A coating composition containing 10-80% by weight of binder and 20-90% by weight of an organic solvent in which the binder is (1) a chlorosulfonated ethylene vinyl acetate polymer, (2) an epoxy resin, (3) a polyamine curing agent, and (4) a bicyclic amidine. The composition is used as a primer or topcoating for metal substrates and curings at ambient temperatures and provides a finish that has excellent adhesion to the substrate and is tough, durable, weatherable and when pigmented with electrically conductive pigments, can be used as a coating for electrodes used in electrochemical reactions such as grids used in lead acid storage batteries.