Paint original ?

Slik

Slik

Member
1929 Station Wagon. Was told it was original paint , but I've read here also that no primer was used originally. The paint chips show what I assume is the proper Manila Brown but under that appears to be a dark brown color/primer. Does that appear to be correct ?
Also, this car sat in storage for 25 years - non climate controlled but in an unheated garage. When I brought it home other then one front fender having paint flaking on it the body itself had what appeared to be solid paint, meaning no cracks or peeling. Only thing I did to it when I got it home was to wash it with soap and water. This winter - in my unheated garage the paint began to just flake off the cowl. I'm thinking it may have had tiny pinholes develop while stored originally and once I washed it moisture seeped in and once the metal was cold it just started peeling. Thoughts ?
 

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Well, I'm not qualified to pass an opinion, but you've put me off washing my survivor phaeton that has much of what I assume to be original paint as well. :confused:

Would love to see some pics of the whole car.
 
I'd "guess" that it was a re-paint, that was prepared POORLY. Leo painted a Mercury Sable, while he was doing the final detailing, he literally BLEW ALL the paint off the car!!!!!!!!
Bill W.
 
I agree with Bill. I've never seen original paint flake like that. That's the worst case of paint flaking I've ever seen.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
I agree with Bill. I've never seen original paint flake like that. That's the worst case of paint flaking I've ever seen.
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Tom, I know a seasoned painter that WET sands his primer, before spraying the color coat, with a bucket of water, with a little DISH SOAP in it:eek:--------IDIOT!!!!!
Bill W.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
I agree with Bill. I've never seen original paint flake like that. That's the worst case of paint flaking I've ever seen.
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Strangest part is - it didn't start happening until it got to my garage (garage jinxed ?). When I pulled it out of storage there wasn't a crack anywhere on the cowl paint. I drove it 4 hours on an open trailer and still no issue with the paint. I'm thinking over time the paint may have gotten porous and when I washed it just enough moisture was let in then when it went below freezing the paint just started flaking off.
Don't know for sure I guess it could be just a bad respray 30 years ago. Debating on what I'll do with it now. Varnish the area, oil it or paint it with a brush. Temp fix until I finally decided to break the car down and restore it. For now I just want to enjoy it. Hoping this weekend is the first time it runs in 25-30 years.
 
Slik,
IF it were MINE, I'd be tempted to blow off the paint with a pressure washer, & cut & polish it. As smooth & shiny as it looks, I imagine the re-paint job would come off easily. (Maybe hire a professional detailer, they know a LOT of "tricks")
Bill W.
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
Slik,
IF it were MINE, I'd be tempted to blow off the paint with a pressure washer, & cut & polish it. As smooth & shiny as it looks, I imagine the re-paint job would come off easily. (Maybe hire a professional detailer, they know a LOT of "tricks")
Bill W.
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Bill - are you suggesting straight metal, no paint ? You are correct I think the majority of the Manila brown will blow right off and what would be left could probably peel off with a putty knife. I understand the "polish" part of it but what do you mean by "cut" ? I'm liking where I think this might be going though.
 
Slik said:
Bill - are you suggesting straight metal, no paint ? You are correct I think the majority of the Manila brown will blow right off and what would be left could probably peel off with a putty knife. I understand the "polish" part of it but what do you mean by "cut" ? I'm liking where I think this might be going though.
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I meant just LIGHTLY wet sand it with 3,000 grit wet or dry sandpaper & then buff & polish it. It "might" look like "NEW":D
Bill W.
 
I would remove the flaking paint and give it a paint job. When you remove the body for a complete restoration might be further in the future than you think. I would do my own painting, or you could take it to Maaco.
 
Brown primer apparently was an existing product in those days and some panels i thought were original have showed traces of it. Soak it in linseed oil for now i guess? i know some people wash survivor cars in kerosene which probably does not freeze the paint off.

BILL WILLIAMSON said:
Tom, I know a seasoned painter that WET sands his primer, before spraying the color coat, with a bucket of water, with a little DISH SOAP in it:eek:--------IDIOT!!!!!
Bill W.
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That was how i was taught to paint.
 
dumb person said:
Brown primer apparently was an existing product in those days and some panels i thought were original have showed traces of it. Soak it in linseed oil for now i guess? i know some people wash survivor cars in kerosene which probably does not freeze the paint off.


That was how i was taught to paint.
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Yo' FARAWAY Buddy,
SORRY I used the idiot word! I was afraid the soap would leave a film that would keep the paint from adhering. Leo, the friend I was referring to, was the one that BLEW off his NEW paint job, after using soap to sand with! I always like to use WAX & SILICONE remover, BEFORE I start sanding & just before I spray the color coat. I've had good luck, also, by washing it with T.S.P, just before the color coat. T.S.P. removes ANY oily or waxy film & also slightly ETCHES the surface, for better paint adhesion.
When polishing an old oxidized car, FIRST, scrub it thoroughly with T.S.P. & a brush, to remove all the old oxidized paint, THEN THE BUFFING & POLISHING IS MUCH EASIER!!
Once had a BABY BLUE, '48 Chev, Fastback, perfect, except for being OXIDIZED. Scrubbed it with 0000 steel wool & T.S.P, taped it off & did 3 coats of CLEAR LACQUER, looked beautiful!!
It's wood grained dash was perfect, EXCEPT the clear coating was GONE! Cleaned it GENTLY, with a tissue & ALCOHOL, taped it off & sprayed it with the same CLEAR LACQUER & it looked NEW!:D
AND, I'm not even a professional painter. Amazing what you can do with a little care, careful preparation & careful MASKING. Whether it's a carb, an engine, re-furbishing a crappy "A" post, or WHATEVER.
Maybe I can lurn to be a DOCTOR???
Bill W.
 
Ford bodies were indeed primed. Whomever says they're painted over bare metal should read more. Chassis and several other black parts were washed in an alkaline solution and dried then dipped in black. Engines were bare castings then painted, but body sheetmetal? Primed and sanded before paint, also wet sanded and polished after.
 
My 1930 Standard Phaeton is one color Green painted over Bare Metal, but it is a Canadian built car. At least two out of three of my 1930-31 Pick-up cabs are also were originally Rock Moss green painted directly onto Bare Metal. I have posted photos here on the barn before.
 
Repainted is my thought.

Look at the metal and you can see sanding marks. Ford bonderized the metal then paint. Not sure if it applies here (do not have the paint book handy) but there was a special mix of primer for some first coats. You do not see original paint flaking- least I have never seen it. In fact, the original paint on the 40,000 mile 39 fordor we had was really nice.

My guess is they did not use the correct grit sandpaper and the primer had nothing good to grab onto the metal. Over time the two layers of paints will shrink at different rates causing stress and you get what you see.
 
As Kevin said, original paint doesn't flake off, it just wears thin after 80+ years of waxing and weather. It wears thin first on the hood, I'm sure mostly due to the extra heat.
 
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