Strip, prime, and paint or just rough up and topcoat this drive?

thunder550

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I'm going to repaint my Bravo drive this winter. Based on the condition in the pics below, do you guys think I should go all out and remove the drive, split the upper and lower, then strip/prime/paint it all, or just rough it up a bit and top coat it? I've been trying to read up on painting drives and the advice seems like it's all over the place.

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Bondo

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Ayuh,.... Is this a moored boat, or a beauty queen that sits on a wagon,..??

Mined lives in the water all summer, so looks don't matter in the least to Me,....

I spray paint my drive once a year, if I get 'round to it, so say every 3 or 5 years,...

I give it a quick brush down with a stiff bristled brush, grab a 2'x2' chunk of cardboard in 1 hand, 'n a rattlecan of industrial enamel Rustoleum gloss black in the other,...
Then go to town on it til the rattlecan is empty,...
 

thunder550

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Previous owners kept it in a slip all summer, but it's a trailer queen now.
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,.... So I guess it comes down to how Pretty ya want it, 'n how much effort yer lookin' to put into gettin' there,....

The opposite end of the spectrum from My process is a full tear-down, blastin', 'n powder coatin' it,...

Everything you can imagine is in-between,....
 

thunder550

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I think I'll hit it with "The Works" and then a wire brush to start with and see what it looks like afterwards. It's hard for me to tell right now what is calcium build up and what is missing paint, and where the paint is missing, if any of it goes all the way to the metal or if I'm just seeing exposed primer. I really don't want to take the drive apart if I don't have to, but I do want to clean it up and make it look nice.
 

Scott Danforth

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I would first clean the drive....paint is protection. If you have pits in the aluminum, strip, blast and reprime with zinc primer and then paint.

If the paint is still intact, scuff and rattlecan
 
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thunder550

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I would first clean the drive....paint is protection. If tou have pist in the aluminum, strip, blast and reprime with zinc primer and then paint.

If the paint is still intact, scuff and rattlecan

10-4. Will be a week or two before I can start in on it but I'll report back and take some more pics.
 

thunder550

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Following up on this thread. Ended up sanding, priming and painting with Merc rattle can primer and paint. Also added reproduction decals and a Simrek drive shower.
 

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82rude

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Too late now ,for next time maybe i would suggest a 2 part epoxy primer.Cant remember the name of the one i sprayed on my truck but it specifically stated it was for auto(steel) and marine(aluminum).Works great.From now on im only using that primer .
 
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