Projects You've finished all the cutting,welding and grinding the frame now what ?

Now it's time to prime and paint, I suppose it depends on the build as to whether you paint the frame the same color as you plan to paint the car or possibly paint it black.

Many earlier cars sit on top of the rails where others like cars from the 50's & 60's will be mostly hidden out of sight when the body & fenders are installed.



Do you guys use the same type of paint in both instances or use a less expensive more durable material when the body will hide most of the frame? HRP

 

I use industrial urathane on frames that aren't body color, they are less expensive and more durable than the color cotes for bodywork. I also use industrial epoxy primer on frames, motors, transmissions and small parts. I prefer Diamond Vogal industrial products.
One more thing, the industrial urathane has additives to manipulate cure time to the point of crazy fast. Versatility and quality is unbelievable.

 

I have had some really good results with POR 15 to the point where it looks like it's been powder coated. great stuff. Anything that sees daylight though gets urethane. Of course all my chassis are black (as well as my cars).

 

I just do the frame with epoxy primer and leave it at that. looks kind of like a factory semi gloss black

 

If we're doing a model A thru 32 and 33/34 chassis we put the frame on our rotisserie and go over the frame inside and out with a DA with progressively finer grits until we get a slick finish. Our tig welds are good enough that they need no grinding. We then take the frame and components to our powder coater who does his magic for a really fine finish. This may beyond what some do but it's our way. Most of our frames are either satin or gloss black with the part that shows on a deuce masked off for body color.

 

When I was prepping the frame and suspension components of the Ranch Wagon I Used what was sitting on the shelf at the local paint store, I chose Rustoleum industrial red metal primer & Semi-gloss industrial enamel dor a finish coat.





I decided to brush both applications and have been well pleased with the result's. the frame looks as good today as it did when I dropped the body in place. HRP

 

Powder coat Matte Black but I go that direction based more on the fact that I have those facilities available to me at my workplace than any other reason. Certainly it is a high quality, durable finish but I doubt if I'd pay the cost for powder coat if I didn't have it available to me for cheap.

 

This one is done just like HRP did his ranch wagon. It was something I could do in the shop, and my son could participate in without too much worry of exposure to the paint fumes. Fairly basic PPE will get the job done.

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I use urethane single stage. It sprays good and the body hides it from UV rays so it stays shiny.

 

After finishing all the metalwork on my 35 Chebby frame, it was painted over 15yrs ago in CoB. It's still handling the elements quite well and I've no intention of rebuilding the car or a colour change as it current matches the body.
The 46 Olds frame is now done and this time around it'll be powder coated semigloss black and not colour matched to the body.

 

My frame is welded to the body,{Lincolns were built this way}, and it already had a coat of some kind of undercoating put on years ago. I had to chip it away the few places I had to weld to it. I just sprayed regular old rattle can semi gloss black in those places, as well as where the frame is visible under the hood. I did use a spray can rubberised undercoating on my gas tank when I redid it and it matched the original undercoat well, so I'm planning on spraying the entire underside with it over the original undercoat that has peeled off in a few spots. In those areas where it flaked off, the paint underneath looked new, so it did it's job.

I doubt anybody will look underneath to see what it look like, but I'll know.....

 

'32 frame with beautiful welds. Has to match the body and I wanted to preserve the welds so no body work on any of them.

Delivered it to the paint shop with a rotisserie with all the welding done, basic grinding done and ready to start paint and body work, they put it in epoxy primer. I went down and scuffed all the epoxy and they did the body work where we filled un-needed holes and rough areas of the stampings. When that was done they shot a couple coats of high build primer. I went back down and sanded the high build on the inside and bottom of the frame rails. They are about 90% perfect, I plan to drive it not put it on top of mirrors. They them did the outside and top of the rails, they are 100% perfect. Now it's getting sealer (hopefully Monday) and then paint. Paint is single stage, we want it to look like an old enamel paint job, not a new car base/clear paint job with all the surface shine.

No matter how you do it it's a lot of work. Dirty work.

On my unibody, it will be semi gloss black powdercoat when the time comes.

SPark

 

When the time comes on my A frame it will be basic black, not sure b/c or single stage yet. Probably semi gloss too.

Then come back with all the suspension painted gun metal gray.

Don't know body color yet but engine copper/ bronze, with fire wall and between fins on valve covers late model dodge vanilla white.

 

I did a CJ2A on a CJ7 chassis and used rust oleum black.. was very durable.

Some restos we used black urathane, being a harder paint it was prone to chipping.

Just a tip, If one going to prime and paint there frames use same color primer as the paint. So if it does get a rock chip the yellow or grey primer underneath doesnt show like a sore thump.

 

My chassis is painted from the trans cross member forward. I cleaned it well with a wire wheel and other sanding methods, wiped it down with thinner and used god old VHT chassis & roll cage matte black. Also the inner fenders. It has help up the past 5 years quite well. No rust bleed through and if I want to touch it up, it blends nicely.

 

When it came time to paint the '32 Ford pickup frame I wiped the freshly sandblasted metal down and shot it in NAPA etching primer and followed it a few days later with Kirker urethane semi-gloss black and that sold me on spraying the entire truck with the the Kirker paint. HRP

 

Wire brush on a drill cleaning and black rustoleum spray bombs is about as serious as Ive ever gotten on anything of my own, but brush painted the entire bottom of a 73 Road runner with something called "chassis paint" from the parts store...need to make sure and wear gloves with that stuff, I did but still got a little on me, It will hardly come off your skin even with solvents.

 

Sandblast, epoxy primed and Rustoleum satin black

 

My 36 FORD was brushed with POR15 with the Chassis Black as a top coat, that shit was nearly bullet proof. My 36 Chevy trucks frame, which is just a driver, was brushed with Rustoleum primer and satin black, not nearly as tough as the POR15, but it gets the job done. In fact I brush painted the whole truck with satin Rustoleum, I feel it's a practical finish for a driver, flowed out real nice with Penetrol added to the paint. (I know, more info than what was asked for, I'm "SOLLY CHALLY" ) Mitch

 

Rust-Oleum semi gloss black paint, cheap, easy to work with and looks good!

 

Great thread I really learned a lot

 

I used a industry enamel on the tub frame.

 

You guys mentioning the color of your Rustoleum reminds me of something...

I'm preparing to do the topcoat on my frame and my son, who is 14, picks up one of the quarts of black paint, looks at me in bewilderment, and asks "Dad, what color is SATAN?" He was serious as a heart attack. I then had to explain that the word is "Satin", and the color is black.

After he saw it dry he learned about the "Satan" sheen part.

 

Kids say the darnedest things. HRP

 

I have used Hammerite Silver Grey on several frames now. I looks well and is really tough and easily touched up. Their recommendation is no primer. I apply it with a small roller and brush. Added note: The rattle can version won't work for this purpose.

 

Is that a hammered look? HRP

 

My pal Dave painted his frame the same gold as his truck. HRP

 

30 years the research, pouring over product data sheets from any manufacturer that would send me info. My search for the most powerful corrosion resistant primers, and most durable topcoats coats . This whole time they were in Walmart. And Ace Hardware

 

Yup, like the finish on old safes, file cabinets, and cash registers.

 

That's pretty cool. HRP