36 Pickup project - frame questions

Scott H

Scott H

Well-known member
I've almost got my chassis stripped down to the frame, looking for opinions on how to refinish things. I'm not building a concours car, or a 'rat rod', just a nice driving original looking pickup.

I'm thinking about having the frame blasted and powder coated gloss black. I'm assuming everything imaginable under the car was painted gloss black, but I usually like to see some contrast in the different components. I was thining of using a cast iron color on the springs and radius rods, and maybe another shade of natural metal color on the drag link, spindles, etc.

I know everyone loves to voice an opinion, so here's your chance! What do you think about my ideas for the underside?
 
satin black will not show all the imperfections, using too many different colors looks like a carnival ride. jmho
 
i would stay away from powder coating it as it tends to split and once the water gets under it there is no stopping the rust.
 
Use a good brand of paint of the many vendors out there. Use a Satin look. No Gloss, and keep every thing one color. Ken
 
Scott, I just love the 35's and '36's....just my preference as I have two '36's...so would offre this up as advice...

If you want to make a driver, do a steam clean on the frame and get out the sander and scuff it up, then spary it with paint....in the correct fashion...some primer, then your choice of "gloss" depending on how well you go things smooth....nothing looks worse than a paint job over a "goobered" prep job.

But, sinvce you mentioned you're not going for a total resto...consider this, heck, yo'd have to be much skinnier than I am to crawl under the truck to see how shiny things are...the RB's, frender cover everything up from the "outside", what I wold want to hppen (I think from your post) is to preserve what I have, see no mmore rust occuring, etc...so forget about the powder coat idea, just and expense I don't think you need/want...plus, in order to properly PC the 35-40 (41) frame, you'd have to pull them apart, the "X" member is against the inside rails, I see no way to do a proper powder coat/etc, on them without taking it part.
Same with paint, but...heck, it's a lot less expemsive to repint every bfew years than repowder coat!

So (IMO) steam it off, and get busy with a sander...not a ginder with sanding disc, just a sander, or a DA sander...pat attention to where all the rivets are at, gonna have to werr a few things out to sand them down nicely there...


Sandb;lasting might (IMO) create future headaches, because snd will get into where the "X" member reside against the frame...sand will tricle for years unl;ess you have some goos PSI to get rid of it...dn yes, the blasters have that PSI, but they don't (in my experince) care to do it.


For a runner/driver, get down, get dirty and do it, don't over think it, for a resoration, well, Lawson willl tell ya about that!
 
Do not use powdercoat, it's a 'one shot wonder' when it fails it has to be chemically stripped to remove what remains in a big tank, most sandblasters refuse to blast it off as it takes too long.
After you've been thru the process once, you will for all future jobs use paint, and yes gloss will show any and every imperfection, Satin Black is the way to go imho.
Good luck.
 
Call me old fashioned but I've found the best way (for me) to do it is to blast it and paint it with rustoleum. I mix one quart flat with one quart gloss (7.99 a quart) and spray it on.
 
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