MGB & GT Forum

has anyone tried this out? just wondering if it sticks as well (to anything!) and is as tough as 2k.

https://www.vhtpaint.com/specialty/vht-epoxy-all-weather-paint

clearly a lot cheaper than a 2K epoxy in a spray (3-4x the price) and convenient - but is there really an automatic reason for 2k always being better than 1k?

one other question.....

when posting a question such as this - it's not MG related but equally applicable to Triumph etc....

is there a forum here that stretches across all classic car brands?

G

Never tried the VHT but I have used Eastwood 2k in a can.

There is a tool to depress a valve in the can that releases the activator then you have about 24 hours to use it. I think it was about $25/can. After curing overnight it was as hard as any 2k I ever mixed and shot from a gun.

Cost wise, it really is a lot more effective to buy a quart of paint and activator. There is not very much paint in a can of any kind.

I tried that stuff. To me, it was just like regular spray can paint that scratched easily.

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74 Damask Red BGT
Davesmg@outlook.com

interesting. was that scratching after a while, or shortly after spraying David?

for small bits just a pain cleaning up the gun & stuff so wondered if it compared for toughness.

course one real consideration with 2k in a can is the pot life. One can is opened you have to use it all or it will harden in the nozzle/can so you have to save up your jobs.... in which case you could mix a pot up.



G

My wheels are painted with it and I've used it on several suspension parts.

Seems to work well.

Doubt you could really compare VHT 1k epoxy to a true 2k epoxy. If you are painting suspension parts I have had good luck with SEM Rust Trap which is a moisture cured urethane which gives a durable finish. It can be brushed or sprayed on clean or even rusty metal. Can also be topcoated with regular paint to provide UV protection. You don't have to use a full can, it can be resealed no problem. I am still using the same can after 3 years. Here are some pictures of my son's '86 BMW rear suspension and diff we just painted a few days ago ( diff was wire wheeled prior to painting):

Graham, Can't recall exactly, but maybe at least a few days. Maybe I didn't put it on thick enough, Who knows, but I was a bit disappointed to the point that I would not consider using it again.

If you are looking for a real tough paint, you might want to look at POR-15. You can brush it on and it levels out nicely. Pretty expensive though and once you open the can, the shelf life diminishes rapidly.

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74 Damask Red BGT
Davesmg@outlook.com

You do have to shake the hell out of the Eastwood stuff before using it. The cans we were given by the customer must have been sitting for some time because it took several minutes of shaking before the marble came loose from the bottom. Then we had to shake it a bunch more just to be sure it was good to go. But it did spray out OK and was nice and hard a day later.

Thing is all paints look great when you have just done them. It's how they look after 5 years of use.

Example - see pic below. All those were wire brushed and painted with 'to rust paint' by Hammerite.

Never again....

But it does raise a question.

Phil - when you wrote "Doubt you could really compare VHT 1k epoxy to a true 2k epoxy" - this was exactly what I was thinking. But then I thought why should a 2k be necessarily better than a 1k?

G

I just found a 'before' pic too. posted.

I use VHT chassis black on everything metal. Inexpensive, readily available at Advance Auto. Good finish and no runs. The warmer the day and the piece, the better the finish. Shake shake shake.

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"Only those who have patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily"
James J. Corbett

saw that one. from the description and options it looks like it's the epoxy car with a different label.

do you have experience of how it holds out over time Bob?

G

6 - 7 years good. No rain though. Go for it. Its all in the prep. I would imagine Eastwoods is a higher resin. Then you need a gun for 2 part etc.

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"Only those who have patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily"
James J. Corbett



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-05-02 04:00 PM by albeegreen1.

The 2k uses a catalyst hardener which changes the molecular structure of the epoxy resin by adding a link. Basically makes it much stronger. I guess you could say 1k epoxy is like taking a shower with a raincoat on.

Looked into Hammerite which I don't think we see much of in the US. Doesn't appear to be a moisture cured urethane like SEM Rust Trap or POR 15. Not sure how you prepped prior to using it, but if you tried to paint over rust then it obviously didn't work very well.

I'm not a fan of these paint over rust type paints. The best approach for longevity is 100% rust free metal and either 2k epoxy primer plus topcoat or powder coating, assuming suspension parts. On sheet metal, 2k epoxy primer plus topcoat. Either media blast the parts or wire wheel them and then treat any remaining rust with multiple applications of phosphoric acid until all the rust in any pits and hard to reach areas is completely gone. Then neutralize and paint or powder coat.

Having said all that, I have used the SEM Rust Trap after getting the metal basically rust free as possible. Unlike POR 15, it can be used on bare sanded metal. It cures rock hard and for that reason I wouldn't use on any sheet metal where it might be flexed which would probably lead to failure. On suspension bits probably not an issue except for springs. My understanding of POR 15 is it is supposedly better to paint it over slight rust than clean metal which is why I like the SEM Rust Trap better.

I concur with Jack (mustang six ) that you need a true two part coating to be effective, keep in mind that true epoxies require a hardener
compatable WITH epoxy not like polyester where the meer presence of the cross linker (activator ) will create polimerisation., because the catalization
of polyesters is known as free radical catalasys, it hunts for open sites to link with, where as a typical epoxy forms CHAINS of molcules which give it MORE strength in epoxies and advanced resin systems. . So ,quasi hardening systems depend on the quality and mix of their product in application, so the VTC
product seems on the right track. just my thoughts on the matter.
Take care be safe !!
Dave

I have switch to the VHT epoxy for anything that needs to be black that I used to paint with Rustoleum. It is as tough as any rattle can paint and it sprays out very nicely, with a finer mist than most. Last year I restored the steering wheel on the Magnette using the VHT, it's holding up well. I like it. As noted, it is not as tough as true 2 part but is better than most other rattle can offerings.