A substantially isocyanate free, ambient to low bake temperature (less than 80° C.) curable, multicomponent primer compositions useful for direct to metal coatings comprising one or more pigments, extenders and/or fillers, one or more ion-exchanged amorphous silicas containing a metal cation, one or more carboxylic acid compounds that contain one of a benzothiazole, benzoxazole, or benzimidazole group, one or more hydrophobic sulfonic acid catalysts, one or more a) polycarbamates of an alkyd polyol, an acrylic polyol, or their mixtures, and one or more b) polyaldehydes or acetals or hemiacetals thereof in a component separate from the one or more polycarbamates.