Hello , I am looking for suggestions on a durable paint for ch***is steering and suspension parts . I am need to paint the 32 frame and ***ociated parts , I also explored powder coating . Thanks
I’ve powder coated 3 different Model A ch***is-frames in the last 30 years. One in gloss metallic color and two in black. With black, at least, you can go from flat to full gloss at about any level you want. Have not done any recently, but the technology has undoubtedly improved since the mid nineties when I did my first. I am sold on pc for a ch***is.
The single stage acrylic urethane is a great choice. You can touch it up as needed from chips and such, plus if you make changes and add something or need to weld something on or what ever it's easy to paint and blend.
Enamel still has a durable life. There’s 3 Tractor Supplies in Florida. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/primer Primer starts first but hit the Menu for the color list.
I had the frame on my avatar roadster powder coated in 2014 just before I began re***emble. Over 40K miles driven all over the southwest and it still looks like it was coated 2 hours ago. The powder coater when nuts trying to match the shade to my Washington blue body and finally succeeded beautifully! A few years ago, I stopped by to show them how their work held up. One of the employees said, "so that's where that odd blue we've never used came about. Apparently there isn't a real hot market for Washington blue powder coating! Would I go to the extra expense again? Absolutely! Not one bit of rock chips or other cosmetic damage in over 40K miles proves the worth of the cost.
Don't use rustoleum or other such paints. You may need a touch up after something, and if so good luck keeping it from lifting the 1st layers. If you want to paint use something catalyzed, even if it's bargain-ba*****t stuff. You said 32 so shiney is the ***umed goal.
Yep. We tested catalyzed tractor paint. Basic alkyd enamel. We actually cut and buffed it. Scratched and feathered it. Gave it a 2 week cure period. All kinds of options. Powder to automotive paint. Kinda depends on the desired result. Old rusty beater? I’ll use rustoleum stuff Nice driver or show ride on new or blasted metal? I like epoxy then a quality automotive paint. powder? Kinda depends. If it’s all getting sprayed a body color then it gets paint. All basic black? Then maybe powder.
I had some wheels powder coated for my pickup, rusty within 2 years. Wheels I paint at home, epoxy prime, single stage urethane look great after 20 years. The bad news is paint is so expensive today PC is probably cheaper
Ive always used an enamel for the ch***is because it’s durable and easy to patch if needed. Here lately (past 15 years or better) I’ve used TS paint and had good luck with it. Just make sure to use a good automotive hardener with automotive reducer and it will last.
I had a car trailer that was powder coated. After a year the powder on the fenders started to come off in sheets. In 2 years almost all of the powder had peeled off of it. It got a Rusoleum paint job then.
I have had a set of Ford wire wheels and a set of 40 wheels powder coated. The powder coater told me he had to take precautions to paint the seams where the rim and center meet to avoid rust. I have had these wheels on my roadster for 10 years and no rust. The 35 wires are easier. It is all up to the skill of the painter and his equipment. John
Your decision on prep work could help drive your decision on paint. Will the car be ***embled or in pieces? Will you use a wire wheel to remove years of road grunge/oil/grease or have it media blasted?
Back in 1976 I had the frame sandblasted, then painted with Imron, which seemed to be state-of-the-art coating at that time. Since then I've just added Rustoleum gloss black when needed. The body was chemically dipped, coated, then sprayed with epoxy primer, fill-n-sand, and finally Rustoleum because I'm now 77 and just needed to get some color on it and finish ***embly so I can drive it before I'm too old or dead. Not concerned with quality of finish or longevity, just coverage and affordability. Still got some hurdles to overcome before I'm driving it some 52 years after starting the project but the painting choice is no longer an issue.
Powdercoat issues with lifting or rust getting under it can all be traced to poor prep and/or skimping on coating. The base needs to be absolutely CLEAN and DRY, with a sandblasted finish using 80 grit sand to leave 'tooth' for the coating to grip. One issue with application is because you're dealing with electrically charged attraction, the coating will stick to the first surface it sees (just like chrome). So extra care must be used to make sure the coating gets into nooks and crannies. Done right, it's as bulletproof a coating as you'll find short of plating or galvanizing. Color matching paint can be a problem however and it does scuff easily as after all, it's plastic. Touching it up after damage is nearly impossible. Because of that, it's not a good choice for parts where a glossy finish on large areas is needed. Ch***is parts, engine compartment and wheels are the places you want to use it, exterior or interior body parts not so much. Lighter colors will show damage more than darker colors. My favorite place to use it is on battery trays. I'll heavily coat a tray a minimum of three times. After the first application and cure, bare metal is gone so to get the powder to stick, pre-heat the part to 200 degrees; you don't need the 'charge'. This will allow the powder to stick and partially melt. Repeat curing. Repeat once more or until all sharp edges are rounded. I have yet to see a tray show any rust, although it will stain if acid gets on it. I've also got a couple of keypad stations for a security gate that were coated about 30 years ago that have been outside all that time. They do have some chips on the edges where people got too close, but the rust is only at the chip, it didn't go any further. If you've had problems with failed powdercoating, somebody screwed up when they put it on...
I've painted my suspension pieces with PPG enamel. First everything is blasted and the primed using PPG DP 50, 90, or 48 depending on what color your finish paint is. Good wear .finish, and no trouble.
I don't build show cars (I am not that talented nor do I like to spend lots of money so I have used Rustoleum because it is inexpensive and easily done in my driveway. When I built the Studebaker I used a later model Studebaker frame (heavier gauge material) and didn't notice until I mounted the body that a couple of body mounts were enough different that I had to do a little welding and fabrication (or is it fabrication and then welding?) to mount the body properly. A brush and a little dab here and there and the underside looked fine. I sandblast the frames in my driveway and use rusty metal primer and satin black. The guy that bought the Studebaker told me after he got done loading the car that the paint was better underneath than on the outside of the body
depends on level of build. hi-end definitely powder coat. got a compressor get cheapo gun and hit automotive paint supply store. general use basic Hot Rod hit NAPA, etc for Dupli-Color & others. here in Calif used to have Orchard Hardware chain. Used their brand of semi-gloss, and held up as good as any expensive stuff. one time was under my '31 Ford detailing stuff and wife came out and asked me what I was doing. explained to her. she said the one that will ever see what I did would be Roadkill, for a brief second - Ha!
GM Ch***is Black. You can brush it but it looks best sprayed. Beautiful semi flat, great coverage and durability. I hear it makes Fords Run better but I have nothing to back that up.
Rustoleum is very tough paint. I home sandblasted a '56 Ford frame and then painted it with Rustoleum. Unfortunately, I let it sit outside for a year and the front crossmember started rust blistering. So I got paranoid and had the frame chemically dipped to make sure all of the rust was gone and replaced the crossmember with one that came back good from the dipper. Side note: I went around to all the local salvage yards and bought every crossmember I could find that looked good. I sent six in for dipping, got one good one back. The rest were swiss cheese to some degree! But the dipper asked me what kind of paint that was. He told me he had to dip it three times to get all the paint off, 'regular' automotive paint would come off with one. When I repainted the frame after, I stuck the gun nozzle into every hole and shot paint inside the frame until I had it dripping out the bottom. That frame will never rust from the inside...
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