POR-15? what does it all mean!

basically im restoring a mk2 golf (wrong forum really i know) and after reading many build threads on here it seems everyone is using por-15 now ive looked where to buy the stuff but i want to know what its appilications are i was hoping to use it as a primer to stop any rust that would start on the car, because normal primer as far as i know is porus and the final paint wont be on the car for quite some time, but from looking i cant actually find a por-15 primer so basically if people that have experience with the products could tell me what they used and what they actually used it for and the results they got that would be brilliant!

any help would be much appreciated

thanks

You paint it on rust and it kills it. It also can't be painted over unless you sand and use a special por15 primer.

Mostly used for under the car

well if im guna have the car sat in primer for any length of time what do you recommend i use to stop any rust starting? as i would hate to lay paint down after the car has been sat in primer for 6 months just to see rust coming through

any car paint will do. satin black is always popular. comes in a tin so can be sprayed by anybody. hell theres a few cars out there that have gone full 2-tone this way (and for the same reason as you )

ideally treat any rust with por metal ready, then slap on the por15.
check out Homepage - Frost Auto Restoration Techniques they do the various bits. i recomment the '6 pack' of por 15 they do, 6 small tins.  The stuff goes a really long way, and you dont really want to seal up a tin half way as it can dry out and/or the paint seals the tin shut  

I love the stuff, the metal ready will eat rust liek no tomorrow and the paint is just awesome.  Dries nice & hard and slaps on lovely with a brush, check my MK1 cabby project thread to see what kind of results you can expect

My rear beam was painted with the POR15 Rust Prevention paint. Being a gloss finish it highlights the imperfections of the item you are painting. Some just overpaint the rusty bits and to be honest I think it looks terrible.

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=46506&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=garythegolf&start=30

I try to remove the rust / rough bits and prepare it with the marine clean and metal ready products supplied by the same company for good adhesion.

After painting the rear beam with POR-15, I oversprayed it with a black satin spray paint from the Motor World /Les Smith shop. I think the end result is quite acceptable, it almost looks powder coated.

POR15 do suggest that you can use a primer on top of POR 15 to allow another paint finish to be applied. I also read elsewhere that you can paint over the POR15 with another finish when it is tacky, which is what i did on my suspension struts. I left the springs gloss though for contrast.

POR15 rust prevention paint does not have UV protection and should not be left exposed to sunlight without an additional layer of paint applied on top, such as Chassis Black paint or in my case satin black paint. You can leave it as it is for components underneath the car.

my idea was to use it as a base coat on to the bare metal so that hopefully i will never have rust issues is this a bad idea

the paint side of the build is realy the only part im worried about as i know nothing if im wrong for thinking about using po5-15 what should i be using?

the actual paint i will be leaving to an expert but as its a budget build id like to do all the filler and prep myslef also whats a good stone chip to use for the underside of the car?

I got a tin of por-15 chassis black paint for the suspension components etc for my next mk1 rebuild.The finish is absolute brilliant with the look im after(satin black) but ive placed a few bits down and when picked them back up they are chipped!!! Dont think its tough at all,no more than any other chassis black from any other company.Why does everybody think its is real tough paint as these bits have been painted for over a week now?

because it is, i guess you didnt prep the surfaces properly or it has reacted somehow. ive coated loads of undercar bits with it and no issues so far. ive even done the front number plate housing

I agree, preparation is the key for the best protection.

I am surprised that you had a satin finish, mine was gloss. I then overpainted with satin black.

With respect to the original enquiry, I would confine the use of POR 15 on those areas where the finish is not important, i.e. underneath the car /bonnet, etc. I would use the normal paint preparation, i.e. etch primer plus top coats, for those finished areas, i.e. body, panels etc.

Everything that was painted had been sandblasted right back to bare metal and thoroughly cleaned with degreasers etc then etch primed. I didnt use a gloss finish Por15,its satin finish because its the Por15 chassis paint(more suitable for suspension/undercar parts).The finish is perfect like i said but earlier,but if u put them in a box together and they touch,they `chip` very easily!Has anyone else here used the Por15 Chassis Paint and had the same problem?

I think that I am starting to understand what the problem is.

Use the link below, POR 15 chassis black paint is supposed to be applied over POR 15 Rust Prevention paint. The POR 15 Rust prevention paint has to be applied over bare metal prepared using POR 15 marine clean and metal ready treatment.

Applying any POR 15 paint over zinc primer instead of bare metal is severley reducing the adhesion properties of the POR 15.

To get the best adhesion, either use POR 15 products and their recommended preparation processes or use zinc primer and the appropriate top coats. Do not mix the two paint processes.

For info, there are many paints around mow which are directly applied to bare metal, I have recently used caliper paint and Exhaust / Manifold very high temp paint. Using zinc primer before applying any of these paints would have reduced the adhesion properties.

Hope this helps

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8202&frostProductName=POR15+Chassis+Coat+Black+%28473ml%29&catID=24&subCatID=37&FrostCat=Painting&FrostSubcat=POR-15&ref=champ

Just found this thread in a search as I'm looking to POR15 the underside of my MK1, got a couple of questions.

Once I've scraped the underseal off the underside of the car, I've got a mix of bare metal and the light grey VW primer on the surface. Do I need to get rid of all the paint to apply POR15 or just do the prep with metal ready and the cleaner stuff?

Once I've POR'd it, I'd like to cover with underseal to act as stonechip, sound deadening and general protection. Will this adhere to the POR15 ok?

Any help appreciated

Here is a guide from the Frost website who sell the stuff, you might however chose the POR-15 chassis kit they sell.

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9306&frostProductName=Chassis%20Painting%20Kit&catID=&frostCat=&frostSubCat=&subCatID=

"This neat kit allows the progressive painting of the chassis and running components without waste. Contains three 118ml cans of POR-15 Black Rust preventative Paint with three 118ml cans of Chassis Coat Black. "

How Do I Use POR 15 Rust Preventive Paint?

POR-15 RUST PREVENTATIVE PAINT

PLEASE NOTE: This product is unlike any other paint or coating you may have used in the past. Please take the time to carefully read the instructions from beginning to end before using POR-15.


Product Description
POR-15 is a rust preventative paint designed for application directly on rusted or seasoned surfaces. It dries to a rock-hard, non-porous finish that won't chip, crack, or peel, and it prevents rust from re-occurring by protecting metal from further exposure to moisture. POR-15 is sensitive to UV light (sun) and must be top coated for prolonged exposure to sunlight. Top coating not required for areas not exposed to sunlight.


Application Procedures
Rusted surfaces are best; seasoned metal and sandblasted surfaces are also good. To coat smooth metal surfaces; use POR-15 Metal Ready to prepare surface before painting. Surface must be dry and free of grease, oil, or other foreign substances. Use of "rust converter" products is not recommended as they may affect bonding of POR-15 to metal. POR-15 likes to adhere to surfaces with "tooth" rather than smooth, glossy surfaces.

STIR CONTENTS THOROUGHLY before painting. Do not shake. Refrigerate unused portion of POR-15 for longer shelf life. Apply in thin coats, 2 to 3 mil thickness. Topcoat when first is dry but with slight remaining finger-drag, usually 3-4 hours.


Spray Application
Use 30-35 lbs pressure for normal gloss. Reduce pressure for lower gloss (20-25 lbs). Thin only with POR Solvent, if necessary. If topcoat to be done at later date, apply light dustcoat of primer over tacky POR-15 and let dry. Full priming and finishing can be done later. To topcoat a cured POR-15 surface, wet sand with 600 grit until gloss is dull, then paint. Use POR-15 solvent or lacquer thinner for clean up, which must be done before POR-15 dries; once dry, POR-15 cannot be removed by solvent. Avoid skin contact. Remove from skin at once to avoid temporary staining. USE OF GLOVES AND VENTILATING EQUIPMENT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

NOTE: organic vapour particulate respirators, NIOSH/MSHA approved, must be used when spraying POR-15. Moisture will shorten the life of unused POR-15.

P.S, I have also used it over partially painted surfaces that have been wire brushed to remove any loose paint and provide a key. Such as my rear suspension beam.

"Best for painting over rusted surfaces"  sounds like bodgers paint to me

Ooh, a little unfair and out on context.

The statement is trying to amplify that the adhesion qualities of the paint are best over rusted surfaces.

I on the other hand always like to remove the rust and original paint if possible.

It is a serious product and excellent if you are unable to replace a rusty item. Buy a starter kit, you will be amazed if correctly applied with the instructions.

See my project below. I used it on the petrol filler pipe, tank, rear beam, rear brake drum back plates and more.

The Mk1 Golf Owners Club

P.S. I am in no way connected to the suppliers of the product, however I think I might apply for a job.

Malcolm said

P.S. I am in no way connected to the suppliers of the product, however I think I might apply for a job.

Good idea i think you could well become a sales man for this  :wink: but seriously i wouldnt have a problem putting it on a rusty rear beam for instance as the metal is quite thick, but not on body work where the rust needs removing in my opinion.

Agreed, as discussed before, its for these areas out of sunlight, not for panels, that need to be nice and shiny.

Thanks for the info Malc, I had read the stuff on the frost site already but wasn't too sure if a 'mix' of surfaces to paint on underneath would be an issue.

Anyone put underseal over POR15?

Cheers
Andy