How can I verify SPI epoxy was used on my floors?

M

mikec35

I'm getting ready to start putting the interior back in my car that was supposed to have been sprayed with SPI epoxy primer about 6 years ago when the body work was done. I know SPI was used after the car was blasted but I am not sure the repaired floors were done with SPI. I am getting ready to install Fatmat and if installing over SPI I have no worries but if the guy doing the body work used regular primer for the partial floor replacements I feel like I should topcoat those areas before installing Fatmat. Is there a sanding or scratch test I can do to verify the primered areas are epoxy and not regular primer? Or is it no big deal if I use Fatmat over either primer? I'm concerned with moisture if regular primer was used. Thanks, Mike
 
A soaked rag with gun wash, lacquer thinner? If the stuff gets soft and you can easily scratch off, then it wouldn't be SPI epoxy.

But then again, some 2K primers are resistant to lacquer thinner.

I'm really curious what more experienced painters will respond, I have no other clues to offer.
 
Spi Epoxy sands easy where others are not. Short of these 2 tests I'm not too sure how you could be absolutely sure short of a chemical analysis which would be extremely unrealistic.

If you know for a fact that the rest was done with SPI then more then likely the floor was to, IMO.
 
You know, in the time you posted this and waited for an answer, you could have had the epoxy down and had your piece of mind. I over think things all the time. You'll sleep a lot easier knowing you did it your way.
 
why spray epoxy over some junk bodyshop primer ? do the rag test . color is also a tell. if the primer is not really close to the spi then it is likely not spi or epoxy.
 
Thanks for the replies. In doing the rag test would I soak a rag and let it sit on the panel for a few minutes and see if the primer softens or comes off or do I just wipe it with a rag soaked in thinner? I'm trying to avoid spraying new primer if I don't need to since my car is painted.
 
Would brushing a coat on be ok if what's on there softens?
Sound deadening stuff is pretty much waterproof either way espically foil backed, my guess.
 
A wet rag with lacquer thinner or urethane reducer, go in a 4 to 6" circle 13 times.
It would be normal to see a few specks of radical pigment on the rag but if it softens or melts, it is not SPI epoxy.
My take is if the guy used SPI epoxy on most of the car with this type of job, very unlikely he went to another brand for the floor.
 
Also SPI should have a little bit of shine to it, which many other primers don't. Still not total proof, but a hint.
 
I tried the lacquer thinner test in 2 spots, you can see on the left where I tried to scratch it after using the thinner. It didn’t scratch and it didn’t soften. That’s a relief, I knew the blasting shop that stripped the body used SPI, I wanted to make sure my body guy used it as well for the patch panels and that he didn’t take a shortcut using a lesser quality primer. Thanks for all the advice.
 

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