Hambers: I'm in the process of prepping my frame and running gear for paint. I was looking at my front axle today and thought maybe I could do a little more than just paint it. I don't want to drill it but what have some of you done? Slick paint? Striping? Emblems etc. Lets see some cool stuff. Thanks Tim
On my coupe, forging lap and all imperfections ground and polished, finished in Imron. I'm not much good with a camera either.
Had to go look at my notes, painted the frame and suspension back in 1979! It was DuPont Imron Garnet Maroon.
I didn't have $,so too make my hot rod axle as nice as I could in 1959,I ground an polished as much as I could,but did also drill it,holes were racey an sexy,only cost me time ! Painted it silver.
I'm gonna go all out on my Chassis Eng. (RIP Roy) forged axle. Thinking about trying one of the cast iron look paints (rattle can). If they made forged iron paint I'd probably step it up a notch!
DDD: I'm a big fan of raw steel and cast iron paint is the next best thing. Used it on several pieces on my cabrio. That or clear!!
It sounds a bit wierd but I'm leaving the body patina-ed but painting the frame and running gear up sort of slick. Maybe just stripe the axle.
I think I will keep it simple. Paint the frame imron black with the suspension a gunmetal gray and I'm thinking about painting the lower inset in the front axle black. I thought with the axle gunmetal gray and the inset black it would give it a nice simple accent that would be somewhat easy to touch up.
There was a good thread on here a couple of years ago about slicking up an axle and peaking it. I'm not a big fan of the drilled axles but that is just a personal thing. I figure to slick up the SoCal axle I have for my Model A and paint it up nice and shiny. Right now the whole frame and running gear is intended to be black but that gun metal gray sounds pretty interesting.
I peaked mine in preparation for complete chroming but after seeing Frames' bitchin half-chrome half blasted axle, I'm rethinking.
Me either but I think it looks good and since the ends from the wishbones out take most of the beating and the center just holds it all together, it looks like it will work fine to me. Just my opinion.
On my last deuce roadster we polished the axle to almost ready for chrome, did the same to the spindles, Lincoln backing brakes and drums and powder painted them gloss black, with stainless accents like tie rod, drag link, hairpins, panard, shocks and shackles. I like the contrast. On my new deuce pu we powder painted all the front suspension gloss black in contrast to a satin frame.
The only problem I see with slicking up the axle is that you need to go ahead and slick up the spindles and other pieces and carry it on thought the rear axle and suspension. Probably one of the low cost things a guy can do himself to make a difference that possibly only those who look for the fine details will notice but with the only extra cost being the abrasives and time it might make the difference between nice and great.
I just cleaned and rattle canned mine flat black. Anybody seeing my front axle will have to be laying on the ground anyway.
When I built my 32 sedan I went with 38 Indian motorcycle Navajo blue. When I was getting the paint code I found out it was a R A L color with means it is a universal color that has a universal code. I was able to match the paint color to a power coat. I had my rearend, backing plates, drums powder coated. The front axle was powdered in a color called near chrome and then we taped off the inset and powdered it the Navajo blue.
Cutting the IFS off of my tudor this winter. Thinking a gloss black smoothed axle, but doing the recess, from spring perch to king pins in a variegated black gold leaf, then clear it. Got a buddy who is great at leaf. It's full fendered, so you'll only see the ends of axle. Some great ideas here. Thanks.
Drilled and chromed. No sucha thing as too much chrome!!!! Mysterion clone has boxed and chrome, just like Ed's original.