I am starting to plan the future resurrection of my slick and want to know the best way to finish my frame. I have read the net and called some local shops and have been told some pros and cons of powder coating. What are the thoughts from you guys who have done it either way and what are the long term results?

p.s. price is not a comparable issue for me... I am broke either way

Thanks, RMM

 

I've had a few things done with good results. However, I have been browsing frame-mounted trailer hitches lately and have seen a lot of peeling powder coat, especially on hitches exposed to salt.
Eric

 

When it comes to comparison indoors, Powdercoat is the clear winner. It's far more wear-resistant, impact-resistant, and can look as good as paint.

However, I don't know about how it does outdoors with salt. My Dad powdercoated an outdoor steel door handle that was surface rusting. That was 7 years ago, and it still looks perfect. That's being exposed to UV, extreme cold, and extreme heat, plus wear and impact.

I wonder if the peeling powders are just cheaper. I remember using some Harbor Freight powder once, and the finished result was very cheap looking. It was supposed to be gloss, but it turned out sort of a matte finish. I tried stripping it with Rustoleum Aircraft Stripper, and it peeled off in one piece. The problem with that is; the powder was rigid, but the bond with the metal underneath was weak, so it just peeled off. I would bet that when salt water gets underneath cheaper powder (like the kind sold on trailer hitches) the powder de-laminates.

Columbia Coatings makes very nice powder, which I use all the time. Not only is the powder incredibly tough, but it bonds very well with the metal underneath. I bet more expensive, quality powders would resist peeling much more than cheaper types.

 

Here's some good reading from one of the experts in the business.

Seattle Powder Coat - The Importance of Pretreatment

And in case you don't see it they also have this page.

http://www.seattlepowdercoat.com/why...st_spray_paint

Chad

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Thanks for the replies. I have shopped locally and searched the net quite a bit. One shop in my town advised against powder coating stating that due to the thickness increase it will be difficult to reassemble parts from a fitment perspective.

 

I have use both paint and powder on restorations and there's a reason why I decided to powder coat my F250 frame as well as some other components. Remember that powder coat is essentially paint that's baked on under heat, so it has some of the same features as epoxy or urethane paints, so its not indestructible. It is applied thicker than paint but is only as good as the substrate. My current powder coater does a nice job of blasting, cleaning and applying a powder primer prior to coating, and I have been very happy with the results. A vehicle frame that I coated in 1997 still looks like new, but I'm in California! My painter thinks that powder is a waste of time, but he's equipped to do a great job painting a frame. For me, by the time I haul a frame to the sandblaster and back to the house, clean it, buy primer and paint...I may as well let the powder guy do the whole job, and have a great starting point. So, depends on your resources. I have never seen powder peel...but have used qualified coaters...maybe that makes a difference.
As far as fitting parts together, you don't want to powder coat internal or external threads. They can mask those areas. Where suspension components contact, you want to remove the powder so that parts installed at certain torque don't lose their interference fit when the coating wears off. I use and angle die grinder and conditioning disc. But you would have to do the same thing with paint.

 

Well the votes continue to be for powder coating!! I guess if I do both the frame and the I beams I better adjust the mounting points for clearance before coating.

Thanks to all replies, RMM

 

No need to do so prior to coating...you won't know how much metal to remove. Just sand off the coating to expose the metal after coating and before assembly. There aren't that many points where you need to do this.

 

I vote for powder coating. I had my 57 done and it was impressive and durable and the cost was actually cheaper than paint, plus they blasted it and coated it all I did was strip the parts and drop it off and pick it up. But yes definitely thicker and some massaging of attachment points is required.

D

 

I was thinking of the I beam axle pivot point mount. Will I have any issues if I do the front springs? I am referring to where the spring on the top would sit inside the perch on the front of the truck.

 

I wouldn't be concerned where the coil spring contacts the perch. If and when the coating wears, the expansion of the spring will take up the space. I would remove the coating where the I beam contacts the spindle, as wear of the coating here will increase your clearance which should be controlled/measured. Same goes for the contact point where the radius arm bolts to the beam. Any contact where a specific torque is required. I also wouldn't be concerned where the rubber bushings mount in the eye of the beam. I know you're not talking about the leaf springs, but even paint coatings should be removed at metal-metal contact points in leaf springs. Since the axle U-bolts are specifically torqued, loss of coating here would increase you clearance and lessen the torque on the U-bolts.

 

Thanks resonateur for the advise on the rear springs. I will not be doing the rearend housing and likely not the rear spring pack. I was looking at the main frame only and anything that can be unbolted I will deal with in the future if ever lol.

Rmm

 

I powder coated my frame for the 62 F100. Very happy with the quality and durability. Since I did the frame first I have had to grind the coating off in several places in order to weld on the frame. It is tough to remove it - much tougher than the chassis paint I touched it up with. A lot depends on the powder coat process and whether they do it completely and correctly.

 

If your building a show truck powder coating is probably the way to go, but if you are going to use the truck as a driver, and you want to or need to touch it up some day, paint is the way to go in my opinion. Where you live and salt on road, elements, etc. all factor in.

 

Definitely not building a daily driver. It will be summer only but not concours afraid to take it out quality either. I will put my best foot forward and all work done will be built to last, no bling. I actually drive a service van daily so my trucks sit and get dead batteries