I remember back in the 70s, people talking about Imron. they were painting tow truck bodies with it because they said you could drag a chain across it without a scratch. When I get my old 68 sweptline truck painted up for camper hauling and trailer pulling duty, I want the paint to be as durable as possible. This truck is going to get worked and I know stuff will happen to it. So what's the toughest paint I can use now that will still look good? And what about repairing it if needed? Thanks, Joel

PACCAR has famously painted all its Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks using DuPont Imron (now Axalta Imron Elite) for over 30 years.

Tough stuff, expensive. Don’t know how formulations have changed over the years but you can bet they have.

We were the only commercial OEM operation using it in Seattle area, and bits and pieces were found on the bodies of several Green River killer victims.
That little bit of evidence was key in convicting Gary Rigway (Kenworth Renton truck painter).

You might also research John Deere...I’ve heard their paint is tough....course that might mean green and yellow only!

I'm fond of the Sherwin Williams Genesis line, which like Imron is used on commercial trucks quite often. It's a single stage polyurethane, that is easy to spray and lays down quite well. Very durable.
Used on My Valiant, Dads Valiant, and Darren's Dakota.

Good info guys, thanks. I'm planning on 1968 Dodge dark turquoise poly. Is that color available in that paint?

Imron being a polyurethane is still the toughest choice out there... but new technologies in Clear coats and paint treatment coatings have come a long way, Imron is rather limited in color choices, and being single stage is not as forgiving as BC/CC when spraying it so the painter had better be an accomplished artist with the gun...

You could go with a ureathane basecoat from Dupont/PPG/Glasurit/Spies Hecker/etc/etc to obtain the color choice you desire and topcoat with a ceramic clear or Nanocoat clear from the likes of Motostorm, or a standard BC/CC from the paint manufacturer of your choice and after some time have it detailed and treated with the likes of Gyeon Mohs Q2, it's a permanent paint treatment that's currently the hardest surface sealer that can only be removed with machine buffing compounds.... all depends what your budget is?

Well, this isn't a show car, it'll be a working truck but I want it to look awesome. So the paint budget won't be huge, but it won't be Earl Scheib, either. I could live with 10 grand for body and paint. I'm starting with a really clean Arizona crew cab long bed, so the body work shouldn't be horrendous. Here is the before and after (rendering)

Imron is awesome paint. I've used it for over 30 years and haven't had a problem yet. Personally I find it easier to spray than enamel but your results may vary. If you do decide on Imron, have 911 on speed dial or a defibrillator handy when they tell you the cost. You have been warned.

Are there certain primers to be aware of that make the paint more or less durable?

Back in the day the Ready Mix company I worked for painted all their trucks with IMRON. When there got to be any concrete build up on the bodies they used muriatic acid to remove it. The paint never dulled , chipped or peeled and the body never rusted. That stuff was as hard as rocks.

I'll second, that, I've also used imron on trucks and everything else that needs a durable good looking finish for over 30 years. In my case it takes a few hours before the isocyanides? kick in, nasty stuff, supplied air is the only way to use the stuff, still have a number of gallons on the shelf from decades back, seems to still be usable, the hardener ages quicker it appears.

Surprisingly Imron has remained somewhat reasonable in cost, but your local paint supplier will mark up accordingly, but depending on color it can currently range from approx $150 to $450 a gallon (jobber price).... first time I used Imron was about 40 years ago when it was new on the paint scene.... a gallon was $70 and the hardener was $30 (full retail price) that was almost a weeks pay back then..LOL!

I bought my first gallon of white in about '77 and that is pretty close to what I remember for cost. I ordered a quart of red last year and it was $275 without the activator. But if you want the best.....