ok.. I'll try to start a thread that might die after a week or so... and is much less controversial

I'm starting to research paint for my frame. First of all no POR... no coroless (sp).. no autoshack undercoating....no "frame paint" ??

The front half of this frame will be exposed with the tilt hood and I want something that is slick, shiny and available in my color..(medium gray). It has to be durable and have good color retention. It should at last a year so it will look good up on the hill at the Supernats when they put that big trophy next to it for the magazine spread

I'm talking to the Sherwin Williams automotive rep and the industrial/marine rep about some hi-solid urethanes... I've also got to watch the spread rate... some things are fitting pretty tight now (suspension pieces) and I don't want to have to scrape a new finish off to make things fit together again...

Thought about epoxies... but the build thickness will be prohibitive I think

I'm looking for suggestions, experiences, expert opinion (boy that should get me in trouble based on the ford in ford thread)...

what say you, painters of renown ???

thanks
John

 

It has to have a Ford motor..........wait a minute, I'm in the wrong place.
_________________
XFM
'53 F 100

 

I'm not sure if they make a Ford Gray with your specs, that being said, I'm building a driver and the only time my frame will be seen is if it's on the rack for a lube job, or if I'm wheels up in a ditch.

(That felt sooo good, haven't been able to pick on anyone in several days, Thanks John.)

 

I don't know if fatfenders fraternizes with the Navy branch of the military but they paint a lot of their stuff gray. Maybe he would know.

Kevin Kessler
1953 Ford F-100
Go Illini

 

i used a paint called centari. very durable paint. you have to use the same primer because it gives it that wet look. the paint is a two part you mix the hardener with it. looks like a basecoat clearcoat but aks like pwdercoat. should be able to buy it a an auto paint store. thats where i got mine. as for the colors i'm not sure i just used black. good luck

 

[QUOTE=Fat Fendered Ford]I don't know if fatfenders fraternizes with the Navy branch of the military but they paint a lot of their stuff gray. Maybe he would know.

The ships are painted over and over again so much that the actual paint chemistry doesn't really factor. It's quantity over quality.

The FA-18 Hornets in my reserve squadron are painted with a self priming polyurethane, manufactured by Deft. You can order it in flat, semi, or gloss. It dries hard and stands up well to speeds and skin friction heat well beyond the Effie's capabilities!

The corrosion control guys tell me they have painted with it as low as 40 deg with some MEK added, but typically they like to paint at around 70 deg and it takes 24 hours to dry. They don't put on a clear coat. Application requires a respirator due to the isocyanates.

Here is my old squadron's car, painted with that paint.


John, I guess Zero Rust is also among your "non-options"? If not, I think they make a gray.

 

What Rob said,

Our trucks half a 1/4 inch of paint on them. Don't know much about gray paint. Unfortunately, sand colors seem to be a trend with some staying power these days.

 

Not a paint expert, so I guess I'm qualified to speak up.

I've had good luck in the past with Dupont Imron. Very resistant to chips & road grunge. Chock full of isocyanates or other lung-disintegrating chemicals.

Have you considered a nice shade of Chevy Orange?

 

J

Urethane will do nicely on a show frame. Most any reputable product line will look nice. I would hit it with a coat of epoxy primer/sealer underneath. It won't cause any build problems and should enhance your adhesion. Epoxy is a great sealer.

And why have you decided to put a Chevy engine in your truck? You know how we feel about that.

 

Not an expert but, always use self-etching primer on bare metal. AND don't forget to buy new cartridges for your mask OR put them back in the baggie they came in. Leave um out of the bag and they die. Sorry, I can't talk about paint without that speech.
______________________
XFM
'53 F 100

 

Cowboy up and get the darn thing powder coated. They have lots of pretty colors these days and I hear the price has just come down below the price of 24k gold plating.

That way you won't have any chips when they do their close up shot of your motor for all the magazines.

Good Luck - Brad

 

I had a local body shop spray my Ford 8N tractor with Centari paint in the Tractor Red and Grey shades - although there's a BIG controversy over what shade of grey is the correct color in 8N tractor circles - there's not much else to debate in the tractor universe apparently, most Ford tractors still having the original Ford engines and all.

Anyway, the tractor sits outside day and night most of the time - with the garage full of unfinished projects, including my f100. After two years of sitting outside, the grey still has a really nice "wet look" to it, and the paint has been really durable - this is a "workin" tractor, not a "lookin" tractor. I primered all of the sheet metal that was painted grey myself (using spray cans) prior to the finish paint - and there's been virtually no separation of paint down to the primer or chips. Seems to have been a really good choice - but the one thing I did (and probably the paint shop did again) was make sure the primer is well sanded to the finish paint will stick to it. My 59 F100 suffers from failure to sand the primer prior to finish painting - so when it chips, it chips down to the primer, not to bare metal - but it separates way too easily between the primer and finish layers - due to failure to sand the primer prior to painting.

 

I had the custom paintjob on my 76 Van shot with a coat of Imron clear when it was painted in 81. It has been sitting outside since, used as a neglected semi permanent storage building in the corner of the yard the last 15 years, and the paint job shines like the day it came back from the painter! At the time it was the only high performance clear that was recommended to be used over fresh lacquer without scuffing.

 

I know a gal that painted her 57 foot yacht with a white Imron. Extremely tough paint, like putting on a sheet of armor.

 

Imron, although that stuff isn't the greatest to spray yourself! My truck was painted with that and its a pain to sand the paint off. May I ask why you wouldn't consider a body color for the frame? I mean that seems to be requisite #2 to win at the supernats(BBC power being #1), is durablity the factor? Just curious, Your Freindly paint expert, -4speed