Touch up paint dissolved the primer

[Elkins45]

I bought some Toyota touch up paint for my ugly Scion but there was a largish spot that was down to bare metal so I masked it off and gave it a spray of Rustoleum flat gray primer yesterday. I went out today to lay a coat of touch up over it and was amazed that the primer began to run as soon as the tough up hit it.

I was certain the paint had enough time and temperature to be dry, so either I was badly wrong or the Toyota touch up paint has an incompatible solvent. Is this a common problem?

 

[doitmyself]

Yes, I'm going to guess that the primer was not compatible with the topcoat. Maybe try Duplicolor automotive primer. It has worked with any topcoat touch up paints that I have used.

 

[MParr]

It’s not out of the ordinary for that to happen. I had something similar happen to my ‘91 Ford Ranger. Sometimes the new paint and old paint doesn’t get along. Different formulas and solvents used in the rattle cans have an adverse reaction on the factory paint. I eventually had the hood and front fenders repainted.
Use the same brand of paint and primer over bare metal.

 

[dishdude]

Save the Rustoleum for the lawn furniture, not the car.

 

[zzyzzx]

Save the Rustoleum for the lawn furniture, not the car.

The marine version of Rustoleum is OK if you are painting a beater. Otherwise, I agree. Regular Rustoleum has no built in UV protection and fades pretty quickly.

 

[wpod]

Go to a paint store that sells paint to body shops.

 

[ChrisMU]

This can even happen within the same brand of rattle can paint. I painted the lift gate of my ‘91 Mercury Tracer wagon after some rust repair with white Rust-Oleum, then waited the proper amount of time and hit it with the Rust-Oleum clearcoat. The paint crazed, then started lifting. I had to sand it all down and do it over, sans clearcoat.

 

[Elkins45]

Save the Rustoleum for the lawn furniture, not the car.

It’s just primer for a spot the size of a quarter. I didn’t think I needed something fancy.

Guess I wasted my $5.