Kinda bored and letting my thoughts ramble.......

Why do we paint the frames on our trucks? Seems like everyone who gets an old crusty truck project, first thing they do is rip it all apart and paint the frame. Some of those trucks get finished, but many end up in limbo or get sold again because the owner is overwhelmed by the scale of the project.
So why is it so important to paint the frame? Most have survived just fine unpainted for half a century or more. 90% of the frame will never be seen(on pickups) unless you crawl underneath. On flatbed trucks I can see painting at least the rear of the frame as it is exposed.
I'm most curious how this practice got started.....did someone important at some point decree that all frames should be painted????

Who's responsible?











disclaimer: this post is an attempt at levity.......

 

Seriously, I think painting the frame makes one feel good. Why tear a vehicle down to the frame, only to ignore it? If you're going to spend money to make the thing "like new" and last, no need to neglect the foundation.

For me, it would give me satisfaction to know I've just extended the life of the truck another 50 years easily. Maybe 100. Who knows?

 

Hi Scott! I'm sitting in a hotel room just rotting away like a prisoner, so I decided to throw in my 2 cents.
I think, for me, it is the one opportunity to inspect the frame for damage, get a feel for the story behind the 60+ years of rust, dirt, paint, etc. Seeing the images in your mind about what it took to build cars on an assembly line. production was important with a balance of people caring about quality and some there simply to put food on the table. Personnel safety was different then, compared to today. Of course everything today is different than back then. "That's when a smoke was a smoke"
Painting my frame is/was more for preservation than beauty. Heck I brushed mine with "Chassis Saver" Not pretty at all!

 

Hi Jeff, good to hear from you!

I'm certainly not putting anyone down for doing it, more curious how this idea got started.
Seems to be a common practice that folks put great importance on.

FWIW, the frame on my F-1 is not painted except in the engine bay......and I have zero desire to paint the rest.

 

Thanks! I have been busy with work and my kids cars and building an addition, and grand kids, man life is whizzing by...and I didn't read anything as a "put-down" at all ! I just like the way you think! Who's freaking idea was that????
I will be back to my truck project this year yet. Just gotta few more things to wrap up first...

 

Truck time sure can be a great stress reducer.....don't forget to take some time out for yourself.

 

For me it's to help keep it from rotting. Where I'm from they use road salt in the winter. And believe me I have seen plenty of of rotted frames. My truck is going to be a year round daily driver when finished. So that means it'll see snow, rain mud and dirt. And I'm sinking a lot of time and money into it so I want it to last as long as possible.

And it looking good is just an added benefit. And mine being a 4x4 it's a little more visible then a lowered 2wd truck.

But I think the two main reasons to paint a frame are:

#1 To protect it from corrosion.

#2 Owners pride. I think most guys/gals building their trucks want them to look good, so they paint them. Is it needed? Probably not in most areas. But it can still make a person feel good to see there frame with a nice fresh coat of paint. But then again as long as it is fun to drive who cares what the frame looks like!

 

Whenever I take a rusty part off the truck. I try to take the time to clean, sand, and paint it before putting it back. So when time came to hang the spare tire, I couldn't just bolt freshly cleaned and painted parts to a rusty frame. So I rattle-canned the rear third of the frame. Yeah, you don't really see it unless you are underneath it, but it made me feel better.

 

I think its because you may never get the chance again to have the body off and have access to it. We know it is seen in places and who wants that nice glossy paint job to be shadowed by an unpainted frame. Its funny because 20 years ago I started with the frame and this project I started with the frame.
We are programmed to think that way.

 

I see it as caused by two forces. First, the strength of the powerful new paint industrial complex cannot be over-estimated. These players will stop at nothing until every metal surface is covered in semi-gloss. Or maybe a nice satin finish. The other, and more disturbing, reality is the many of us - and I'm guilty here as well - is that we have body image issues. Oh sure, we can sometimes talk a good game about patina and having pride in the beauty of work hardened fenders. But we all know that deep down - say in the frame area - we are pretty paint snobs. There, I said it. Don't hate me for it.

 

When I started my truck project the objective was to build a dependable daily driver. I took it all the way down to the frame, replaced and rebuilt what was neccesary, then blasted and painted the frame. The underside of the body got blasted, painted and undercoated. Then I built my truck, been driving it for almost 8 years and 90K miles, outside still looks the same.
Why did I paint the frame? For me it was the incentive to keep the project moving along. I would get discouraged with something, see the frame sitting there, painted and ready to go, and know that I was over half the way home.

 

I agree, I painted the frame on my 51 f-1 back in 1994 when I restored the truck, it does not go out in bad weather and thr frame still has that clean painted look to it

 

If I am doing a body off build the frame gets painted, it is nicer working with clean parts. I dont go crazy, tractor supply enamel with hardener works fine for around $50.
I will be doing a 41 caddy soon that I am going to try to make myself leave the body on, that one will be a pressure wash to the frame and go, but the engine compartment section of the frame will get painted just because I will have it all taken apart to put in a jag IFS.

 

Personally I hate laying on my back under a vehicle trying to reach a bolt that you can't even see and having 50 years of who knows what falling in my face. I could see where that would be an incentive to a point.

But I am NOT going to totally disassemble my truck just to paint the frame. If the area is open and available I will clean it and probably spray it while I'm in that area.

I have also been to a lot of car shows, and not once have I crawled under one to look at the frame.

I'm also like JPMallory. If I take a part off or replace a part, I will try to put that part in the best condition possible before I put it back on. That may be just cleaning, scraping, or coating, or painting. It's not a ego thing, it's just wanting the part to be in good condition so I don't have do it again.

Long story short. I have no idea why ! ha ha ha

 

Best answer so far!!!!!!!!!!