Thread: Painting vs Powder coating

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Well I am almost getting to the point of painting or powder coating my 1930 boxed Model A frame & custom x-bars. My question is since I am can match the main body color should I powder coat or paint (PPG base coat/clear coat) the frame? I can get the whole frame powder coated for $500 with the frame being done in a Class A silver with a Candy blue clear shot over the top. I am wondering which is the BEST way to proceed with painting or powder coating the Dutchman 9" Ford rearend which has a Currie aluminum center section? Would the heat from powder coating cause the aluminum to distort? Thanks for your learned advice for someone who is a novice hotrod builder starting very late in life!

If you're sure the color match is good enough for your tastes then powder coat is very road use friendly. Powder coating is much more chip resistant than paint, generally doesn't stain as easily from chemical contact. You can't powder coat over any non metal filler, and you want to make sure that any threaded holes or dimensionally critical attachment areas are masked before application. Also you want to make sure you have noodled out and completed all welded attachments to the frame as touch up with powder coat is not an option at home (unless you cheat and just spot paint). As for the aluminum housing, powder coat isn't likely to be baked at over 400*f, but you should double check that with your coater and then run it by the Dutchman or Currie, they would be the most knowledgable about the product limits.

I really like the powder coating, until as Uncle Bob said, it's time to touch up the chips... The durability of the powdercoating is so much better though....

Eastwood and I would imagine a few other companies make a filler that you can powder coat over.

I'm with Bob. If the color match is good enough for you I'd say go with the powdercoating...

This is powder coat - and yes, it goes on everything that isn't protected and does go around corners and in all the nooks and crannies - which paint can't.

We have an aluminum body that was powdercoated Class A Silver with a clear layer over it....no problems whatsoever and it still looks good after 4 years. Note that you cannot do more than two layers of powder coat.

We also routinely have 0.050" thick aluminum parts powdercoated with no warping.

mike in tucson

I have never built a hotrod yet, that I didn't have to weld some damn thing to the frame about half an hour after the last coat of paint on the frame dried!!!----That being said, powder coating is far more "bullet-proof" than any paint that you can spray on.

Originally Posted by brianrupnow

I have never built a hotrod yet, that I didn't have to weld some damn thing to the frame about half an hour after the last coat of paint on the frame dried!!!----That being said, powder coating is far more "bullet-proof" than any paint that you can spray on.

As you say - about a half hour.

I discovered I didn't have a driveshaft loop - it's bolted in with gr 8 bolts instead of being welded plus the cost of a new pro built HD driveshaft, JIC. The loop was taken for powder coating though.