what primer? or unpainted galvanized bulkhead

[Broadstone]

I am looking for advice on what primer to use for a galvanized bulkhead and breakfast. Has anyone primed and painted in the past and had it stand up to chipping and flaking over time. I am also curious if anyone left them unpainted on their truck, (photos?)

[solihull109]

There's a truck at the shop that has a galvy bulkhead....looks okay. I've heard some people have had them painted, but after time it would flake/chip. The fresh galvy look does " fade" a bit as time goes on.

[kevkon]

There are a number of products available depending on how you intend to finish it. Usually for an automotive paint finish a self etching primer will work. Some require a pre-etching solution (acid) to be applied.

[Mercedesrover]

A self-etching primer will work. An epoxy primer will work better. There's still some prep required and that's the important part. I painted my galvanized bulkhead with an wet-on-wet epoxy primer before color and it seems fine, and though it's only been a year I have confidence in it.

[junkyddog11]

I've painted over galvy with self etching primer to good result, also powder coated and linexed as well as left some bare. The bare look is ok if you get the lighter flaky look galvy vs. the industrial fence post look and you really dont see much of it (from the outside) and if I do paint / coat I only do the bits that you do see.

[Bertha]

Veraprime by Dupont is the best primer that I have found so far for galv. I use it on the galv repair pieces when I do bulkheads as well as bare aluminum. If you use it just be aware that it needs to be coated with a regular primer before paint.

[SeriesShorty]

If I'm not mistaken, Leslie on here left his bulkhead bare. If you search his name you might be able to find pics cause I know I've seen it before. It was either posted on here or on Discoweb.

[Broadstone]

I appreciate all the replies I need some pointers with the prep. If I fail with the prep I can not have any longevity. I would like to go with the epoxy primer, but just curious if this is easy enough to do at home? Is the veraprime by dupont self etching or epoxy? Is epoxy primer spray or brush and can somebody with no experience outside of a spraypaint can do the job? I am going for durability and function and am not concerned with painting a showpiece. Thanks again!

[kevkon]

You know, you are asking this question to a group who pride themselves in their self reliance. That's an admirable quality. But there is also point where it is sometimes wiser to rely on another. If you don't have the equipment ( compressor, gun, air supplied mask, etc) and experience to shoot this bulkhead you would be far better off taking it to a body shop. You will end up with a great finish without the exposure to some very hazardous chemicals. Just my opinion.

[Leslie]

If you browse here, GnR, or D-web, you should find some pics of my Series; as Shorty said, I had the bulkhead galvanized and left it bare.

My original plan was to paint the exposed bits, the door posts and the area around the scuttle vents; I wasn't planning to paint the inside of the engine bay, or the inside (since it's a SIII, the inside dash is mostly covered...) But, I liked the look, it looked 'right', given that the windshield frame and cappings were all galvinized anyway...

I wouldn't hesitate in regalvanizing it again. Leaving it bare, Matt's comments are right, though, the flake-look is good, it's easy for a galvanized job to look industrial; mine's okay, but it's not a perfect flake job, either.

I would still consider painting the bulkhead where it shows, using an etch primer first, if I wanted it to be more of a 'rivet counter' job... (Same with the chassis: I wouldn't go through the effort of rebuilding a Rover on a non-galvy chassis just because it would be more 'correct'; you just have to paint over it and make it look 'right' if you insist on it.)