Thread: powder coating a 1932 frame

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Do you guys recommend powdercoating the frame? I am planning on painting the car orange or red and wasnt sure if the powder coat would match the body paint because its a different paint process. Any help would be great.

I myself am at the same point you are now with my build. I had selected the paint I wanted to use and had a test panel sprayed. I took this test panel to the powder coater who attempted to match my paint selection. As it turned out the powder coat was close but the powder coat color had much more"POP" to it! Consequently I went to PPG and they have refined my original paint selection so it almost perfectly matches my powder coating for my frame and this new look is KILLER. This is what I've done and maybe it will be of some help to you? Good luck

I have a BLACK car ... so the color match between the body and the frame was not as hard ... BUT ... the power coating does not shine or have the luster I can get with paint.



So I had the rear end and backing plates powder coated but painted the frame ...



Even with the body on ... now ... I can tell some difference in the luster. But I believe the powder coating will hold up better ... in the long run.

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My TCI frame is powdercoated. Only downside- if down the road you decide to make any changes- repairs won't match.
I painted the frame on the 55 & good thing. Later- I went from leafs to a 4 link.
I think powdercoat is more durable.

Oh- and my car is also black.

I have seen aftermarket powdercoated products, such as off-road bumpers/skid plates/rocker sliders for jeeps, that almost disintegrate from rust when the surface gets a chip. It is like the powder coat retains surface integrity, but the underlying metal rusts faster under the surface until large slabs of power coat flake away. I am not sure if this is a normal or abnormal issue, but I am beginning to question powder coating for applications where rock chips, etc may allow a corrosion start. Any other experiences like this??

What is this . . . the ZZ430 club?

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

What is this . . . the ZZ430 club?

I do not know ... but ... I have 3 ZZ430's ...

2 complete running ones and another in pieces ... all factory GM issued ZZ430's ... and they only made 430 of them ... One of mine is number 430 ... the very last one of the series ...

Maybe we need a new forum.
You have #430? We were just talking about that number at the last club meeting!
Mine's #416

Originally Posted by Steves32

Maybe we need a new forum.
You have #430?

Had it quite a while ... have the jacket, hat and all the paperwork. Saved the crate in came in. Actually saved both the crates ... of the two of mine I bought new ... The third ZZ430 I have, I bought second hand ... It has spun a rod bearing and so ... I traded a fellow a good Big Block Chevy engine I had lying around for his rod knocking ZZ430.

We were just talking about this and wondering..........how much does it cost to have a frame powder coated? Dan is going to have his done rather than paint it.

I know it probably varies from area to area, just curious what a ballpark figure would be. My guess was a thousand bucks........am I close?

Don

I'm at the same point on my High Boy. A friend of mine that works for one of the large (quality) hot rod shops suggested that I have the inside of the frame powder coated and ask the coater to tape off the outer edges of the frame rails and paint them the body color. Since so much of the '32 frame is visable on a High Boy you will never get the same finish between powder coat and paint, even if the color match is good. Something tells me to pick a process and color that can be easily repaired since my car is a "driver".

I have a powder coated frame and I'm happy with the decision. Saying powder coat is the same as saying paint. There are a lot of variables to the actual finished product. I used a high shine outdoor black powder coat and it, while kept indoors, looks excellent after 4 years and 10,000 miles. It is hard if not inpossible to tell the difference between the frame and the clear coat painted body.

im happy as well with my powdercoated frame . it cost me 400 bucks to do and it was cheaper then paint and yes more durable ive droppedd my wrenches and hard objects on mine and only made a lil chip once but i repaired it with a dab of paint you cant tell ..

Really, only $ 400? I'm surprised. Is that pretty much the going rate?

Don

When I was building the 55- Corsair powdercoating wanted $400.00 to do a frame & I think that included sandblasting too. Probably more now- that was in 2003.