Rant: half the repaints I see fail because guys skip the sealer coat on bare metal
I did a warranty check on a 2019 Civic last month that a shop over in Mesa repainted 14 months ago, and the paint was already lifting off the lower door in sheets. Peeled a chunk back and the bare metal underneath was still shiny. No sealer, no etch primer, just color sprayed right on top. I've seen this three times this year now, and every time the guy swears he used a self-etching primer that should've been fine. Here's the thing, most of those primers need a proper sealer over them before color, and a lot of the newer waterborne systems won't bite to bare steel no matter what the can says. I've been doing this 19 years and I'll still run a test panel before I trust a new product line on a customer's car. So what are you guys running over bare metal these days, and has anyone gotten a waterborne to hold up without a sealer?