS's...I was only eluding to those that are neglected by their owners and receive little if any maintenance. Was not my intention to judge or offend; just stating an opinion. For example, the car in the photo above is outrageously fine!!
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