Frame paint decisions...

[HO455]

Here a take on full blown underside protection. Lot's of good information on preparation and products.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...oVpEgoNHgBuc8v

[kev2809]

that tsc tractor paint is nice for the price and you can get it to spray nice

im actually going to try out mastercoat usa. seems easy to use and covers great, so we'll see

[dz1087]

I wire brushed mine really really good. Then used some metal etching acid on it to improve adhesion for the coat of Eastwood rust encapsulator. Then I used Rustoleum (not spray paint) and painted mine with a brush. The rustoleum has hardened nicely on the frame. Put two coats on it.

I wasn't making a show truck, so I didn't care about brush strokes showing on the frame.

[kev2809]

Originally Posted by dz1087

I wire brushed mine really really good. Then used some metal etching acid on it to improve adhesion for the coat of Eastwood rust encapsulator. Then I used Rustoleum (not spray paint) and painted mine with a brush. The rustoleum has hardened nicely on the frame. Put two coats on it.

I wasn't making a show truck, so I didn't care about brush strokes showing on the frame.

did you disassemble everything up front before brushing?

[A1971Blazer]

I plan on using this paint on my frame
I've used it before with good results...
Thin with acetone and it sprays out and hardens well
sorry for the gigantic picture

[sick472]

+1 on the Rustoleum. There will always be nay-sayers, but this paint (and any oil based can of stuff) has it's place...

You have many options after prepping the frame for paint (in the order of expense, finish, and longevity).

1.) do nothing to the frame. NOT Recommended.
2.) spray bomb. About the same as the factory practices. Some sections of these era vehicles didn't even get any paint.
3.) Step up to the affordable cans of paint and spray or brush on.
4.) Step up another level (autobody paint) and spray on.
5.) Go with the high end products like POR15 or a 2 stage.)

Powder-coating fits somewhere around item #4 (I would think).

I have used Rustoleum on 2 complete resto-mods on any items under the body, under the hood and unseen areas in the cab. It's easy to get, affordable, applies well, takes 2nd and 3rd coats (and so on) without any prep besides wiping the dust off and that's not even necessary.

So, for those of us that are not building World-Of-Wheels specimens and tend to drive them as much as we can...this stuff works really well.

It's much better than OEM,
It's a moderately tough coating,
And when buggar'd up...It can be touched up in no time with a dab from a brush,
It really fills in small gaps well like you find where body metals are welded together, cracks in seam filler, and moderate scratches,
It's oil based and will not easily degrade when subjected to road grime and leaky motor/tranny run-off.
It takes to being power washed and recoated at any time in the vehicles life.
The flat and semi gloss don't scream "Wash Me" when it gets a little dirty.

AND, most importantly...I don't feel like crying when it gets scuffed up like I do when the more expensive and more pristine paint jobs do. I know I scuff and scratch alot under the hood and body when building a project. I just can't be THAT careful.

That's the long way around to saying...

+1 on Rustoleum (or most any oil based paints) for the average budget and build.

[MAC71Cheyenne]

May70 is spot on. If you are going to do all the work don't cheap out. That said, I have to say I have very good luck with VanSickle's tractor, equipment, and industrial enamel. It has a longer drying time but so far has worked out well for a get what you can driver.

[Davidf]

+X for Rustoleum semi-gloss or satin (virtually the same sheen) all the way. Cheap, easy, durable and readily available. Holds up well and looks right.

[SkidmoreGarage]

This question was asked in the paint and body section as well. Same consensus and argument over por-15.

Just like asking "how tall is a tree?", It all depends.

Figure out your goal, figured out how far you want to disassemble, and then rationalize your budget. If you can't strip back to a bare frame, it doesn't make much sense to spend a ton of money and time on paint and finishing. Do the best job for you, as long as you improve what you have and follow the coating system instructions exactly. Even Rust-Oleum wants to have a prepped and primed surface. I think the only advice I would give anyone is to avoid a single stage bed liner product over bare metal. It will trap water and salts behind the textured paint. It's like the "deluxe undercoating" dealers used to apply after the sale.