I am rebuilding a Jag front end that unbolts at the frame. Total disassembly, all laid out and gonna go through the whole thing. I'm trying to decide whether to just scrape off the loose rust and POR15 it all or have the parts sandblasted then powdercoated. I was thinking about buying the Eastwood powdercoating kit so I could do everything except the crossmember at home. I guess the question is, which results in a tougher finish? That brings me to another question. Can springs be powdercoated since they flex?
If they are leave springs you are never supposed to sandblast them. You'll work harden them and they'll become brittle.
Well I think you might be ok as long as you don't heat them up too much. I'd just hit with a wire brush and paint them either with POR or a single stage. Chrome hahah???
Powdercoat everything you can. I've got the eastwood powdercoat pro system and I'm very happy with it. The biggest problem with it though is having a big enough oven to do the larger parts. I ended up building my own oven 4'x4'x7'tall It's actually kind of fun powdercoating my own stuff and learning something new
Just got frame and running gear back from the powder coater. Took it in at 9:00 Am and took it home at 3:00 PM. I like POR 15 but I couldn't buy it for what the powder coat cost, plus a weeks labor and wearing it for a month. Used powder coat on lots of spring leaves and never had any problem but I media blasted them before.
If I remember correctly....POR-15 degrades in the sun. It has no UV protection. You have to top coat it.
Use KBS coatings similar product but they have topcoats available to protect against UV damage. Works Great. The have demo video's on there website. So you can see results before u buy. Good Luck.
I think I'm going to try my hand at powdercoating everything except the crossmember. Still up in the air on that one... Is surface prep the same with powdercoating as it is with painting?
Yes prep is everything! My buddy has the Eastwood kit and is very happy with it. I watched him do some small parts, they come out real nice.
powder over blasted parts will be better than por15 over semi cleaned stuff por15 over blasted parts ought to be pretty durable too
how could sandblasting a spring work harden it? you would have to do alot of sandblasting to work harden something.. work hardening is produced from heat and alot of it.
I used por-15 on my frame and in the places where I had to grind it off to weld (I know, but my plan changed midstream) I couldn't remove it with a wire wheel - I had to use a grinder. It was definitely cheaper than powdercoat and stuck hard. However, the back of the frame that sees the sun is turning gray. I may paint it black after I lift the body back up.
If you plan on driving it a lot... POR-15. Its pretty easy to repair as opposed to PC. I would also recommend Evaporust for rust removal.
KBS Rust Seal is same as Por-15, some of the guys left Por-15 and opened KBS so I am told. Look it up on Ebay, its cheaper then Por-15 too
Actually, if you are using the POR15, you just want to clean it good to make sure all the grease and dirt is off. POR15 will not adhere well to the bare metal, so don't wast your time blasting it if you are going to use POR15. They are very clear about this in their instructions.
I like por-15...also I read in a car mag that you can fill small holes with fiberglass mat and por-15....never tried it though...I own a mig..I did the whole floorboard of my bel-air and the frame...stuff isnt cheep though.
POR-15 can be applied over blasted metal, it likes metal with a tooth: From their web site: APPLICATION PROCEDURES Surface preparation: Rusted surfaces are best; seasoned metal and sandblasted surfaces are also good. Surface must be dry and free of grease, oil, or other foreign substances. TO COAT SMOOTH METAL SURFACES : First use Marine Clean to clean and degrease the surface, when clean rinse with water and allow area to dry. Second spray Metal Ready on surface full strength, keep wet for 15-20 minutes then rinse with water and allow to completely dry. Use of rust converter products is not recommended as they may affect bonding of POR-15 to metal. POR-15 likes to adhere to surfaces with tooth rather than smooth, glossy surfaces. STIR CONTENTS THOROUGHLY before painting. Do not shake. Refrigerate unused portion of POR-15 for longer shelf life. I am using a two part epoxy mastic to paint the frame of my Buick. It's cheaper you don't have to worry about the unused portion hardening if once you open the can.
Man I still can't decide. I see advantages to both. POR15 can be touched up easily while powdercoat cannot. But powdercoat seems like the 'right' way to do it. Maybe its the idea of painting over rust that just sounds wrong to me. But I've never used POR before, only regular paints in which that would be a terrible idea. Anyone else? EDIT: I figured I should mention that the truck will be my daily driver for years to come, and I want the finish to be as bulletproof as possible. Build it once, build it right, kinda thing.
Iran Por 15 for 3 years on a sway bar. Minor surface dimples in the paint. The problem with any of these products is if it doesnt get behind any brackets ect., it will rust anyway. Ive had powdercoated hand rails on jobsites that were starting to rust in less than a year, so I'm not a big fan of it unless you can get to everything. At least Por 15 you can pour behind something. My .02
You would be surprised how hard a hood becomes when some one sandblasts it before they bring it to me to punch! Work hardening sucks!
I have POR-15 and Powder Coating on my frame. The frame looks good but I had to do the backing plates and steering knuckles with Por-15 The powder coating cracked and the backing plates front and rear loosen up. Just got some KBS met them at the Cleveland Auto Show. Their product looks good.
Well I got the oven today. Just need the Eastwood kit now and I can start playing with the powder. I didn't know you could touch up paint over powdercoat. I guess I don't see why it would be a problem, just wouldn't look as nice. Not gonna matter for frame rails and suspension parts.
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