PSA: People keep missing the primer step on aluminum panels

I've seen three cars this week come in with paint bubbling on aluminum hoods or doors. Every time, the shop that did the work skipped the self-etching primer. Aluminum needs that special coat to stick right, or the paint just lifts off. It's a simple step that saves a huge headache later. How many of you guys run into this?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly_hart2815d ago

Last year I had a neighbor's truck hood peel in sheets after a cheap respray. We sanded it down and the bare aluminum was shiny and smooth, no tooth at all for the basecoat to grab. That self etching primer is the only thing that bites into that surface. Skipping it to save ten minutes just guarantees a comeback.

hart.charlie15d ago

Maybe it's not always the primer. Could be bad prep or moisture getting trapped under the paint. Seen jobs hold up fine without that extra step.