Painting the engine and frame

R

rmak

Senior Member
Hi guys!
Quick question. Can the engine and frame be painted with a brush? How difficult is it with the body still on? Thanks.
 
If you want a nice looking job......it would almost be impossible. IMO if you are not going to remove the body to do a good job of scaping and wire brushing, why bother thinking about painting.
 
I agree with Glenn. I'd either remove the body and all the parts from the frame to paint it, or I'd just grease and oil every moving part and leave it as is, and drive and enjoy.
 
Well I guess the answer would be, yes you can, but it will be difficult. It would be hard enough in the first place to get all of the dirt, grease, grime, and rust off the frame before you painted. There is not a whole lot of room between the splash apron and the side of the frame, so that will be a bit hard. If you did not want to take the engine out, I would at least suggest taking most everything off the engine and then clean it and mask it off and then spray it green. You would still have some issues with getting all the oil/grease off. Then paint your items as you put them back on the engine. Certainly painting with a brush will look like you painted it with a brush but if that does not bother or concern you then it will work.
 
I'm sorry but I should have mentioned that the po cleaned and painted everything underneath, including the bottom of the engine, a silvery color. He also did a lot of other stuff like covering the springs, etc. that I really wouldn't want to mess with. He also has the body on and all the doors and trunk working. He warned me that if I took the body off, all the adjustments would go haywire.

I guess I could live with the silvery frame, but I'd really like a red engine. I am planning on upgrading the head, intake and exhaust and the sidecover, so it would just mostly be around the cylinders and the lower engine parts.
 
Only you can determine if you can paint it the way it is.
If you want to do it then you will.
You are the one who needs the patience to paint under the body.
If you do paint you may want to use a black chassis spray paint
and use tape ,heavy paper and cardboard and gloves if you do decide.
The chassis paint is satin finish and could cover and hide flaws
and look nice enough for what you are trying to achieve.
Good Luck and take your time in painting.
 
I have painted many model a engines and also frames with the body on and using a brush. You just need to do a good jog in degreasing (if needed), mask well and use a lot of tape and patience crawling all around the unit. I am doing a 8N Ford tractor that way now and when the frame and engine is completed, then the sheet metal will be sprayed.
 
rmak said:
Hi guys!
Quick question. Can the engine and frame be painted with a brush? How difficult is it with the body still on? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have painted many a Blue Ribbon winner's engine with a brush and they come out looking nicer than the rattle can jobs. I also cleaned and painted a Blue Ribbon car's frame by jacking up the body,removed the running boards, aprons,and fenders, did the cleaning and painting and then lowering the body back down. By the way, the correct color for the engine is Ford Engine Green and the chassis is low gloss black.
 
Another trick, which I have used, is to wrap wiring, fuel lines etc in tinfoil. This method is very fast and works great with rattle cans.
 
I agree with Harleyjoe. If you want to do something bad enuf - you can. I paint all my engines with a brush. I use a pointed bristle artist oil paint brush about 3/8" dia. The point lets me be very accurate without having to use masking tape.----and yes Mr Brierly red engines do go faster. ken
 
Ol Ron mentioned that hot rod engines are red and racing engines are black. I've seen many in these colors too. Kids building hot rods used brushes long before they had rattle cans.

Kerby
 
A brush will do fine, you are not working with smoothly prepared steel on the frame or engine. Get the car up on a lift if you can and pressure wash it first with hot water and detergent to get the caked on grease removed. Wire brush rusted areas. Take your time and do a good job. If you don't then the work you do will be a waste of time. Spray some phosphoric acid on with a low pressure garden pesticide applicator. Be careful, use goggles, nitrile gloves and head cover. Then go ahead and paint the frame with semi-gloss black and the engine with Ford Green engine enamel. Don't get the paint where you don't want it.
 
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