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Okay so I am looking at getting my 1950 F3 frame painted. My first option is to have it sandblasted, primed, and painted with John Deere blitz-black paint all for $500. The paint is matte black vs. a glossy black. What do you guys think of a matte black frame? The truck is a flatbed so you would see the matte black frame in the back. My other option is sandblasting and powder coating for $800, however it would be a lot of work to get my frame to the powder coater from where I live. Do you think a matte black frame would look bad with a powder coated bed? Were the frames on the 48-52 trucks matte black or gloss? Any input much appreciated. I want to post pictures of my truck but I don't think I can post pictures.
Your call....I like flat black for chassis/suspension. Gloss might be easier to keep clean though.
Not sure what color the frames were originally....never seen one with paint on it. Just rust.
I used Eastwood's Chassis black on the inner fenders, and it is a super product. For the frame itself I used Eastwood's black Rust Encapsulator, which dries to a semi-gloss. Not that I really clean my chassis much, but both are easy enough to clean up.
Okay so I am looking at getting my 1950 F3 frame painted. My first option is to have it sandblasted, primed, and painted with John Deere blitz-black paint all for $500. The paint is matte black vs. a glossy black. What do you guys think of a matte black frame? The truck is a flatbed so you would see the matte black frame in the back. My other option is sandblasting and powder coating for $800, however it would be a lot of work to get my frame to the powder coater from where I live. Do you think a matte black frame would look bad with a powder coated bed? Were the frames on the 48-52 trucks matte black or gloss? Any input much appreciated. I want to post pictures of my truck but I don't think I can post pictures.
Sam
The frame on my F-3 was heavily rusted under the flatbead. I sandblasted the frame, welded and patched the rust holes and painted it gloss black. It never looked good. This year I replaced the back half of the frame with a much nicer frame, also getting rid of a previous owners added six inches to the frame just in front of the bed. I had it blasted and primed. Then I sanded it and primed it until it was smooth and painted it with Rustoleum gloss black. It looks nice now.
The powdercoat would work but you can't smooth out the rust pits with primer and sanding. I just don't know how much the powder coating will smooth out the rust pits. I think the frames were gloss black when new.
Those are my thoughts on the frame finish. Patrick
Hey Sam,
Welcome! Post some pics of your truck when you get a chance.
Did it start out together & you are doing a full restoration? Or did you start with an existing project?
There are a lot of places to spend money on these old trucks - I'm not sure why we all go for a perfect looking frame that most likely will never be seen. Personally I'd keep that $500 - $800 in your pocket & grind the loose bits off the frame & paint it with Por15 or the paint from Tractor Supply.
There are plenty of opportunities to spend money as you start your build, Windshield wiper kit $300, Dual chamber master cylinder & new brake lines $500, Independent front suspension $2,000, 8,8 in. or 9 in. rear axle $250 from salvage, A/C $2000, Wheels, Tires, transmission, etc. I wouldn't powder coat it unless you can be 100% certain you are done welding.
Hang in there - If any of this bothers you please disregard these thoughts & build your truck the way you want.
Thanks guys for the advice! I'm just looking for something cheap and tough. But at the same time something that looks g
good.
I started off with a complete truck and I tore it down. Yes I would like to do a restoration but being 18 my goal is to just get her drivable and work a little on her here and there. Right now it's just a roller. I'll have more pictures later.
The frames were originally semi-gloss black (Ford called it chassis black). IT was a lower quality paint than was put on the exterior of the truck.
I agree with power wire brushing the frame and painting it with Rustoleum or something similar. Slow drying paint can even be brushed on and will flow out and look smooth before drying.
Sam, welcome to FTE. And thanks for pictures without us asking you for them?
It sounds like you have a realistic plan for a young guy like yourself. Yes, I agree you want to get it running so you can use it at the lowest price possible.
I wire cupped the back of the frame after school today. It cleaned up really nice actually. I'll post some pictures when it's finished. Again thanks everyone for the input! I have a feeling I'll be asking a lot of questions
I like the flat bed look a lot. A lot of guys have told me to find a box. And then there's the pressure from my friends to chop the old thing up and make it a rat rod. But I love the look of these old trucks way to much and I don't have the heart to really chop up this old thing, or any old vehicle for that matter. And she's in good shape and I'm the third owner, the second owner only owned it for a few months I think.
I like the flat bed look a lot. A lot of guys have told me to find a box. And then there's the pressure from my friends to chop the old thing up and make it a rat rod. But I love the look of these old trucks way to much and I don't have the heart to really chop up this old thing, or any old vehicle for that matter. And she's in good shape and I'm the third owner, the second owner only owned it for a few months I think.
Good for you. It sounds like you have a head on your shoulders, unlike your buddies.
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