Chassis Paint vs powder Coat

[smokinstang70]

somewhat new the board and starting my first build (Build thread to come). I have the chassis disassembled and am debating about weather to paint it or powder coat it.

I figure you guys have tackled all of this before... ideas?

Also, if paint... can you give me some GOOD example of what brand and type to use.

Thanks everyone.... pictures to come

P.S. this build is ALL my wife's idea... I'm letting her to most of the design and as much of the work as she wants to.

[Thealien]

Powdercoat is very durable and is what I would go with if you can afford it. But always a but, do you plan on any fram work in the future or are you going to do it and leave it? If you are going to do it and leave it I am still with powdercoat. If you plan on modifying at a later date I would go the paint route. There are a few companies out there with very good chasis paint POR15, Eastwood has a chasis black, there is a couple more that I can't think of right now but I am sure others will add them. I have used POR15 and am happy with it.

[MisterE72]

I chose powdercoat over painting only because by the time I factored in sandblasting, primer, paint, paintbooth, and transportation, my cost was almost the same. I paid around $750 and got the frame, rearend housing, radiator support, upper/lower control arms, and trailing arms. Powdercoat is also more durable. My 2¢.

[AusTx68]

I had my frame blasted and sprayed with POR15. The rear differential and front crossmember I did myself using wire wheels and flapper disks. I like that I can go back and make changes to the frame and simply touch up the area. After this photo was taken I added an ECE drop member. I would have hated to grind and beat out rivets with powercoat.

[epashhans]

Have you ever seen that old car with the "recent" paint job that looks good until you get up close and you see some bubbles where rust is eating away underneath? I always wondered if that could happen under powercoating on a frame if you weren't really careful with prep. And with it being tough and thick, would it even bubble to let you know you have a problem? Probably not a good thing on your frame where you need structural integrity. And can you touch up the powdercoat? I am assuming you can, probably not as easy as grinding away some paint and rust and then masking and painting. Especially on a frame. Mine is just a daily driver...some good cleaning and prep and the semi-gloss rustoleum has always looked good, held up well and is super easy to touch up and affordable. I know some guys have rolled it on with good results even!

Good luck whichever route you go...and show us some pics! Because as you will soon find out around here...

[100gold]

Originally Posted by epashhans

Have you ever seen that old car with the "recent" paint job that looks good until you get up close and you see some bubbles where rust is eating away underneath? I always wondered if that could happen under powercoating on a frame if you weren't really careful with prep. And with it being tough and thick, would it even bubble to let you know you have a problem? Probably not a good thing on your frame where you need structural integrity. And can you touch up the powdercoat? I am assuming you can, probably not as easy as grinding away some paint and rust and then masking and painting. Especially on a frame. Mine is just a daily driver...some good cleaning and prep and the semi-gloss rustoleum has always looked good, held up well and is super easy to touch up and affordable. I know some guys have rolled it on with good results even!

Good luck whichever route you go...and show us some pics! Because as you will soon find out around here...

Here Here! I agree completely with this post. You can always freshen it up 10 years down the road.

[smokinstang70]

Thanks for the replys guys... keep them coming. I will definitely be putting up some pics soon. I'm definitely leaning towards paint rather than powdercoating... now just to decide what kind of paint????

[Fitz]

I blasted the frame, trailing arms and diff housing and had them powder coated... $450.00.

[special-K]

I don`t like powdercoating on frames of vehicles that get driven.It can and will chip,it`s not invincible.It`s a shell and when it gets a chip water gets in behind.If you can`t see the spot it will stay behind the coating and eat away at the frame while the coating stays on and looks fine,until it`s so bad it lifts away.Most people don`t see the frame enough,especially every surface to notice.I`ve powder coated a lot of parts since the`80s and have had them a long enough time to see the pluses and minuses.I just paint frames.It`s easy to touch up.

[capev86]

"if" i ever need to do a frame off on my 72 burb, i will have the floor boards and chassis pieces coated in zinc primer and top coated with (a quality brand) poly bed liner. it may not be as smooth as paint, but it is tough as nails and resists impacts. on floor boards it will act as a sound deadener!

[tjsblazer]

Dupont Imron is a hard as nails paint, however, not everyone wants to spray it any more these days. I think originally it was an aircraft paint so it's made to stand extremely high abrasion winds.

POR15, does it not need a top coat of paint to provide UV protection.

[RW71]

I used Hammerite paint on my frame, it needs no primer just knock the loose rust off and paint. This stuff is hard like glass.

[Racinaround]

$500 for Sandblast and Powder Coat
I took it all apart and rebolted with Stainless Bolts
I could of never cleaned it, Preped it and Painted It, to look that nice for $500

[brothers69c-10]

I've been called cheap along with many other things and did most of my fram and components at home. I sent the a arms, front cross member, front springs and trailing arms to a guy here in town to be blasted. He charged me like $60 to do everything. The frame i started with was relatively clean, so i just used one of those portable sand blasters from the hardware store and did the frame myself, not perfect but ruffed itup a bit. Then i Bought a gallon of POR15 and brushed everything by hand. I can't believe how well that stuff goes on. Lays out smooth over blemishes and there are no brush marks afterwards. If i do another i would do it the same way cause that por15 stuff is hard to scratch.

[LockDoc]

-
I use POR15 on my frames. It is 45 bucks a quart and tough as nails... A quart will do one coat on the complete pickup running gear. I put it on with a brush and it looks like it was sprayed. I got mine at my local NAPA store but they may have to order it. I would suggest a light sandblast but you can clean the frame by hand if you want. A frame does not need to be top coated because it never sees UV rays.

Just my 2¢ worth.

LockDoc

[VA72C10]

Another option to throw in the ring....hammered rustoleum in a spray can....easy application, about 90 total in the frame including primer, the paint, and wire wheels/sanding discs...

Closeup of the black hammered

and the silver

and the whole frame completed (and dusty)

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by lockdoc

-
i use por15 on my frames. It is 45 bucks a quart and tough as nails... A quart will do one coat on the complete pickup running gear. I put it on with a brush and it looks like it was sprayed. I got mine at my local napa store but they may have to order it. I would suggest a light sandblast but you can clean the frame by hand if you want. A frame does not need to be top coated because it never sees uv rays.

Just my 2¢ worth.

Lockdoc

x 2

[smokinstang70]

Thanks for the reply guys.. this is awesome. Has anyone ever sprayed POR15? Does it have to be thinned?

P.S. "I'm not cheap, I'm thrifty!!

Thanks

[Racinaround]

I spray it on suspention parts and sprayed a couple car frames
They make a solvent you add (just a little)
Then clean your gun a couple times to make sure all that stuff is out of it!!!

[Stoney]

Powder coat doesn't chip if the material is sand blasted correctly

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by smokinstang70

Has anyone ever sprayed POR15? Does it have to be thinned?

It can be thinned 20% when spraying. Do it in a well ventilated area, and wear a respirator.

[Shaky]

In the past I blasted, shot it with etching primer, and then Imron. Seems to be holding up pretty well.

On the '67 I'm currently working on, the frame isn't totally stripped down. I scraped and cleaned it and when it gets warm enough I'm going to brush this stuff on:

[bamafrost]

Started with areally good frame...probably could have just re-sprayed it with Eastwood's Rust Converter and then Rust Encapsulator and been done...but OH, NO had to be anal retentive like us truck guys can be.

I wire-wheeled mine and used flapper discs...then sandblasted. Then, the weather turned too cold to blast/prime/paint (I have no covered area) so I tarped it and waiting for the weather to warm. It was 70 today...so a few more days I should be good to go with my blasting. Using Black Beauty with a hood and respirator, then I'll prime with Eastwood's Chassis Primer and coat with 2-3 coats of Eastwood's Extreme Chassis Black Gloss.

Hopefully, it'll end up worth all the time and effort. All the supplies/media has added up to about $350 and lots of time.

[gkesseru]

If you live in a salt air area or any are where rusting would be a problem, the best is to use a cold galvanizing paint. I used ZRC on my boat trailer and had no more rust problems for at least 15 years with constant use in salt water. Need to sandblast first to bare metal and brush on primer in a good thick coat. It can be topcoated with a paint of your choice. My boat trailer was painted with a red car enamel car paint after a touch sand of the ZRC. For chassis' I prefer to topcoat with semigloss Rustoleum. Any small scratch through the paint and the zinc below will oxidize and seal the scratch. Even with larger scratches, the rust will not get under the zinc coat. Easy to touch up.

[weasel29gm]

Good pics on the Hammered paint I use it on all my stuff. P/C is way overrated and over priced $500 and up for a frame that don't get looked at. Like spendin' $50 bucks a wheel for a ralley wheel thats worth $50 or less. $ 6 bucks a can touch up every year, thats savin' some $$!!!