Chassis Painting... Paint & Quantity

[Andrew]

Hi all, due to the amount of making good I've carried out on my GT40 chassis I now need to paint it. It is currently powder coated but I don't fancy going down this route again and would like to paint it for ease of ongoing maintenance if ever necessary.

I've 2 questions for discussion, the first being how much paint is needed to spray a GT40 chassis in its entirety? Also has anyone had experience of using STEEL-IT paint? I've researched the product and other than the fact its rather expensive and abit fussy in terms of prep required it does get rave reviews on its durability and appearance.

I want to keep the work in house and have the the facilities to spray just not 2K

Your thoughts as always are much appreciated!

 

[JP Verweij]

Any 2k DTM (Direct To Metal) or industrial equalivent will do. 1 liter paint with 0.5 liter standard hardener ( usualy 1:2 mix ratio) will be more then sufficient.
I say 2k paint cause thats way more durable. Easy to work with and doesn't take weeks before its fully dried to the bone.
Start mixing about 200cc paint and start spraying. Mix more paint when needed, and take your time.

HVLP spraygun with 1.8 ish nozzle and about 2.5bar airpressure. HVLP sprayguns are dirtcheap and you realy don't need an expensive DeVilbiss to paint your chassis.

A few mixing cups are handy and paint thinner to clean your paintgun.
Youtube is full of seminars about painting with a HVLP gun. Its super easy.

 

[Neil]

I have used Steel-It on a few things and I am very pleased with it. It was recommended to me by Allen Grant when I visited his shop to see his Lola M6GT. He uses it in his restorations. The "fussy" prep recommended by Steel-It is only the normal preparation you should do for any quality paint work.

 

[Doc Watson]

Is there an equivalent to the old aircraft quality green chromium paint which is avalible in the UK? I want to use this as a base coat for my chassis.

The green zinc chromate has been banned in the UK, can I use zinc phosphate primer??? base metal is steel 'zintec'.

 

[Michel]

You can use a polyurethane (5+1)primer which is a 2K base coat with same green color than the zinc chromate and much more stiff to chocks when proprly cured
And will be a very good base to an 2K final paint

 

[Andrew]

I have used Steel-It on a few things and I am very pleased with it. It was recommended to me by Allen Grant when I visited his shop to see his Lola M6GT. He uses it in his restorations. The "fussy" prep recommended by Steel-It is only the normal preparation you should do for any quality paint work.

DA'ing with 36 grit or sand blasting isn't quite normal prep for a paint job haha

 

[Andrew]

Chaps, as I said in my first post I've not got the ventilation set up to spray 2k

 

[Mike Pass]

Brush paint with POR15, Then top coat of good chassis black. You can get both from Frost Restoration. Have thinners to hand as POR15 is impossible to remove once hard. Throw the brush away. Use a layer of plastic film when replacing the lid otherwise very hard to open again.
Cheers
Mike

 

[Shaun]

I went with one of these

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And a load of this

Not Found LAS Aerospace Ltd

www.lasaero.com

 

[Neil]

DA'ing with 36 grit or sand blasting isn't quite normal prep for a paint job haha

It is for a good primer. haha

 

[JP Verweij]

Chaps, as I said in my first post I've not got the ventilation set up to spray 2k

What do you mean with that. 1K & 2K both carry solvents. There is no additional solvent with 2K needed, its just the hardener thats added.
In both casses if you spray 1 or 2K you need fresh air to ventilate so openup your workshop doors.
In both cases its advisable to use a HVLP gun which has less overspray.
You could also use a minigun with 0.7 / 0.8 nozzle which has a smaller spray pattern making it more precisefor chassis rails with even less overspray.

I spray 2k in a small 3,5m x 7m garage. Painters foil comes cheap and overspray comes in the same amount if 1K or 2K.

 

[Stephen Ducker]

Andrew will be thinking of this, & I agree with him.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/isocyanates.htm. and

Ten bodyshop myths that can take your breath away

Vehicle paint sprayers are 80 times more likely to get asthma than the average worker. Here are 10 bodyshop myths that will make you stop and think.

www.hse.gov.uk

Regards Steve

 

[JP Verweij]

Andrew will be thinking of this..

Regards Steve

Better stop building then and buy a finished GT40.
Welding fumes..
Grinding fumes & fine dust...
Soldering fumes (wire loom etc)
And all the other stuff that polutes during the build of a project vehicle.. and makes life fun.

I don't mind, I don't smoke (anymore for 15ish years) & I drink loads of Scotch also known as live water.

 

[Mike Pass]

Use a brush. Safe unless you poke yourself in the eye with it!

 

[Stephen Ducker]

Thanks, I appreciate your good humour !

Having had pneumonia & pleurisy myself and a father who has the damage caused by 'farmers lung' (farm dust etc) I realise that lungs are potentially vulnerable things.
I also remember the massive step change in procedures (air fed masks etc) that was taken in the paint shop at the Ford dealer where I did my apprenticeship when they adopted 2K paint.

Regards Steve

 

[Davidmgbv8]

POR 15 and a brush it is. you can never get it off clothes and shoes,

 

[Randy V]

POR 15 and a brush it is. you can never get it off clothes and shoes,

It doesn't come off of skin readily either!

 

[Russell]

An organic filter in a good respirator is perfectly fine for 2K paint work...plus some fans to remove the overspray and clear the air.
As for POR 15, its great for large flat areas where you can go for it and do not need to go back over your work. The moment that you go back and touch up POR 15 you will wreck the finish as it will bubble and `foam` ...check out my Formula Junior build and you will see why. My paint job on an intricate tube frame chassis was a disaster. I did learn that POR 15 hates paint stripper....it just falls off.
Cheers
Russell