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Why do so many shops skip proper weld-through primer?
I've been fixing cars for years, and it blows my mind how often I see weld spots rusting out because guys don't use the right primer. Just last month, I redid a quarter panel repair where the previous shop welded straight to bare metal. Six months later, it was already bubbling up with rust. Don't they know that weld-through primer seals the metal from moisture? It's not rocket science, but skipping it seems so common. I've even had buddies argue that it's a waste of time if you're painting over it fast. But come on, isn't the goal to make the repair last? Why risk a comeback job just to save ten minutes? What's the point of doing half a job?
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reese_nelson6mo ago
You know what gets me? It's how forgetting weld-through primer slowly ruins a shop's rep. Customers might not spot rust for months, but when they do, they blame the shop. @mila_harris mentioned the hard lesson, but it's bigger than one comeback job. It's about proving you care about the car's future. That extra step tells everyone you're in it for the long haul, not just a quick fix.
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mila_harris6mo ago
Oh man, when you mentioned buddies saying it's a waste of time, that was me like ten years ago. I thought if I painted it fast enough the rust wouldn't find it. Let's just say I learned that lesson the hard way with a customer's rocker panel. That ten minutes you save absolutely comes back to bite you when the rust bleeds through the new paint. It's like putting a bandaid on a cut that's still dirty, it just traps the problem. Doing it right the first time is always cheaper than the comeback.
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the_lisa6mo ago
Learned that too lol, nothing worse than watching paint bubble over rust you rushed through.
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