Frame paint or coating?

[Flyingpiper59]

Tudor update….engine being crated up….headed to get rebabbitted…..about to tear into transmission….not doing a frame off as the car is in tremendous shape, body and frame wise for having been garaged since 1954… the underside is just short of pristine, so I just want to freshen up after cleaning…. I know there are paints that are designated as “frame paint”…. I’ve heard others mention frame coatings…… I would appreciate any input!

Many thanks, and Cheers!

Ed

[tdump]

I would not use gloss.
I got ahold of some paint made by PPG that is more of a satin black that was used for Freightliner chassis's when modified to match after welding, and it looks good. I will try to get a photo of the can

[Flyingpiper59]

Awesome…thanks!

[George House]

Powdercoat….all the iron….axle, axle housings, radius rods, etc. ….Even fenders - only if new…powdercoat

[Original Smith]

I use Rustoleum Gloss Black on everything. You will like it. You can use a spray can for the small stuff.

[Professor Fate]

I used this on frame and body with great success. Best rattle can paint system I've ever used.

[Mark Gregush]

I used Restorium semi gloss. Easy to touch up later as needed.

[TRDxB2]

Tudor update….engine being crated up….headed to get rebabbitted…..about to tear into transmission….not doing a frame off as the car is in tremendous shape, body and frame wise for having been garaged since 1954… the underside is just short of pristine, so I just want to freshen up after cleaning…. I know there are paints that are designated as “frame paint”…. I’ve heard others mention frame coatings…… I would appreciate any input!

Many thanks, and Cheers!

Ed

Since you just want to do the underside and don't want to remove the body, doubt if spay paint is an option. Brush on low gloss Tractor paint. The stuff gives a hard finish

[Paradise Garage]

I like home hardwares rust paint because it seems to stick and dry a lot faster than rust oleum. I painted a 56 Pontiac I had in high school with rust oleum and it peeled off over the winter kind I I did no prep work. My 58 chev I painted the same way with zero prep work with the home hardware rust paint hasn’t lost any paint and this will be winter number 5 for the paint

[Billy Vrana]

If theres original paint get a foam brush and find some penetrol, it'll reseal and rejuvenate the paint for quite a while,

[jiminbartow]

POR 15 coatings have been highly recommended on Model T’s for years. Go to www.por.com and check out the various types of coatings and I think you will be i pressed. They are durable, look great, apply well by brush and are virtually indestructible. I coated the inside of my gas tank with the silver POR gas tank coating kit in 2010 and it is still protecting the interior of the tank as well as when it was first applied. Jim Patrick.

PS. I have always preferred using gloss paint on the chassis, axles, springs and linkages under the car. Not only does it look better than flat paint, it is much better at shedding water, dirt, grease, oil and mud from the surfaces under the car.

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[Scott_Conger]

the car is in tremendous shape, body and frame wise for having been garaged since 1954… the underside is just short of pristine

this doesn't sound like a candidate to goop up with various and sundry concoctions, paint, schmeer, or other patent goop...I'd leave 'em all on the shelf. A bunch of rags and a gallon of WD-40 will clean this car's frame up and continue it's state of suspended animation/preservation.

Edwin, there are darn few cars like yours and when they show up for "Preservation Class" at any car show, folks walk past everything else to gawk at them. Painting or puckying on this car would be a sin worthy of confession and a bunch of Hail Mary's...and even then, I'm not so sure Why risk it?

[AdminJeff]

POR 15 coatings have been highly recommended on Model T’s for years. Go to www.por.com and check out the various types of coatings and I think you will be i pressed. They are durable, look great, apply well by brush and are virtually indestructible. I coated the inside of my gas tank with the silver POR gas tank coating kit in 2010 and it is still protecting the interior of the tank as well as when it was first applied. Jim Patrick.

I absolutely second this motion, Jim! I've painted quite a few cars and I've never come across another product like this before. It's tough as nails and sticks well. Spray OR brush on. You really can't go wrong with their specialized frame paint. I also paint all my engines with it and years later it still looks great.

[John Codman]

POR-15 is great, but if you use it you are committing yourself to use it forever. Nothing but POR-15 adheres well to it. If you ever want to recoat the frame with anything else, you will probably have to sandblast it off. I'm not being positive or negative on POR-15, it's just something that you should be aware of. I would not powdercoat the frame.

[George Mills]

It's a bit of a tough one.

I'd clean a good patch on the chassis, wipe it down with mineral spirits let it dry and decide what level of gloss it really still has! That's step 1...

Most intermediate restorers up until the late 70's early 80's use to buy Clear Rustoleum Alkyd (don't think available anymore) and Semi-Gloss Rustoleum Alkyd mix them 50/50 and cut them to spray without runs. Old timers claimed it was pretty darned close, and, I'm pretty sure that when Richard Petty of Elgin was building Stynoski after Stynoski in the 70's this was in fact his secret formula. I learned it from him, did my first car over in it on the chassis and was happy.

Then all of this synthetic epoxy base stuff with chemical cure came along just before the EPA took most of them out of circulation, and yup...it gives a deep looking through glass finish. Not the way they came from the factory, but...one heck of a fancy paint job with built in WoW. Bill Barth then pretty much took up as the go to Stynoski guy because Richard was getting tired and running out of helpers and free apprentices, and I know that Bill used the chemical cure paints from then on.

As someone pointed out, you can't really patch POR-15 once its applied. It's not supposed to crack or chip...but...it does happen and then the only fix is a POR -15 overspray, or a delicate touch with a foam brush.

The last car I did was a 'bitesey' / Johnny Cash / whatever term you use...a pile of parts that wound up being a car (A Hack actually with a new hack body). At that time Jim in Bartow was reporting good experience with Rustoleum Appliance Enamel on his 26 work. I decided to do that frame, AND anything that wasn't already painted in rattle can Rustoleum Appliance. I am quite happy with the chassis, I am quite happy with the kit-bashed sedan fenders prefabricated to look and function like Hack fenders. The hood I left Primer Red for a long time, then decided one Saturday to just hit it with 2 coats of the Rustoleum rattle...it works...it has some shine, it polishes up great, but if you want to see yourself 2 feet under the surface...ain't gonna happen!

Decide the finish you have, then go from there would be my advice. There are choices.

This was all done in the rustoleuem except the inside of the fenders, I did them more flat. The drums, hubs, and fellows use to be cherry red.

[Flyingpiper59]

As always… thanks for all the input Chums!

[Wayne Sheldon]

the car is in tremendous shape, body and frame wise for having been garaged since 1954… the underside is just short of pristine

this doesn't sound like a candidate to goop up with various and sundry concoctions, paint, schmeer, or other patent goop...I'd leave 'em all on the shelf. A bunch of rags and a gallon of WD-40 will clean this car's frame up and continue it's state of suspended animation/preservation.

Edwin, there are darn few cars like yours and when they show up for "Preservation Class" at any car show, folks walk past everything else to gawk at them. Painting or puckying on this car would be a sin worthy of confession and a bunch of Hail Mary's...and even then, I'm not so sure Why risk it?

If your car is as nice and as original as you indicate? I am with Scott C on this! Not nearly enough nice original cars have been kept mostly original. Have something special.

[hull 433]

I agree with Scott.

If your frame is just short of pristine, that's better than nearly everyone else. No need to do a thing, just clean and maybe wipe down. Ford's original pant was solid stuff, better than modern paints, and will do its job for years to come.

Few things are as unexpectedly satisfying as seeing a mundane part of a car that has been well cared for and appreciated.