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Practical tips from Standox: using old paintwork as a substrate

24.11.11

A vintage car show can be a great place to see beautiful classic cars, but sometimes scratches and imperfections in the paintwork are visible on closer inspection. In most cases, this is because the original thermoplastic coating will not have been professionally restored. Thermoplastic paints were first introduced in the US in the 1940s and replaced nitrocellulose paints, which were easy to apply and dried quickly, but had to be polished thoroughly. By contrast, thermoplastic paints had a high-gloss finish immediately after drying.

However, thermoplastic paints make for an unstable substrate for later repairs, as they become soft when in contact with solvents or when exposed to extreme heat. A soft substrate and a solid refinishing paint will work against each other, increasing the risk of cracks forming - not an ideal recipe for repair. When combined with 2K acrylic fillers, nitrocellulose or thermoplastic paints may even lose their adhesion. When refinishing solvent sensitive substrates, an epoxy resin primer filler or a specially recommended isolating filler such as Standox Nonstop Primer Filler are a good alternative.

Source: Road Transport (blog)