POR-15 versus "Miracle Paint"
 

I bought a little book on rust repair from mercedesource.com and spent my quiet time before bed reading it. I am encourage that there is hope for those rust spots as I head into a Grind-prime-&-paint project.

I have my can of POR-15 ready to go and the surface prep spray stuff too. Then I get this book promoting a product that sounds very similar to POR-15 called Miracle Paint. All the warnings about proper handling proceedures are nearly verbatum the same. This makes me think that "Miracle Paint" is POR-15 under a different label.

Anyone know if in fact that these two products are the same?

What I was surprised to discover in this book is the use of fiberglass cloth with the paint for reinforcement. To me, this little book is well worth its modest cost.

Thanks, Alex

You will be very pleased with the POR15. I just completed a major floor repair on my '76 300D, using new metal with the paint and the POR-Patch. The POR-Patch cures so tough, it cannot be sanded, and it would take a serious grinder to get through it if you ever had to.

Dave

I disagree .....about the POR-15 paint at least...I painted a 1963 Austin Healey block with this stuff....found it did not do as advertised. :rolleyes:

Not only did it not adhere very well, but the paint color was NOT the 'Green Met'..these engines are supposed to be ! :confused:

Hope you have better results.....This is MY opinion with my engine painting... :eek:
I am NOT suggesting all POR-15 products are bad, this is my experience, yours may be different. :)


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I did not realize that the POR15 came in anything but grey and black.
In March of this year (at work) I had the painters put some POR15 on some galvanized flanges that were rusting out in an area that stays wet. It is holding up great.

This is from POR-15 site...



Extra-pigment ENGINE ENAMELS have been formulated by RestoMotive Laboratories to be the best and most beautiful engine enamels you can buy. Enamels are available in incredibly rich colors that flow easily, cover better than any other paint, and last longer. Our enamels are non-flammable and conform to even the strictest California environmental standards. We invite you to compare them with any other product and you'll see what we mean.

Typically, a pint is enough for an entire engine.

**Only Black and Chevy Orange are available in quarts.

See also .......http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=284

ic - I had not paid any attention to their engine enamel product. If I am not mistaken though the engine enamel is not to be mistaken as the rust preventive paint - two different products.

http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=6

if it did not adhere, you did not properly prepare the block

Are these products the same?

Did you get the little 12-page booklet, or the more expensive 63-page book?

POR 15 & Little Book
 

I believe that I ordered the 16-page booklet. Though brief, it was really helpful in breaking out the best steps in dealing with rust clean-up and repainting.

So far, so good. In August I stripped the trim off the 280E used an angle grinder with a wire brush and a generous coating of POR-15 on about a dozen small areas of surface rust. All the rust is still in check. In one area by the rear wheel well, I dug out a bunch of bondo to find some serious rust that had started to bubble up through the bondo and paint. I really doused this area with POR-15 to hopefully get deep into the layers of rust. I didn't have time before my daughter took the car off to college to properly refill the wound and paint. Maybe over Thanksgiving break I'll get to it.

Alex

Doing a fiberglass repair on a major rusted out area is dodgy at best. The different coefficents of expansion under hot and cold conditions will eventually cause delamination around all the seams of the patch. The only proper way of repairing panels is welding in new sheet metal. Anything less will always be referred to as a bondo repair severely limiting resale value.

My personal feeling is that these products should be used for rust *prevention* only, not for repair.

However, for a beater kind of older car then they are fine and useful to keep an otherwise useful car on the road and in service, just realize that you should by no means use these + fiberglass on structural elements.

I personally have never used them, but am considering having POR15 sprayed on the bottom of a car that I have at my restorer's now. Have not heard much about Miracle paint, can only imagine that it is similar to POR15. I keep seeing it all over that **************.com website, which is a decent place for parts and manuals in general.

Anyone tried Zerorust? http://www.zerorust.com/

It's supposed to be as good as POR, but without all the methylethylbad****, so it comes in aerosal cans and even colors, and a clear. I spoke with a guy at their HQ and he said the state of Oregon is using it to repaint all their metal bridges and that Cal Trans here in CA is painting all their dump boxes with it.

Regarding the POR floor repair, I saw a nice sample of it at a POR vendor booth in Portland, OR on Labor Day. The guy had a section of floor out of a car. Typical rusted through in areas......not missing huge sections. Anyway, it was fantastic, and hard as steel. I was very impressed.

I've used the black POR 15 on the underside and inside floor pan of a surface rusty Italian (sorry) car. Used the glossy stuff inside. That was several years ago and it still looks shiney as if it's wet. You have to follow their directions and use it fresh. If the can is open it "changes" and doesn't seem to work the same. If you get some on the rim of the can and pound the lid on, after it dries the only thing that will get it back off is a saw! Stains your skin big time too.
Dennis

I ordered the **************.com big book on rust repair and their Miracle Paint starter kit. My 220 really doesn't have rust but there is one spot underneath where it looks like a battery must have leaked some time in the past 35 years. It's a big enough area so I want to treat it to clean it up and prevent any additional corrosion.

I'll post the results after it's done.

HO