What is this yellow primer?

[NOBLNG]

This has been sitting in the purple pond for 3 days now. The Super Clean barely softened the brown paint that is on top of the yellow stuff. It almost looks like a “zinc chromate” primer? Straight tap water easily took off most of the brown paint on the interior that was not primed at all. Even a brass brush doesn’t easily harm the paint on the body though. Any Ideas? Thanks.

[Bainford]

It does look a bit like zinc chromate. My go-to for difficult to remove paint/primer is brake fluid, though I have never tried to remove zinc chromate.

As you may know, zinc chromate is highly toxic. If you intend to sand off the stuff, don't breath in the dust, and you really shouldn't get it on your skin, either. Not sure of the toxicity of the dust relative a sprayed mist, but I would definitely treat the dust as toxic. If this stuff is zinc chromate, I would wear a respirator if doing any sanding, or at the least, do any sanding wet.. 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Bainford

[Red96]

It looks to have a simular appearance as an old Sikkens epoxy primer that was popular with body shops and restorers from back in the 80's & early 90's. Many stripped bare metal bodies were primed with this to keep the bare bodies from flash-rusting.  Body fillers could be put over this with great success, and it had dynamite corrosion resistance.  High build too.  Can't for the life of me remember the P/N, but it want to say it had '200' in it as best I can recall...

 

If that Sikkens product is what your primer is, you're probably only getting it off by sanding as nothing is likely to break down that epoxy that won't also destroy the plastic.  The DOT3 brake fluid idea is intriguing though....MIGHT work?  Anything else coated with the primer, other than the body, that you could test with?

[NOBLNG]

3 hours ago, Bainford said:

It does look a bit like zinc chromate. My go-to for difficult to remove paint/primer is brake fluid, though I have never tried to remove zinc chromate.

Thanks Trevor. I will be careful not to contaminate myself. If I can get just the brown paint off I’ll be happy. I have it soaking in alcohol right now. If that doesn’t do it then I’ll try the brake fluid.

1 hour ago, Red96 said:

It looks to have a simular appearance as an old Sikkens epoxy primer that was popular with body shops and restorers from back in the 80's & early 90's……High build too.

Thanks Dave. I don’t think it’s epoxy though. It’s a fairly thin coating. Just my guess.?‍♂️

[Red96]

Yeah, if it is thin it is definately not the Sikkens stuff.  Curious to hear this one out...

[NOBLNG]

After 4 hours in the alcohol most of the brown scrubbed off easily and some of the yellow. I’m thinking that this is just yellow paint now and not a primer at all.

[Bainford]

Yeah, clearly some success there. A few more hours. 

[Lunajammer]

I dunno man, I think the bed looks almost perfectly weathered. Maybe you could make a silk purse out of a sows ear and keep going with the distressed look somehow. Not sure what that next step would be though.