The Hustler
New Member
Is it necessary to powder coat all the frame and chassis parts, or can they just be painted the same as the body?
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- Thread starter The Hustler
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EX JUNK
Moderator
I have absolutely no powder coating on my car. Everything is painted with single stage acrylic urethane from PPG.
Jim
The Hustler
New Member
Glad to hear that guys. I'm OK at regular spray painting as I did all the Harleys I've owned. But I have no clue about powder coating. And Junk, by single stage PPG, you mean no base coat/clear coat? Just primer and color? And thanks for the replies. You guys are great. I'm going to need all the help I can rustle up, as this will be my first T build.
EX JUNK
Moderator
With single stage you prime as usual but there is no need for a clear coat to get a shine. However, if you are planning on a metallic finish I would highly suggest using a two stage (base/clear). Another thing to consider is looking into Summit for paint. I have used it on a couple of vehicles and liked it very well. The price is great also, a fraction of PPG etc. Also, whatever company's paint I use I am a firm believer in using their COMPLETE line from primer to finish to avoid any compatibility problems.
Jim
donsrods
Member
Sure you can paint the frame and running gear just like any body panel. But I am painting stuff less and less as I get older, and having them powder coated instead. The cost isn't all that much different by the time you factor in the paint, catalyst, reducer, thinner for cleanup, degreaser, etc. Plus, I drop off rough parts one day and a week later pickup parts that have been sandblasted and coated, all ready to install. No dragging out the paint equipment, clean up, harmful fumes, or any of that stuff.
Don
Don
benT
Active Member
Hey, I'm biased, but both powdercoating and painting yourself are great options depending on what your skills and time are. Powder is a good option for guys that don't have the ability to paint themselves, don't have the time, or don't want to fool with it. As Don says, it not really much more most times than just buying the material. Many times its less if you are looking to do a metallic or candy color. If you figure in your time for the prep and such, its a pretty good deal. We charge about $250 to $300 + blasting (about $100) to powder a hot rod frame.
The advantage to powdercoat (beyond the fact that you don;t have to do the dirty work), is that it is fully cured when it is done. With any regular paint, the solvent is curing for months and even years which means that it is not fully cured for a long time. (this makes re-assembly a bit trickier -ask me how I know!). With powder, there is no solvent and it is fully cured when it cools down from the oven. This makes it super durable. If you want even more durable finishes, powder is offered in several formulas and even super tough and chemical resistant epoxies. Dobn;t forget that for only a few $$ more you can add a powder clear coat for even more protection.
My '27 is painted body color with a 2- stage DuPont Hot Hues color and if I figured out how much time and $$ I have in just the frame and suspension pieces painted, I'd probably cry. Now, powder is probably not appropriate for my frame as it was meant to be the same exact color and blend into the body. If it were to be a contrasting color, I powdercoat it in a heartbeat. The '23 we are currently building will have the frame and suspension pieces powdercoated in Silver metallic with a clearcoat.
We just got in a nice '27 frame Saturday to be powdered in Super Gloss Black. I'll get come pics of it and post when its done.
The advantage to powdercoat (beyond the fact that you don;t have to do the dirty work), is that it is fully cured when it is done. With any regular paint, the solvent is curing for months and even years which means that it is not fully cured for a long time. (this makes re-assembly a bit trickier -ask me how I know!). With powder, there is no solvent and it is fully cured when it cools down from the oven. This makes it super durable. If you want even more durable finishes, powder is offered in several formulas and even super tough and chemical resistant epoxies. Dobn;t forget that for only a few $$ more you can add a powder clear coat for even more protection.
My '27 is painted body color with a 2- stage DuPont Hot Hues color and if I figured out how much time and $$ I have in just the frame and suspension pieces painted, I'd probably cry. Now, powder is probably not appropriate for my frame as it was meant to be the same exact color and blend into the body. If it were to be a contrasting color, I powdercoat it in a heartbeat. The '23 we are currently building will have the frame and suspension pieces powdercoated in Silver metallic with a clearcoat.
We just got in a nice '27 frame Saturday to be powdered in Super Gloss Black. I'll get come pics of it and post when its done.
benT
Active Member
Actually $75 a wheel is pretty average for wheels. 20 inchers and up can be $100. It probably takes more effort to powder 4 wheels than one frame. Its not the material that costs in powdercoating, its the labor. Most wheels we get take a while to blast and prep properly- they are usually pretty chewed up with some nasty paint or previous powdercoat. $300-$400 for a frame is pretty cheap in imho...
The Hustler
New Member
I would love to have everything powder coated, however money is an issue. I will be on a very limited budget and would rather use the money on chrome accents like wheels, engine accessories, etc. I know a lot of hot rod builders have connections, where they can get things really cheap. Unfortunately, I ain't one of those! And I would like the frame to match the body.
Ted Brown
Member
For those that are on a bit of a budget... I like to paint the main frame, Satin (BBQ) Black (after I run it naked at least 1000 hard miles) make any changes you find in the 1000 miles of testing, then Satin Black the frame from the firewall back, and the insides and bottom of the front section... most all of that is hidden, or at least you want it hidden, if this will be a daily driver... Now you can paint the outside and top of the front section, plus the front cross member the same as the body... This will save you time and money... BTDT
$75 to much. Mine were $35 a wheel/free blasting, and it depends on the color. Some colors are less and some are more. I was told my frame would be around $160 with free blasting.
donsrods
Member
It really isn't all that bad. We took 46 pieces of my Son's rpu to our powder coater, including his frame and rear end housing, and the final tab was only about $ 1200. Here is how it came back though.
Don
The Hustler
New Member
It looks great, but I can't afford it!
donsrods
Member
Ameritech Powder Coating off of Metro, between Colonial and Daniels, in an industrial area. (Sort of backs up to Page Field on 41. Hard to find the first time but Cao, the owner is a super nice guy and goes way out of his way to take care of you.
One tip, he will always tell you it will be ready on Wednesday, but it usually is Friday. No big deal, we just have learned that he over estimates the time thing and we are patient with him because the work is nice when done.
Don
