Toby Chess, a training consultant with 30 years of experience in auto body repair and for many years a columnist in Autobody News, needs your help! Together with Hawaii shop owner March Taylor, he is putting together a book for distribution at the CIC meeting in Boston on the use primers, plastic fillers and sealants. 

"There is a lot of misinformation pertaining to the proper procedures for these products," said Chess, "so we are gathering information for the CIC presentation."

Common wisdom

The questions below have been distributed to paint companies, the manufacturers of sealants and fillers, vehicle manufacturers and I-CAR. In order to compare their answers to the "common wisdom" in the industry, Chess would like Autobody News readers to answer the questions below. Your answers (confidential, of course) are the "common wisdom" and will be compared and contrasted with the responses of the manufacturers.

Your response is needed ASAP in order for the report to be ready for the October meeting. To respond, just write your answers on a separate sheet of paper, listing them as A1, A2, B1, C1, etc.

Please mail your response to:

Toby Chess, 7738 Westlawn Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90045.

We'll include the results of the survey in a future Autobody News article.

A. Questions on paint

A1. What primer(s) do you have available to replace the factory e-coat? (self etch, conversion coat primer and epoxy)

A2. What is the cure time for the primer?

A3. How many coats are recommended?

A4. Do you recommend light, medium or heavy coat?

A5. Do you recommend spraying primer before or after applying plastic filler?

A6. Do you recommend applying the e-coat replacement primer before or after applying seam sealer and/or calking?

A7. What primer do you recommend for the windshield pinch weld on the A pillar and what is the cure time before a windshield can be installed?

A8. Does your company have a single component self-etch primer (spray-can type)?

B. Questions on plastic fillers

B1. Which of plastic fillers will go directly over galvanized steel?

B2. Which of your fillers need to have all paint and primers removed before applying plastic filler?

B3. Which of your fillers can be applied directly over a self-etch primer?

B4. Which of your fillers can be applied directly over an epoxy primer?

B5. Do you have a filler that can applied over aluminum?

B6. What is the cure time for your filler?

B7. What is your recommended time between the application of filler to the application of an e-coat type primer?

C. Questions on sealants

C1. Can your sealant/calking be applied over epoxy primer?

C2. Can your sealant/calking be applied over self-etch primer?

C3. Do you have epoxy sealants?

C4. Do you have urethane sealants?

C5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of epoxy sealants?

C6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of urethane sealants?

C7. The body shop is replacing a rear body panel on a vehicle. What are the steps to replace the sealant after the part has been welded?

D. General Procedures

D1. What are your recommended steps for repairing a softball side dent in a front fender?

D2. What primer or primers do you recommend for replacing the factory e-coat primer?

D3. What type of primer do you recommend for the inside of the front rails and rear frame rails?

D4. What primer do you recommend for the windshield pinch weld when it has been replaced?

D5. Does the same procedure hold for the rear window pinch weld when a quarter panel has been replaced.