Powder coating an entire truck

[jonathan-m]

Has any one ever tried this? I've been seriously contemplating it for a little while now. I'm thinking powder coated, then pin striped would be pretty sick.
The only real draw back I can think of would be repairing it if damaged, but even that doesn't seem too bad. Any thoughts?

And most importantly, can anyone point me in the direction of a good powder coating shop and a pin striper in the phoenix area? I've been doing some searching but haven't been able to find anything that looked good.

[brap999]

This can certainly be done, and has been done. Your biggest issue as you pointed out is that if there is any damage, getting it repaired will be a PITA.

Having to remove powder coating by sanding or even sand blasting is not fun.

Also, there are tons of body shops that do paint, but fewer places that can powder coat so your options get limited.

I found another site where some guys were discussing this, you might find it interesting before you make a decision:

http://forum.caswellplating.com/powd...whole-car.html

[Captainfab]

Check this one out.......

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=430420

[markeb01]

I would suggest the biggest potential problem with powder coating an entire truck isn’t damage repair, it’s the possibility of rust forming under the powder coating on sheet metal parts. I had quite a bit of high quality powder coating done on my truck back in 1998. Heavy steel parts like frames and wheels absorb and retain great heat to fully cure the paint. This doesn’t always happen with thin sheet metal parts. Oven and paint temperature aren’t as important as duration and metal temperature in curing powder paint. And items with many nooks and crannies may not retain a sufficient quantity of dry powder to prevent rust, as can be easily accomplished with conventional liquid paint.

Body parts I had coated gloss black included the grille support, cowl vent, and tailgate. Powder paint is easy to sand and prep like normal paint, so when I reshot my truck in Blitz Black I just sanded the grille support and painted over it. The cowl vent remains gloss black in excellent condition. However after a couple of years I noticed a large quantity of small bubbles on the tailgate. I was amazed how much rust had formed under the paint and essentially went unnoticed because of the thickness of the finish. The entire tailgate was nearly destroyed by extensive rust and had to be stripped, blasted, and heavy body filler applied to fill all the deep pits. I was heart broken with the amount of damage as this had been an original rust free part. It failed either because the paint didn’t cure well enough, or there were just too many seams that didn’t get completely filled with the dry powder paint.

I’ve read a lot of web posts since then discovering many others have experienced similar failures. One was an oil pan that rusted badly under the powder coating. The owner didn’t detect the problem until the pan actually started leaking!

I’m a strong supporter of powder coating having had very good results with it. But with all the gaps and joints in a 60-66 cab I would be very concerned about future rust. Also, at the time I had most of mine done there was no body filler or epoxy that could be used to smooth sheet metal. The oven temperatures would create air bubbles and ruin the finish. There was talk of suitable fillers in development, so perhaps there is something available on the market now.

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

How about RustOleum Stops Rust on the entire truck?
Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Protective Enamel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RustOleumAutomotive/videos
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGBrand.asp?bid=2
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=150
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[jimmydean]

powder is awesome, but just like wet paint, it's all in the prep. If you prep the part and coat the part correctly, there should be no risk of rust, same as with wet paint.

If you have rust that forms under powder, the part would have done the same under wet paint. I have worked with powder for a long time now and have seen it work wonders. Shooting a whole truck in powder would have no more challenges than it would with paint if you have the right tools.

[Gumby]

trick to nooks n crannies is to pre heat the parts, which also cleans the part n stops outgassing.

[jonathan-m]

Well I finally found a good powdercoater and a fantastic pinstriper for this little project. I had a motorcycle tank done up as a test a few days ago (I've never actually seen pinstriping in person, it wasn't very popular where I came from on the east coast). I'm diggin' it big time. it was incredible to see how easily he laid down those lines, all while chatting with me and his apprentice. I can barely write my name in a straight line hahaha....

Now all I need to do is get the truck disassembled and ready for powder coating , then off we go...

[Heater63]

Powder coating is just another way to apply paint, except you use HEAT.
How is that body filler going to hold up in a powder coat oven??
I don't know that I would want to heat some car body panels but our old strong trucks would probably do OK.

If you want to know the best and most economical way to apply a topcoat to a car or truck, just look at what the OEM factory does. Spraying paint is still it, but technologies (like water-bourne) are always improving how they do it.

[jimmydean]

Heat for powder is typically done at 400 degrees, not enough to damage any metal parts, even thin sheet metal. But IR is also an option if you were worried about exposed heat.

Powder coating is just another way to apply paint, except you use HEAT.

Powder IS NOT PAINT, it's pulverized plastic.

[jrisch]

[QUOTE=jonathan-m;5129085]Well I finally found a good powdercoater and a fantastic pinstriper for this little project. :

I have been looking for someone to powdercoat some parts for me, here in the Valley, who did you find. Im willing to travel a bit to get to someone that knows what they are doing!

[jonathan-m]

I went with Fusion Powder Coating in El Mirage.
Really nice folks, VERY good pricing, and they got the job done 5 days earlier than they originally estimated. I was impressed.

[70-Shorty]

Originally Posted by Heater63

Powder coating is just another way to apply paint, except you use HEAT.
How is that body filler going to hold up in a powder coat oven??
I don't know that I would want to heat some car body panels but our old strong trucks would probably do OK.

If you want to know the best and most economical way to apply a topcoat to a car or truck, just look at what the OEM factory does. Spraying paint is still it, but technologies (like water-bourne) are always improving how they do it.

Conventional Body filler isn't used under powder coat, it's a more specialized two-part "putty" that has high metal content that will withstand the heat in an oven.....
Tim

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by Heater63

Powder coating is just another way to apply paint, except you use HEAT.
How is that body filler going to hold up in a powder coat oven??
I don't know that I would want to heat some car body panels but our old strong trucks would probably do OK.

you use a metal filler, or have to use metal filler as an electric charge is used to apply it.

only pot metal parts will deform above 400F, turn to water around 500f

[Captainfab]

One of the issues with using typical body fillers, whether All Metal or regular filler, is the out gassing when heated to the cure temperature of the powder.

[Gumby]

why its best to pre heat / heat clean first.

run parts through a oven cycle to get ride of gasses n oil, then powder coat it warm for better stick, then cure.

[70-Shorty]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

One of the issues with using typical body fillers, whether All Metal or regular filler, is the out gassing when heated to the cure temperature of the powder.

thats why you DON'T use normal body fillers. The stuff you use is a Devcon high temp material not that different than JB weld. It WILL withstand the heat cycles. It's just a b!tch to sand. The process has its challenges. Best to start off with straight sheet metal in the first place.
Tim

[Heater63]

Thanks for the info, good discussion.

Let us know how it turns out if you do it Jonathan!

[Chevy Fleetside]

Sounds like more trouble then it is worth.

[Newtz67]

What's the approximate price difference between painting an entire truck or powder coating?