Don't know about you, but usually when I do a test piece, it comes out great! It's the piece after that, that gets all screwed up. Murphy's Law 101

Is that right? "that, that"
seems kinda......wrong.

Not familiar with DAR, usually use Deltron for base/clear applications, or Concept for single step. If it has a hardener it is some sort of epoxy, you will be fine for just the drive, I prefer to get the best when painting something such as an entire car.

PPG DAR is good paint. It will work fine. I've used it plenty of times. The DP Epoxy Primer has a recoat window of 7 days. Do it within that time, and no sanding is required. I found a great site: www.paintucation.com These guys discuss everything you need to know about paint.

Paul

Thanks. everyone. Just picked up a couple of paint mixing buckets. Now just gotta figure out how to read all the ratios on the sides. This ought to be INTERESTING, to say the least.

I can take a round solid bar of SS and turn it into a custom VHF antenna mount no problem, but give me a plastic can with numbers and lines on the side of it, my head starts hurting.

NONE of the PPG products will have any instructions on any of the cans. being professional grade it is available only from limited places... body shop suppliers that are PPG distributors or here in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio it's generally Painters Supply. They will have the data sheets on each product. Read and follow these thoroughly like religion... You can also get them online at ppg.com with a little searching.

if you are beginning with bare metal use DPLF epoxy primer as you are... the blue / green variety (forget the number) since it has a higher concentration of zinc chromate in it than the black, blue, white, red, etc etc. use the 402 catalyst as you said you are...

clean the surface with soap and water and dry thoroughly.. THOROUGHLY... go over it with grease and wax remover, dry THOROUGHLY.... go over it 2 or 3 times with a tack rag.

after it is primed and the cure time has been achieved for your temperature you can shoot it with color. again go over it with grease and wax remover and a tack cloth. if memory serves me correctly.... you can only leave the DPLF primers for a week before you have to sand and reprime. that stuff will clog sandpaper like no tomorrow too...

if you need to fair the drive for pitting or scratches prior to priming i like microballoons or a filler called ICING... it feathers wonderfully... for a sandable buildup primer after application of DPLF i prefer PPG K36 it is absolutely wonderful... that, a can of black spray paint, flat sanding pad and some 600 grit paper and a trickling garden hose... with K36 you have to be cautious to NOT cut it too thin or cut through... or once the primer and color coats are applied you run the risk of lifting due to insufficient film thickness of the K36. you must let the DPLF cure overnight, preferably a day, before application of K36...

when finishing drives and such with a single stage i LOVE PPG DCC Concept. it is a single stage catalyzed Acrylic Urethane and it is as tough as nails and fairly easy to apply. 2 or 3 full wet coats applied 15 minutes apart. cures over night and whala. you can wetsand and compound if needed to repair runs, etc. it is hard to make it run or sag unless you get carried away.

use DCX61 catalyst and 885 reducer unless you are painting in 90+ temperatures. 885 is a good all purpose reducer for the DCC

have fun with the whole thing.. take your time.. don't go too fast or get carried away... i use an HVLP devilbiss GTI and i generally use a 1.3 mm fluid tip for BC and single stage application... 1.5 mm for clear coat. 40 psi at the gun (roughly 10 psi and the cap) gets me pretty good atomization and flow generally.. you'll have to tweak air pressure to get to your comfort and liking for whatever gun you are using... if you are not comfortable right off.. try it on all on a piece of scrap material... and a little goes a long way... the DPLF is mixed 1:1... the DCC is mixed 4:2:1... don't mix more than oyu need... for comparison, a 1 quart mixing cup of mixed material is enough for me to cover an entire tractor one time... (yes i restore antique farm machinery, among other things)

if you are using a devilbiss gravity feed gun the bag system for the paint cup is the cats ass for clean up ease... laquer thinner for everything after that...

DPLF data sheet http://www.pwpaints.com/images/downloads/dplf-p-196.pdf

DCC Concept Data Sheet http://www.pwpaints.com/images/downloads/dcc-p-168.pdf

K36 data sheet

primer surfacer: http://www.pwpaints.com/images/downl...36p-p-169p.pdf

Sealer: http://www.pwpaints.com/images/downl...36s-p-169s.pdf

Thanks! The links you posted are the same as I printed off. I assume you meant the primer is a 2:1 mix, not 1:1.

Yes, bare aluminum. I'm cleaning with DX533 cleaner, then conditioning with DX503. Primer is DP40LF(gray/green) with the 402. Drives are excellant shape, no need for fillers.

I may check into exchanging the enamel for the urethane tommorrow since it seems to be the paint of choice, BUT if I can't exchange, the acrylic enamel will be also fine in your opinion?

Thanks again for your reply.

you are correct.. the DPLF is 2:1... the DP is 1:1... LF stands for Lead Free... you cannot purchase regular ole DP anymore...

Got the Concept paint today, so lock your girlfriends up!