What is the best frame paint other than powdercoat mine is down to bare metal with a little fine rust on it s****ped and wire brush it clean
Rust bullet. We studied it here at work (Big 3 auto company) for a service bulletin. http://www.rustbullet.com/ It smells and applies alot like POR-15, but I happen to believe - in our studies so far - that it is far superior to POR-15. POR-15 needs a 5 step procedure to be effective and even then I do not believe it to be as good a product as rustbullet. rustbullet is 1 step and therefore much cheaper to use. Go to the site and do your homework - their testing speaks for itself. I have used the Blackshell and find it to cure up a nice "ch***is black" medium to low gloss. It can be sprayed or brushed... If you spray it be sure to use a respirator. Be sure to apply two coats per recommendations... I think you will like it.
I've had good success with Eastwood's Ch***is Black paint. It's got the right sheen, is durable and comes in a rattle can. I've used it on my 4x4s that get used hard with good success.
I used the system from KBS and the rear half of my frame has been out in the elements since August and looks like the day I painted it. http://www.kbs-coatings.com/kbs-three-step-system.html
I have been really impressed with KBS Products. But be careful it does not have UV protection. Gloss black will look chaulky if left in the sun.
If you want a semi-gloss black paint thats cheap. Mobile BLP paints makes a paint that is used for painting wrought iron fences. It requires no primer and dries in the ch***is correct black and sells for about $20.00 a gallon and reduces with xylene. Once dry is appears to be pretty tuff stuff,plus on the cheap !!!! Had some questions as to the number of this paint. The product under BLP's web site is called Iron Pro and the part number is 6500-16. Don't forget to look at the PDS sheet for all the info.
This what I am using. Seems to work okay with no problems and the sheen is about right also. Comes in rattle can or quart. I have sprayed it and foam-brush applied it with good results.
Avoid powder coating. Once it gets chipped or scratched and water and rust gets underneath it spreads like mad. Plus its very difficult to get off.
I also have used the eastwoods ch***is black (2x i think it is ceramic coat) in the quart...spreads/laysdown and covers great...and though the truck hasn't seen the road yet has been subjected to the garage thrash for about a year and a half with no dings...
2x, just need to learn tricks to keep from curing in can once opened (soft drink bottles, inverted can with sheet metal screw w/ washer like used on tin garage construction, etc.).
If this is a collector car that will spend most of it's remaining life in a garage and not driving the salted winter streets, I don't think it makes a huge difference. I used Por15 many years ago and it seemed to work fine. I'm a little leery of powder coating on frames. The rear spring shackle hanger, that is riveted to the frame on my 93 Lightning P/U, bent up lowering the stance on one side. I was shocked when the Ford parts dept had one in stock. It must be a common problem if the local dealer stocks them. When I got it off it was still very shiny but the steel inside the plastic looking paint or powder coating had completely rusted the steel away from the inside. We are not talking surface rust. We are taking disintegration. They are not sheet metal but heavy 1/8" steel stampings. It makes me think that if water can get inside, it cant dry out, can't escape and continues to rust the metal. The paint on the outside was just like an epoxy coating. I've worked on thousands of cars and trucks that have been exposed to the salts etc. but I've never seen anything like this. You'd have to see it to understand. My cars are not show cars. I don't even enjoy polishing bumpers and fenders let alone frames and drive shafts. I wire brush the frame and use good old Krylon semi flat black and it seems to hold up real well in the few times that I get caught in a storm. It looks great JMHO
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