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Index > Body Exterior > Thread: Frames: Powder coat or Paint?.......
Thread: Frames: Powder coat or Paint?.......
nwaco


Redlining
Posts: 407
posted April 07, 2004 07:52 PM

Frames: Powder coat or Paint?.......

I'm fixin to start another frame for resto. I've painted the two I have in work with a polyurethane system. I'm very pleased with the results so far, but I'm thinking of working this one with a powder coating.

I took a cab in for poly blasting the other day, and they said I could get a frame stripped and coated for $400. I saw one they did for a Chevy, and I must say it looked as good as a my painted ones, better in places. I spent about 60 hours and about $150 on materials on each of the last two. I could save a lot of time on this one.

Anyone powder coated a frame before? Got any issues with it? I wonder how it performs over time?

Just thinking out loud.

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Klaus43


Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
posted April 08, 2004 10:25 AM

I really don't know, but...

...I would think powder coating would be preferable for durability's sake, nevermind the time savings. Now, about 'poly blasting': sounds much kinder on the metal than other media. Is it the 'best' of all methods? Cost/time vs. other?
Are you retoring these REPU's as keepers, or for sale?

       
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nwaco


Redlining
Posts: 407
posted April 08, 2004 08:16 PM
Edited By: nwaco on 8 Apr 2004 20:37

I am restoring/rebuilding them for me, myself, and I....

As much as I say and think I want to trim the herd, I keep getting more of them.
I just picked up what was left of the truck from Tdaaj. He sold off the front fenders, grill, and tailgate, and a few other parts and the cab is toast, but I still got a host of spares. I now officially have ten trucks, but I also have one complete boneyard truck as I now have one each of a a crap cab, frame, and bed. That means, I put them all together, swap out the plates to match the frame, and I crush the hulk and keep the parts.

As for poly blasting, it is blasting with plastic beads, it is very gentle, removes only paint, does not distort the metal, and makes short work out of refinishing. I prefer not to use sand and at about $160 to work a cab, it is cheaper than bothering to buy materials and equipment to work it myself, and no mess.

Here is one we just completed:

It is a stripped frame, with polyurethane primer and topcoat. This is a 77, and the other is a 74.
And here is most probably its R5 engine.


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ovquick


Redlining
Posts: 253
posted April 09, 2004 07:29 AM

RESTO

Nice looking work NWACO, you have anymore pics to share?
The only drawback to powder I see would be the effect of cure temps on rubber suspension parts but they probably need changed anyway, $400 is a good price for that much work, in my opinion. Care to share your vendor name?

       
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nwaco


Redlining
Posts: 407
posted April 09, 2004 08:37 AM

Good Point on the rubber OV....

I didn't really think of that, but I was going to completely disassemble this one anyway. I took everything but the control arms off the 77, but I did take them off the 74.

That is a good advantage about paint, you can mask off what you don't want painted, especially if you run the risk of scratching the finish on reassembly. Some of these parts are a bit brutal in the installation phase.

I will have to take that in account when I am dismantling it. I may end up using a combo of powder coating main frame, and poly painting some attached components.

As for pics, I am terrible at remembering to take pics as I work stuff. It just takes too much time to capture, sort, label and post. I have some and I will try to get a few more up this week. Although since these trucks are completely disassembled, boxes of parts and pieces are a bit unimpressing.

I am just looking to get the cabs on the frames to get to putting them back together this summer. Then things should go quicker and they would be a bit mor photogenic.




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Klaus43


Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
posted April 12, 2004 12:01 PM

Very Pretty, Ken!

As you can see, I'm turning green with envy...
Would that I were wealthy enough to bribe you to do resto work for me!
...Glad at least someone's got it goin' on... :)

       
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nwaco


Redlining
Posts: 407
posted April 12, 2004 02:14 PM

Thanks, Klaus, but...............

I have miles to go to finish what I start before I could even think to do work for someone else.

As you may have noticed from the frame pic, at that time we still had steering components to install, as well as all the brake lines and lots of other stuff. I have enlisted the help of my brother-in-law to assist in reworking these trucks by giving him one to drive on a long term as-long-as-your-in-the-family plan. He gets one for as long as he wants it but can't sell it to anyone, and I "loan" the engine to him because I don't sell 4-ports to anyone including family.

The part that sucks is that as nice as the major frame looks, as you fish out the smaller parts, you have to refinish every little part or it throws off the look. Then you get to the bolts, and you can't dare put an ugly bolt on a nice looking part, so your either buying new or cleaning them. It is soooo slow going.

I found a neat trick though, I have several tumblers I use to clean my shooting brass with, I tossed a bunch of bolts in with the cleaning media, and darn if it doesn't clean them real nice, and it is all auto as it vibrates for 24 - 48 hours and the small parts and fasteners come out polished.

I'm trying to get both the trucks now in work to the re-assembly stage so we can pull out the parts I cleaned last winter and get them into the refinishing stages. I want to refinish in bulk and to do that I'd like one more frame/cab done. I have three trucks of parts cleaned, and I want to build them together and be done with it. I get a cheaper break on powder coating with bulk lots. I use Alternative blasters, Inc. in Marysville Wa for the stripping, and Craigcraft, Inc. in Lynnwood for the coating and Queen City Plating in Lynnwood for the metal refinishing/plating.

They all do very nice work.

Anyway, as nice as the frames came out, I'm a long, long way from done on these.

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