paint or powdercoating?

[ss34coupe]

I have a couple of frames that will be ready for finishing this year (ok, maybe next year...). In the past, I have always painted car frames, but have also wondered if powdercoating is the way to go. What is your experience with powdercoating? The frames are a 33 and 53 Ford.

[Ford_Fellow]

If powder coating is done properly by the shop it should be more durable and more cost effective than painting....They have more colours than they used to have....Powder coating also has a better tranfer of material....Powder coating has to be baked on so what ever you are painting has to be able to with stand the bake oven.....Spot repair can be a problem so you would want a colour that you could match with convential paints..or can have the item redone with powder coating....On area's of attaching an item such as a bolt going into a hole there will be a build up of material around that area and if it is a close fit the bolt will not go into the hole with out reaming it out and chipping your powder coat.......

Hugh..........

[rustbucket]

not with frames but with equipment we use at work i've always found powder coating a helluva lot more durable but just a few points off being perfect like paint could be.
For 'drivers' i'd powdercoat everytime.
Bob

[1Bad56]

When it came time to do my frame, there were, and still are, three options: regular paint, the new exproxy paints and powdercoating.
Regular paint requires a few coats to build a good layer, it chips easily from rocks but can be repaired. Powdercoating is durable but can chip and can not be repaired without doing the whole thing again. Which leads to the new exproxy paints such as endura coat. I used this on my frame. Its tough, durable, and flexible, goes on thick and covers well, and if it does chip, it can be repaired. After a year of driving, no chips from rocks and it still looks good and cleans up with a damp rag. The one draw back...its expensive. I believe the gallon was around $265. Hope that helps and good luck.

[Davey_Joe]

i go with '56' on this one.... powdercoat is good,... but rippin' 'er apart again?? not!....also its not as shiny as some think,.... sort o' satiny..... an' repairs are a bitch!!.....the epoxy/endura is tough as ever...an' you 'can' do local repairs.... sidenote: a wellknown hi mile car was done in rustoleum underneath in 1989 in my shop cuz he did'nt have the doe ta do otherwise,..... this car has at least 300,000 miles on it as a rod,... an the underside looks great!!! sooo,.... do watcha want..... yer gonna anyway!!.... also if yer talkin' to our 'paintguys' on this site, i think a lot o' these paints are gonna disappear soon,... ain't they?..............

[Digger_Dave]

Every time I see this question come up - powder coating vs. paint; I have to chuckle.
Many - and I have to assume they haven't done it to their own frames - CLAIM powder coating "chips" and "can't be matched."

Then they ignore one of the BEST facts about POWDER COATING.
IF the surfaces are GOOD AND CLEAN, free of any oil, POWDER Coating "sprays on its self!!"

Because it's an electrostatic applied coating, it finds it way in to every "nook" and "cranny!"
(something you CAN'T do with a spray gun and paint - you get "blow back")

Now ... the "chipping"; well MY frame is OVER 25 years since it was Powder coated. Powder coating is one of the toughest finishes you will ever find.
(and it's STILL glossy!)

If you want to climb under my '41 and say, "Hey Dave I found a chip; it's about 1/128th of an inch in diameter!!"
(and your going to have to look REAL hard to find one!!)
Good for you; I ain't gonna worry about it; my truck is a "DRIVER!"

Now ... if it was painted, it sure would show a hell of a lot more chips than it does now!!

If your going to SHOW your vehicle; OK, paint the frame. But be prepared to "spot fix" a whole lot more chips.

Next frame I do; POWDER COAT!! NO QUESTION!

[Hammer396]

I have powder coated a lot of parts since I got my powder coating set up and I can't believe how easy it is. I haven't done a frame yet ( takes a way bigger oven than I have,) but this stuff is very very durable. It's hard to chip or scratch it, and you can make it as shiney as you want. I did some parts in high gloss black and its like a mirror. for a frame, I would powder coat it, but be very sure its the color you want, this stuff is hard to sandblast off if you make a mistake.

[Chad]

I agree with Digger on this one ,,,,If its a driver powder coat it,if its a show car paint it...I have had powder coated frames and that stuff is tough....My friend has a 48 ford coupe that has over 150,000 KM on it and he drives it on dirt roads and any weather condition you can think of,,, the frame still looks really good...I can count on one hand how many stone chips are on that frame......

[1Bad56]

Whoa Nelly....there is nothing wrong with powdercoating a frame, yes, it is tough and gets into every nook and cranny. The powdercoaters suggest that if you are going to do it, do it after all the ripping apart and re-assembly has been completed. And even then, they suggest still not to do it as they can not do any spot repairs if problems occur.

[Chad]

Thats the only problem with powder coating...spot repairs are impossible....Like I said before Driver- powder coat ,show-paint......OneBad56 got anymore pics of that little truck in your Avatar? I am a sucker for 56 fords.....

[1Bad56]

Hi Chad, will try and post some pics, onece I figure out how..

[1Bad56]

Some pics for you Chad
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm274/OneBad56/HPIM0623.jpg
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm274/OneBad56/HPIM0631.jpg

[Chad]

That truck has class!!!! What is that you have for a mill, I think I see 2x4's on top of it...

[1Bad56]

Thanks, '71 ford 429 with two fours on a hi-rise with crane cam, re-worked heads with larger valves and ported, windage tray, some other little tricks and sanderson headers into 2 1/2 exhaust.

[Chad]

Is it a CJ block?

[dale48mrc]

I have been toying with the idea of powder coating the frames one both of my rides.The painters at work say that endura is pretty tough stuff.I would it would have ta be if they use it on pony and transfer trailer frames.Read that dump truck trailer frames.