POR-15- Who's used it?

[joesregalproject]

So I've been very reluctant to buy POR-15 in the past, mostly due to its crazy expensive prices, but the underside of my '95 F150 is so rusty that if I don't get a permanent fix on it soon, it's gonna return to Mother Earth. Two years ago on my '87 Regal, I used an Eastwood's rust inhibitor/treatment/converter top coated with Rustoleum gloss black, and it still looks great, but it's been inside my garage for the past two years and accumulated all of 20 miles on sunny days, so not really a great test.

I finally bucked up and bought a quart of POR15 and a quart of their chassis black topcoat to do the underside of my truck. I'll probably need more, but I'm not in a rush to do it all at once. I'm using an air needle scaler to clean the scale off the frame and some parts of the body (and making a few holes too ), and I'll then start brushing the POR15 on. So who here has used the stuff, and what are your experiences with it? And yes, I know that if it gets on your skin, it doesn't come off.​

 

[Texas82GP]

Hopefully Scott (injectedcutty) will chime in. From what I've read on here he has used it extensively and likes it.

 

[L92 OLDS]

I've used it many times and keep it on the shelf. Chassis black is great on clean, bare metal and it goes a long way. Just make sure NOT to use primer under it. If you are painting on top of rust you should look at their other products specifically designed for that. Either way, they make a good product.

 

[axisg]

big thumbs up from me. When I bought my car ( 7 years ago IIRC ) and pulled the carpet I discovered a "soft" spot on the PS footwell that failed just below the seam sealer where the floorboard meets the firewall on the PS. Easy patch but it was only pinholed and I really wanted to drive the car for the rest of the year so I could swap in my motor. I bought the trunk seal kit complete with a roll of mesh. It was a real PIA to get it clean enough especially on the bottom side. But I followed all the directions. Used their cleaner, metal prep, and the POR15 with mesh in that soft spot. I ended up with enough to do the whole floorboard topside and touched up a couple spots on the bottom. Every spring I check that "soft" spot and its as solid as can be. If you are at all used to dealing with fiberglass mat and resin this is very similar

 

[565bbchevy]

I have also used it many times and it works great, I also did a lot of my chassis parts with it and it holds up well.
I buy bulk cheapy 1" brushes from Harbor Freight and just toss each one after use.

 

[Injectedcutty]

So I've been very reluctant to buy POR-15 in the past, mostly due to its crazy expensive prices, but the underside of my '95 F150 is so rusty that if I don't get a permanent fix on it soon, it's gonna return to Mother Earth. Two years ago on my '87 Regal, I used an Eastwood's rust inhibitor/treatment/converter top coated with Rustoleum gloss black, and it still looks great, but it's been inside my garage for the past two years and accumulated all of 20 miles on sunny days, so not really a great test.

I finally bucked up and bought a quart of POR15 and a quart of their chassis black topcoat to do the underside of my truck. I'll probably need more, but I'm not in a rush to do it all at once. I'm using an air needle scaler to clean the scale off the frame and some parts of the body (and making a few holes too ), and I'll then start brushing the POR15 on. So who here has used the stuff, and what are your experiences with it? And yes, I know that if it gets on your skin, it doesn't come off.​

I really don't wanna overload the thread with pics, but I have plenty on my 87 cutlass efi build thread if you wanna check it out. The whole underside, floor, trunk, engine bay, and frame have been brushed with it. The main thing is the prep work as with any paint process. POR15 says you can just knock down the loose crud, metal prep, then paint. However, we (my brother n law and myself) found that taking the material as close to bare metal yields the best results!
Yeah it's tedious, nasty, etc but the results speak for themselves. As a note, the areas that were hard to reach and grind or sand to bare metal was treated with the aerosol POR15.
If metal prepped correctly, the metal will turn to a yellowish milky color with almost a layer of "dust", but it's imperative to make sure the material is dry, then brush or spray right onto the metal without removing the "dust" as it helps tie the paint onto the metal. Also, it cures better under humid conditions, especially if it's raining!

No its not a cheap priced product, but you definitely get what you pay for. You just have to watch the runs and sags on vertical surfaces because it begins curing in 10-15 minutes. But, it does self-level so it leaves a nice finish if done with care and patience.
Sorry for the long winded reply, hope it helps!
Scott

 

[airboatgreg]

I just ordered some from Eastwood. My buddy who is really talented swears by it and it was good enough for me to try as I found a little rust after I removed my carpet. Like the man says...read and follow directions

 

[joesregalproject]

I really don't wanna overload the thread with pics, but I have plenty on my 87 cutlass efi build thread if you wanna check it out. The whole underside, floor, trunk, engine bay, and frame have been brushed with it. The main thing is the prep work as with any paint process. POR15 says you can just knock down the loose crud, metal prep, then paint. However, we (my brother n law and myself) found that taking the material as close to bare metal yields the best results!
Yeah it's tedious, nasty, etc but the results speak for themselves. As a note, the areas that were hard to reach and grind or sand to bare metal was treated with the aerosol POR15.
If metal prepped correctly, the metal will turn to a yellowish milky color with almost a layer of "dust", but it's imperative to make sure the material is dry, then brush or spray right onto the metal without removing the "dust" as it helps tie the paint onto the metal. Also, it cures better under humid conditions, especially if it's raining!

No its not a cheap priced product, but you definitely get what you pay for. You just have to watch the runs and sags on vertical surfaces because it begins curing in 10-15 minutes. But, it does self-level so it leaves a nice finish if done with care and patience.
Sorry for the long winded reply, hope it helps!
Scott

Don't be sorry, I'm after long winded replies! Is the metal prep necessary for rusted metal? From what I've found, the POR brand metal prep is just phosphoric acid and degreaser. Klean Strip makes the same thing only 1/2 price at HD. Does this stuff work just as well?

 

[airboatgreg]

have not heard about the Klean Strip but with any coating 90% prep for good adhesion. I plan on getting rust off of my floor boards first. My project a lot easier than yours. Keep us posted

 

[Injectedcutty]

I can't give an honest answer on the HD cleaner....we always use POR15 brand metal prep since there is less chance of a chemical disagreement. This was learned the hard way when a good friend tried to spray the paint by cutting it with thinner that wasn't POR15 brand. The parts he sprayed were tacky for literally months as the paint couldn't cure properly...we could peeling right off!!!!
I've learned with paint, especially POR15, to use the " system" by having the same brand prep, primer, paint, clear etc to achieve the best results. Might be a marketing ploy in some cases, but these companies might use a certain chemical ingredient in their products that allow them to compliment each other.
I would definitely treat the rusty areas thoroughly as the metal prep etches onto the surface, opening "pores" in the metal to allow the chassis cote to adhere and cure correctly creating a layer of protection.
These are the most current pics of a POR15 project I have....my dad's 90 jeep we are restoring. Frame was taken down as close to bare metal as possible, sprayed with metal prep as per the instructions, rinsed and dried, then 2 coats brushed allowing a day in between coats.