I have a couple of questions for the folks who have used POR-15. First, roughly how much of it would a person need to coat both sides of the inner fenders and rad support, and the engine bay side of the firewall? Is it necessary to use their Marine Clean and Metal Ready products, or is there something else that works just as well to prep the surface? Finally, their literature suggests that if you use POR-15 over a painted surface it won't have the same rust-inhibiting capability as if it were in direct contact with bare metal, so do you need to strip the original paint completely before coating the surface?
Spraying or brushing it on, I would think a qt would do. I would indeed follow por15 instructions for ultimate adhesion and rust prevention. Personally I would take all surfaces down to bare metal, then treat it with dupont metal prep, ( dont have the number handy) and then coat per por15 directions. Dan
Thanks for your reply Dan. So you'd use the Dupont metal prep in addition to the Marine Clean/Metal Ready, or instead of them?
I am not familiar with marine clean/metal ready. But if it is what I think it is, it should be fine. Usually anything with the term metal ready in it, is what you are needing. The marine clean perhaps is some type of light degreaser/cleaner which certainly would be of benefit also. When dealing with products such as Por-15, we are dealing with something that really has great powers of metal etch. When I first found out about Por-15 several years ago, I simply painted several test areas on my 49 Ford f-1 that is still awaiting resto. This vehicle has been sitting in a field since 1968 with all the paint sunburned off it and is completely surface rust. I did not sand on it or anything, the por-15 areas are still rust free and still very visible after over 5 years. Imagine what it can protect when applied correctly and with topcoat over it! Dan
Thanks Dan. I appreciate your comments, and your personal experience with the stuff is very helpful in reassuring me that it's worth the expense.
Dan's right. This stuff is great. I tried the Marine Clean and I found it to be the same as most cleaners, so don't feel that you have to use their brand of preps. The most important thing is make sure the surface is as clean as possible for maximum adhesion. Rust doesn't count, but take all of the loose stuff off. Make sure that you do not get any on anywhere you do not want it on because it is a bear to get off and is hard to sand. This includes your hands. You do not have to put it on extremely thick. Just put it on like you would any normal paint. Use caution because when it dries, it's on there...period! The best analogy I can use for this stuff is like using an epoxy based paint. It's on, it's permanent, and it's not coming off. Wear gloves. last time I used it I didn't take my own advice and it took some time for it to wear off of my hands.
