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Originally Posted by BradC
I know I haven't posted any updates for a while. We found some issues with the powder coating that necessitated blowing the car apart and pretty much going back to bare steel and starting over again. I'll say more after we find out what happens this time around.
Before we blew it apart we rolled it into the sunshine for the first time in it's life. Here are a few pictures of that. Thanks for asking though.
Don
Back to bare steel..??!!:eek::eek::confused: The frame? Holy crap; after all you went through with the special filler, etc?:( Bring us up to date...
Dan's pretty bummed...........no, make that VERY bummed, and since it's his car I should let him air it first. But basically, we started bolting stuff on and noticed the clear coat was brittle. As we tightened down any bolt you would hear this crunching sound. Even holes that we needed to drill out for bolt clearance after the powder coating filled them up would crack out rather than drill cleanly. We thought it might be isolated, but the last straw was when we were bolting on the front shock mounts we saw the clear was separating from the black right around the mount, and we hadn't even tightened it down yet.
After checking further we found the clear on every single part was peeling off of the black like saran wrap. You literally could take an air hose and blow sections off! That was Sunday, and Monday I was at their door when they opened at 7:30. The owner was puzzled and said he has never had that happen, especially on every batch they did...........all 44 pieces. I took a backing plate with me and pulled big sections of clear coat off to show him what was going on.
I PM'd Josh (Streetwerkz) and he gave me his phone number. Very nice, knowledgeable guy, and his opinion was that they either over cooked the black or under cooked the clear, so there was no adhesion. The owner of the shop said he would do whatever to make it right, and I told him we wanted every piece sandblasted back to bare metal and to start over, but this time WE WANT NO CLEAR ! The black was bonded on pretty well, it was the clear that was the problem.
So, what this meant is that we have to disassemble every part of the chassis we had just put together, including pulling the entire rear axle apart. I took the frame back on Wednesday and they spent all day Friday and part of Saturday sandblasting the frame back to bare metal. Our problem is, the body shop that did the fairing in with the Tiger Drylac won't touch that stuff again for any amount of money.........it is a b**** to sand, and they lost money on the first go round. They only did it because we give them all our business.
What that means is that we are going to take the bare frame to the body shop and tell them to do their magic with epoxy primer, regular filler, and black enamel. We won't go through that again because without the filler the frame has some areas that won't come out right. We will let the powder coater blast and redo all the other stuff, BUT NO CLEAR.
Like I said, Dan is really discouraged with this whole ordeal. The thing that should have been the most fun (bolting parts on a finished frame) ended up being the start of us having to go through all that work and money again. We ended up losing the $ 120 we paid for the filler and another $ 350 we paid the body shop to fair it in, all that got blasted back off. Building cars is SO MUCH FUN !! :rolleyes::(
Sorry for the long explanation, but it was quite the ordeal.
Don
Sorry to hear about this. I feel bad for him, since I know he wants this car to be right. It sure looked fantastic in the pics, though.
It's a real downer to have to redo something you've put so much effort and money into. Even worse when it isn't your fault.
Mike
Ya know Mike, it seems every problem that comes up in building a car happens because of things outside professionals screw up.............be it a body shop keeping a car way too long, or an upholsterer messing up, or, like in this case, the powder coater doing something wrong. You can control the stuff you do yourself, but lose control when it goes to someone else. :mad:
We are actually in worse shape than we were 3 weeks ago because now every part is powder coated and that stuff is a bear to get back off. At least before we had bare metal to work with. Don tried to put it into perspective for us by saying that he had those problems with his T when it got together. First the bent valve, and then the motor and transmission coming back out so the transmission could go back for rebuilding after it failed. Oh, and he also had the steering arm snap in half. Don rolls with the punches pretty well and simply parked the T until he felt like working on it again. Dan will rebound too, but I think the 4 years worth of work is wearing thin on him right now.
Speaking of Don, he went to another show today and picked up another trophy. I'm gonna stop hanging around with him, it's bad for my ego. :o:D
Don
Do you think this is some sort of adhesion problem??????? :rolleyes: This is the backing plate, you can see how the clear peels right off like that shrink wrap some products come with.
Don
Really sorry to see this happen to you guys. :( I won't be recommending anything in the near future.
Ken
Tell him I said congrats!!!!!:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
Sorry about the ego!!!**):LOL:
Mike
Thanks Mike, I'll pass that along. :D
Ken, no, you did nothing but good. Powder coating is obviously a great way to go, and we aren't done with it yet. Our guy just messed up on the timing or something. Supposedly, you are supposed to only cook the black coat for something like 6 minutes, then apply the clear and let the whole thing bake for another 16 or so minutes. What we think he did was cook the black too long so it fully cured, then he applied the clear. I spoke to the Tiger Drylac rep and he confirmed what Josh told me. He said they also might have waited too long between the black and the clear..........there is a four hour max window. I saw them rolling the frame in for black on Thursday, and on Friday the clear wasn't done until 4 pm. What is really strange though is every piece exhibits the same problem, and the other parts were done at different times from the frame. Who knows.
I think they won't make the same mistake a second time though, this has got to be expensive for them. Their sandblast guy took all day Friday and most of Saturday to get the powder coating off of the frame. They still have 43 other parts to do, so this should teach them to be more careful in the future. If they are coating railings it is one thing, but if they are doing custom car and motorcycle parts they have to be more careful of timing and all.
Oh, the guy at the shop came up with a great idea at first. He wanted to take compressed air and blow off all the clear. Uh, no, that won't get it, we want what we paid for, not some bandaid repair job.
What a pain.
Don
Don,
We had a situation once a couple of years ago we were getting paint peeling off. I kept looking at it, and it looked like a hand print. I checked another batch and it was all in the same area, this, what looked like hand prints.
We went over to the powder coater and I asked if I could watch them do a batch on the line. After they came out of the dryer oven they were switched on another line and here was this guy transferring the parts from one line to another sweating like a dog. Every time he picked them up in the same spot he was getting his body sweat on the clean steal then it went into the spray booth and the paint wouldn't stick. What a mess, you should try getting parts back from all over the country to fix them. I sympathies with your frustration but at least you will get this all handled.
I guess the moral to the story is if it is right it's right, if powder coating is not your screwed.
Ken
Ouch, that had to be fun to straighten out that one. Any time you are dealing with the human factor screwups can occur, I guess.
Don
Wow tuning in late here after work. Man I'm sorry to hear what you guys are going thru! Dan and you have plugged along with the highest standards for so long, it just feels like a punch in the guts to have this happen right as everything is ready to reassemble! I'm glad you stuck to your guns and made them make it right. It is one of the hardest things to do, but if Dan didn't it would eat him up forever.
I once got a BMW painted. The guys kept putting me off, finally told me it was ready at 6 p.m. on a Friday. In the dim light it looked great, the next day the runs that hid so well at night were everywhere. It took two weeks to get them to buff the major ones out!
Hang in there, I hope they stick by you guys and do a bang up job, second time around! Steve
Sorry to hear about the troubles Don!!! Im sure Dan must be pretty bumned! But you never know, maybe it happened for a reason, and in the end he`ll get a better final product.
A real bummer for sure, but perhaps you should be happy it showed up so soon and not after you had completely put the car together. That would have been even more discouraging. :CRY::CRY:
Yep, I'm kind of a glass half full optimist, and you are right. Better to find it now than before all the other stuff was bolted on. :) I picked up his frame on my lunch hour today, it is back to bare metal. After we spend some time DA-ing it (again!!:mad:) it will go to the body shop for their touch.
Golf is looking better all the time. :rolleyes:
Don
Here, let me help you with that idea.:3dSMILE:Quote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
That's a good one Bob!:LOL:
How's the weather in Florida, Don?
Hey Don, does this mean that you wont be listening to any of my recommendations again?? I've been so happy with what I had done that I just assumed that all powder coat jobs had to be good. I'm truly sorry that it turned out so poorly as it is NORMALLY about fool proof. The guy that did mine does most of the modified stock cars around here - and I've seen a couple after significant encounters with moving and non moving objects and the stuff is still stuck in place.
I suppose golf is alright for people with the right temperament. I've tried it, though, and I'm told it's supposed to be relaxing..? My ass! Golf would be a short cut to a heart attack or a stroke for me. I have never done anything that put me in a screaming rage as quickly as golf.:mad: My fourth (and last) round of golf, I got so mad I bent the 7 Iron around a tree.. and they were borrowed clubs!:eek::LOL: That was 29 years ago; never again. In my next life I'm going to be a stamp collector...:rolleyes::whacked:Quote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
Steve, the weather has been a little on the cool side lately. Some fronts have come through and we have had nights in the 30-40 range. One thing about Florida, it doesn't last too long before it warms up again.:)
IC2, no of course I will still listen to your suggestions..........I still think powder coating is a good way to go, we just got a bad batch or something they did in the process. The frame will go to the body shop this week with instructions to "call us when it is all painted and nice." :) If it didn't need some filler to make it straight we would go the powder coating route again, sans clear, but there is no way we will sand that Tiger Drylac stuff again. Even our body shop guy said he couldn't charge us enough to sand that stuff again.:p
Jim: I know what you mean about golf. Even when I would take a date to play miniature golf they would always beat me. I think it was those d*** windmills.:LOL:
You're right Bob. Golf looks too dangerous. I think I'll go back to fishing. What could possibly happen there??
Don
Don, you sure you didn't bleed on the parts when you smashed your finger........ thats what eat the clear coat off..........:LOL::rolleyes:
BradC
Sorry to hear about this ordeal Don. Tell Dan to keep his chin up. That car will be worth it when it's done. I know what you mean about outside professional help. I cringe every time I have to farm something out. I seem to have some type of drama with it every single time.
Brad, you might have something there. :eek: BTW, I found out WHY it got smashed. The Harbor Freight jack stand broke. I went to use it the next day and it wouldn't lock in any up position. When I examined it there is a roll pin that keeps the cam inside locked to the handle. It had slipped out of place so the cam would just rotate on the teeth. So much for good Chinese engineering, huh?:mad: These were the biggest ones HF sells, and they were only supporting the rear axle and broke. Needless to say, we won't be using them to support any cars for oil changes or stuff like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by BradC
Bill, I remember the brake drum turning ordeal you went through. I don't get it, you take the time to fully explain what you expect to be done, and they still screw it up. :confused: That's why when I do find a guy who does what he promises I not only pay what they want, I tip them very well. Those guys are few and far between.
Don
Don at least you finger smashing didn't involve stupidity.
I took a cutting torch to the front of my 65 Ranchero yesterday,after raising the front end up in the air on blocks. Left the top 1 inch down the sides to save the radiator and
head light supports. I couldn't figure out why the thing was not dropping to the ground after cutting all the way thru both sides of the frame. So I reached out and grabbed the
radiator and head light support and pulled out on it. It was then that the frame, old suspension and sheet metal reached out and grabbed my little finger. At this point some tearing or tarring was involved, so I thru my head forward to see just what was happening. Now it was at this point that my nose came in to contact with the same radiator and head light support. and thats how I got the big gash on the bridge of my nose. It was at this point that I found out why the front end was not dropping down like it should. It just needed a little blood to lubricate it. ( DANG IT!!! ) HE! HE! HE! Kurt
I don't know how I missed this post Don, but I was stunned to say the least... Sorry ya have to go though all that again... but there is no other way is there... This to shall pass and things will be positive again.
That is a bummer for sure and boy does it remind me of the troubles I had with my T when I got it on the road. I had to constantly remind myself that this is a hobby and the car did not have to get me to work in the morning (been there too) Eventually as we all know, these problems iron themselves out and you are driving around town with the "wind in your hair" or in my case lately "wind in my scalp" :LOL: I forgot my camera Sunday, but the show was in Port Charlotte at the fairgrounds. There were at least 300 cars there (including a very nice Plymouth Superbird, Wow) so to get a trophy is cool! There were three sizes, small medium and large. I ended up with a medium trophy, but hey it is good to be recognized. I enclosed a pic. of all the trophys so far (purple trophy in the middle was from Sunday) Keep your head up Dan!
The trophys are great, and you car is worth them. But driving the car is what I bet you look forward to doing. I know it is for me.
I didn't want a trophy anyway !! :rolleyes::D Besides, ya gotta dust them things. Did I mention I'm repainting my T.....................blue. :D
Don
OH NOOOOO, Blue? I haven't seen any beach bunnies sitting in THAT Blue car Don! ;) Perley
Unfortunately Perley, she didn't stay in mine very long either. :o:(:D:D
Don
Don Jr. - Nice collection your starting!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Blue
Don - Black is the perfect color for your low set T. If you painted it Blue and gold, you'd have to become a Cal Bears fan!:D
Its like the trophy "starter kit" :LOL: dont get any adeas pop with the blue paint! (Must hide that leftover grabber blue paint in the shop) There have not been very many "beachbunnies" in my blue t. My girlfriend is italian and would kill me and the bunny! (fugetaboutit):LOL::LOL: Don Jr.
You could always have your girlfriend pose in it!:3dSMILE:
I agree with Stovens, let's see if Don jr can get her to pose for us...........LOL
BradC
OK...........You guilted me into it. Here is a picture of her (not in front of my car though, I will keep looking for a good shot of that) Enjoy!:D
Gee Didn't she star in Bay Watch?:LOL::LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Blue
We need our photo shop guys to put her in your T!:3dSMILE:
Well this has been buging me for a couple of years(trying to remember how to crop one picture into another), so Don you inspired me to do a hack job using windows paint. Not the best but it was fun.
Here's your bikini car babe(had to search all over this site for a picture of the blue T)
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...ns/Donbabe.jpg
:LOL::LOL: I guess dad hasn't had time to teach his son how to pick up real bikini clad babes. It's a skill worth teaching if you want to share the wealth.
Dad maybe mad he's not getting the trophys, but the trophy girls.**):):):rolleyes:
BradC
Don. I've told you over and over again............STOP POSTING PICTURES OF MOM ON THE INTERNET!! :mad: Now everyone will see why I left her.:eek::D
Don
(I've got about 4 jokes here, and I can't use a d*** one of them!!)
That's a good one Don!:LOL::LOL::LOL: