Yea, you better stay away from that nasty "automotive" paint.:cool:

Single Stage vs Automotive Basecoat/Clearcoat
 

Yeah - look here for those horrible results using "automotive paint." And the reasons for it. http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=67760

I believe DuPont Imron is aviation grade paint, and priced accordingly, if that's what you used on your airplane. It is a very "rubberized" paint and quite flexible, perfect for thin aluminum skins that might oscillate or vibrate on plane surfaces, due to wind buffeting.

Automotive grade paints are not designed to be that flexible, unless additives or different grades of paint are used on flexible plastic bumper skins.

I am interested in a "raw" bird due to lower costs and not paying 9.5% sales tax or usage tax on a paint job here in California. For my purposes, no one sees, or even cares about what it looks like, when I pull it out of the hangar to go flying. A little bit of wrap on the cowling and the wheel paints and maybe the vert and horizontal stabs would satisfy me and my needs, so the raw bird is my preference. Certainly more cost effective.

Utility is what I am seeking. Like a tool, or a truck instead of a fancy car.

Piper uses Imron.. sure, they're no Van's.. but I think they know what they're doing :D

You're raising non-issues. There are tens of thousands of experimental and certified aircraft happily painted with plain ol' auto paint which have never experienced cracking problems. Not recommended for fabric covered aircraft, but not an issue for aluminum and/or composite aircraft.

Paint, for me, is a non issue. I've no desire for it, at all, unless it's interior primer for corrosion purposes.