The sealer was applied in one full-wet coat. Since it dries quickly, it can be topcoated in less than an hour. If it's allowed to dry for more than four hours, however, it will need to be scuff-sanded before being painted over.
The primer is also a two-part product. DuPont's V-4904S Primer-Filler gets mixed in a 3:1 ratio with a temperature-dependent activator-the mid-temperature activator in this case, since it was about 70 degrees F.
The primer can be applied in relatively thick coats to fill and smooth sand scratches and other small surface imperfections. The Rambler received three medium-wet coats with about 6-8 minutes flash time between each coat. The primer also dries quickly and is ready to sand within one hour. DuPont recommends scuffing this primer with 500- or 600-grit paper before topcoating.
To prep for the color coat, the entire engine compartment was blown out again with compressed air and wiped thoroughly with an adhesive remover and then a tack cloth.
We purchased the AMC Barbados Blue custom-mixed from the paint store using AMC factory paint chips we scored on eBay. If you've got factory paint but don't know its name or number, check eBay. We found a ton of paint-chip listings-even for oddball applications like Citroen, Vauxhall, and Rover. After mixing the paint with an activator, it was ready to spray. We switched to a smaller spray gun to ensure we'd be able to get behind and around the steering column, brake lines, and wiring harness. To apply the basecoat, spray enough material in medium-wet coats until coverage is complete-usually 2-3 coats will do the trick. Allow about 8-10 minutes of flash time between coats.
We shot the clear as soon as the basecoat was dry-after about 30 minutes. We chose DuPont's HC2300S clear, which was mixed in a 4:1 ratio with a medium-temperature activator. Only two medium-wet coats were needed, applied five minutes apart, before the engine compartment was finished. The 2300S dries very quickly and can be polished after only two hours. While we won't be buffing out the Rambler's engine compartment, the clearcoat was dry to the touch and ready to be unmasked by the time we were finished cleaning the paint gun.