Best PROTECTIVE COATING for a new chassis

[WoS]

.....and method of application.

I have a new bare-metal chassis for the Vixen.
Due to the complexity of the chassis, spraying costs are high;
is it possible to dip paint these chassis?

So far I have one price/spec from a specialist:

Specification:
Abrasive blast to clean
Apply zinc phosphate primer at 50 microns DFT
Apply polyurethane finish at 50 microns DFT.


So far mixed reports about powder coating.

[krispy]

I think it would be worth talking to Adrian Venn at Exactly TVR. IIRC he now uses some kind of dip galvanisation process for all his rebuilds. If I was doing mine again, that's what I'd be looking to do.

[thermister]

surprised to read that you can still get a new chassis,are these made to order?

[jpa]

You could try these guys :- www.surfaceprocessing.co.uk

Their process normally is used to initially remove paint and rust from your shell / chassis then they apply an electrophoretic coating to protect it. Then can etch prime or powder coat it.

I suppose they could just do part of the process for you.

I wonder if it is this place that Mr Venn uses? I am considering getting the full process done to my chassis when I do a body off re-build next winter.

Paul.

[heightswitch]

krispy said:

I think it would be worth talking to Adrian Venn at Exactly TVR. IIRC he now uses some kind of dip galvanisation process for all his rebuilds. If I was doing mine again, that's what I'd be looking to do.

firstly, never hot dip galvanise a chassis as light as a vixen, It will twist and distort.

Secondly properly applied powder coating is a fantastic and durable finish. The TVR factory applied coating was crap. but still lasted 10 plus years on most cars. It is not fair to base assumptions on powder coating based on the TVR finish.

A good powder coater who properly beadblasts, zinc etches then powder coats to a spec will outlast any paint finish. if you have lots of money to burn then you could have hot zinc or aluminium metalsprayed onto your chassis then use an etch primer and proper epoxy ester based gloss 2 pack finish but this will be very expensive.

Another tip. dont finish your chassis in black. Have it finished in a light colour so you can see anything, rust, chips, cracks etc long before they become a problem.

Bettablast in the North east come highly recommended however it may be some way for you. they have quoted approx £400 plus vat for a light bead key blast, Zinc etch and powder coat.

Pic of my chassis and cage etc. cage and all suspension was done at bettablast Chassis was done by a very good mate.

Neil.





The pics are dusty and this chassis is 40 years old this year and it was originally finished with a coat of chassis black!! People get very paranoid about finishes.

Powder coating every time.

paint is just as good but 3 times the price to do properly.

N.

Edited by heightswitch on Wednesday 5th March 08:36

Edited by heightswitch on Wednesday 5th March 08:37

[matchless_mike]

I have recently had my 1971 2500 vixen chassis repaired and powdered coated. The coating appears very thick and I've yet to chip it despite dropping things onto it. This powder coating seems far better than any paint work I've ever paid someone else to do. I'll probably wax oil the chassis before I put the body shell back. I'm not worried about this chassis rusting again because by the time it gets into a poor state again I'll probably be dead.

[DavidY]

I wouldn't waxoyl all the cahssis, only the bits you can't get at with the body on, otherwise it makes it very messy when working on the car in future.

One issue with thick layers of powder coating, is that sometimes some of it needs to be removed to get bolts through and suspension arms in.

I had a decent job done via Ian Bannister in the early 90's, it was still as good as when it was applied when I parted with the car around 2002.

davidy

[heightswitch]

DavidY said:

I wouldn't waxoyl all the cahssis, only the bits you can't get at with the body on, otherwise it makes it very messy when working on the car in future.

One issue with thick layers of powder coating, is that sometimes some of it needs to be removed to get bolts through and suspension arms in.

I had a decent job done via Ian Bannister in the early 90's, it was still as good as when it was applied when I parted with the car around 2002.

davidy

we need to keep in with the old bugger now for definite. i am pretty sure he will be looking at the latest marine offshore steel finish for application on a chassis

My dad used to work for a marine corrosion and shotblasting specialist when I was a kid. he had some gates blasted and coated for the drive at home. 35 years later the coating has not dulled at all. I asked him what it was. he smiled an all knowing smile and said that they had a job in for BNFL, reactor core paint??

N.

[GAjon]

Here's a link from a previous thread on the merits of powder coating and painting.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[pomohon]

Since some one mentioned Marine applications here goes.Having owned and operated steel hull fishing trawlers for many(tooo many)years several things remain constant with steel and corrosion.
If you have ANY rust on steel blast it to white metal.Forget the wire brushes etc.Sand blasting will get all the rust but it will find any bad spots,you need to fix those anyway.We start with a zinc epoxy base, then an epoxy primer then the color coats.Thats how we do the boats,big boats.Thats also how we do a chassis.Watch your flash times.Heightswitch is right with the light colors.The ideal situation is when you get a chip, your base primers stay on.The rough finish left by sandblasting really helps the base coatings adhere and helps prevent rust from walking under the paint if you get a chip.
Being from where Katrina landed we have many cars that were submerged completely in salt water.Including my own.Though soda is great for some applications removing rust is not one of them.
Its all in the prep.A tiny blackspeck left will come back to bite you.
Most of the stuff we have done lately has been British .MGA ,TR, HRG. Big Healy and one TVR. Thanks DJ

[daza]

Contrary to peoples beliefs galvanising can be carried out by people who know what they are doing. However galvanising will restrict further modifications or repairs to the chassis in the future.

Medway galvanising sorted my chassis (I should point out that it is also a new chassis). Medway galv spitfire shell's, Alfa panels, all sorts. They know what they are doing

http://www.medgalv.co.uk/

I finished my chassis off with Rustbuster's spray on mastik
http://www.rust.co.uk/

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n51/DAZA_1/P106...

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n51/DAZA_1/P106...

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n51/DAZA_1/P312...

Edited by daza on Thursday 6th March 09:47

[Grantura1800s]

Lately it's a trent in the offshore constructions to use Thermal sprayed aluminium on carbon steel in the areas above the splash zone (splash zone itself is the area where the waves hit and which is under influence of high and low tide).

I think it's a very good coating but not cheap.

Serge

[Seabass]

Well 'OE' exhausts are typically aluminised steel... They have to work under some pretty harsh conditions and are expected to last 5 years.

[heightswitch]

Seabass said:

Well 'OE' exhausts are typically aluminised steel... They have to work under some pretty harsh conditions and are expected to last 5 years.

I had my exhaust manifolds aluminium metal sprayed. it still needs sealing with a paint finish though.

Neil.

[WoS]

Thanks all for the info.

Some prices (from three different firms):

Blast clean, zinc prime, polyurethane finish- £275.00 plus VAT
Chemical strip, Electrophoretic Immersion Coat- £840.00 plus VAT
Blast clean, Powder coat- ~£225.00 plus VAT

Electrostatic application of the powder coating hopefully means that it will reach all the chassis nooks & crannies.

'thermister':
I believe that the chassis jigs for the older cars were moved from Weston-s-Mare to Wolverhampton about a year ago. Possibly David Gerald is a source. Always helpful if you can cut out the middle-man though.

'daza':
Your chassis looks good. Who made your roll-cage? the rear legs seem to extend further back than the Roll-Centre design.

[daza]

The cage was made by an acquaintance of Mr Bannister and Neil.

I'm considering a full cage however (bare in mind this is the second time I've rebuilt this car).

By the way, to go with your quotes Medway Galvanising (and the collect - possibly depending where you are) charged £300 for the chassis plus the Rustbuster mastik, which I sprayed myself.

Darren

[daza]

Neil,

Sorry you've lost me, the question was in relation to the Cage rear supports and how it differed from the Rollcentre. Where did the cage come from?

Darren

[heightswitch]

daza said:

Neil,

Sorry you've lost me, the question was in relation to the Cage rear supports and how it differed from the Rollcentre. Where did the cage come from?

Darren

Darren, just ignore me. I have been lying on my back most of today taking a PTO off a truck in the pissing rain and hurricane force winds. I misread your first post.

N.