Paint or Powder Coat?

[nerobo]

I am carrying out the body off on my chim, i don't know whether to go with hand painting with something like POR-15 or to have the chassis hot zinc sprayed and then powder coated.
Everyone i talk to has a different opinion, what have you used what would you recommend between hand painting or powder coating?

Cheers
Graeme

[pk500]

My wife hand painted my chassis for me it took about 5 hrs, i had the suspension arms powder coated

[TJC46]

Initially had the chassis bead blasted after all the welding on the outriggers was complete. Then spray painted straight after with epoxy primer.

Then hand painted in my garage with 4 more coats epoxy primer, alternating between red lead and grey colour, for maximum coverage.

Last coat in machine enamel red, and a final finish of polyurethane clear laquer to help stop stone chips.

3 years later and it still looks like new.
And not a bit of waxoyl anywhere.

[carsy]

Powder coating is easy as it is done for you and it looks good.

Hand paint using whatever you decide is hard work as there is a lot to do when considering it will need several coats.

Another consideration is that no matter how careful you are when re building the car, you will get the odd little dink to the finish here and there. If you have used hand paint it will be a lot easier to touch up and this will also apply through out the cars working life.

I personally went for powdercoat mainly because i didnt fancy all that hand painting, plus when done properly the finish is great. Each to their own but i have no regrets on powdercoating.

[OleVix]

TJC46 said:

Last coat in machine enamel red, and a final finish of polyurethane clear laquer to help stop stone chips.

Dear god!!! DROOOOoooooool..........

[whitewolf]

My taimar - wire wheeled on the grinder (took ages!!)

97% zinc rich primer (3layers)

1k black chassis enamel

stone chip all over front area, underneath and mainly in jacking points/newly of chassis...

[Shawbags]

I've recently powder coated my wishbones and applied POR 15 to the hub carriers. The wishbones were easy; I took them to the specialist and picked them up 2 days later looking like new. The POR 15, on the other hand, was labour intensive (you must follow the manufacturers recommendations for best results) and costly in brushes (you can only use them once and you need 3/4 coats!) - but what an amazing product. I can see the powder coating chipping and giving me the same problem again in a few years. The POR 15 looks like it will last as long as the hub carriers! David.