I'm midway through a full repaint of a vehicle. I have all body work completed and blocked out. Most of the car is still an old shiny black lacquer over red oxide which is still in good condition besides a few spots which have cracked. The plan is to epoxy prime the whole vehicle first , but I was wondering if I should strip all of the paint down to metal first, then prime, or if it would be ok to spray the epoxy over properly prepared original finish. I'm sure most people will say strip it down to metal, but I just want to know if it can be put over the finish without causing some type of chemical reaction( cracking, lifting, etc).
Eventually it will fail. Lacquer is a thermo plastic. Meaning it can be softened and is not fully cured. Epoxy and urethanes are thermo set, they have hardeners. That means that the lacquer will continue to move around under the cured epoxy and urethane top coats. Kind of like building a house on sand or mud, it may last a while, but eventually it will fail.
You could do it the old fashioned way and go old school ,Fix thecracks and then use laquer.Youll never get a shine like black laquer....
You really dont need to strip it, but then again you dont need a blown a hemi. Do yourself a favor and do it right the first time. Even if its just a quickie, why not try and do a nice job.
Old timer always told me, your paint job will only be as good as the worst product involved in the paint job. Therefore your paint job will only be as good as an old giving out lacquer job. Nuff said?
Get the lacquer off there !!! The last year GM used it was either 1986 or 87 !!! It was good in the day,but its old,old technology !!!!
BULL SH*T!!!! PPG DBC 9700 (?) Black, PPG DCC 2002 Clear, w/DFX11 Catalyst. This stuff was shot 10 (TEN) years ago and it looks EXACTLY the same today! And is WAY more durable that Lacquer could EVER hope to be. ( I am a retired painter, 40+ years, I started painting when it was ONLY Lacquer, Alkyd Enamel, and Nitro cellulose Lacquer).) Your Pal, Gary
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