I am totally unsure of which I want to do for my subframe, control arms, inner fender wells, radiator support, etc. I have heard advantages and disadvantages of both, and was even suggested that I use Line-X which is like a bedliner material for truck beds...

If anyone has an opinion and can share their experiences with what to do in this suituation it would be greatly appriciated. I am looking for long lasting low maintenance and good looking. I do not ever want to have to do this again...

After all weekend on this project I got the subframe out!!! I have never done something like this and I am totally amazed that I was able to get this far. I am hopeing that it will go back together easier than it came apart, or at least be a little cleaner. I drove this car into my garage last Wednesday and now it is totally apart! I can not believe what I am doing! It is a good thing there are knowledgeable people here to help along the way.

Thanks.

We talked about this the other nite in chat, so you know what I think.

Just Say No to PC. JMO, of course.

Some people love it, others dont. I'm in the second group.

dave

What was your reason for not wanting PC Dave? I'm curious as well.

I was going to powder coat the a arms, but the machine shop said they couldn't be sure they wouldn't scratch the finish when they pressed in the bushings and lower ball joint. I just painted them with POR15 and they look good.

Going to powder coat the frame, though. Too much work to get into all those nooks and crannies with sandpaper, and the sandblaster guy gets $75/hr.

My reason for not liking PC is because its thick (and it looks thick also), and its not as durable as its often advertised.

It will scratch and chip more easily than well prepped, good product paint. A chip in PC will be deeper than paint. And as thick as it is, you will most likely have to clean out/re-thread holes in the part.

Like I said, some people love it and swear by it. And it's usually a little cheaper. But from my experiences/taste, I wont go the PC route.

dave

Paint, correct gloss is my vote. Not into PC or Por 15 - neither are original.

My reason for not liking PC is because its thick (and it looks thick also), and its not as durable as its often advertised.

It will scratch and chip more easily than well prepped, good product paint. A chip in PC will be deeper than paint. And as thick as it is, you will most likely have to clean out/re-thread holes in the part.

Like I said, some people love it and swear by it. And it's usually a little cheaper. But from my experiences/taste, I wont go the PC route.

dave

Does PC=powder coat?

Powder coating is very thin and is harder to scratch up then paint. My experience anyway, and that is with the Eastwood stuff.

Once powder coating has scratched or chipped (and it will), then you won't be able to do a smooth repair... while with POR, you can easily touch it back up at any time.

Anybody try the Eastwood stuff that competes with POR? I saw it while browsing online yesterday and was wondering about it.

My reason for not liking PC is because its thick (and it looks thick also), and its not as durable as its often advertised.

It will scratch and chip more easily than well prepped, good product paint.

This means it was not done properly. PC far outclasses any wet spray in chip resistance when done properly. Surface prep is the key. Sanding or sandblasting alone won't do it.
It's appearance is a little different than wet spray so it might not be best for 100% originality.

Powder Coating shouldn't even be an issue in this forum, the subtitle says it all Where originality comes first

If originality isn't an issue, powder coating shouldn't be either...

If you have chipping issues with PC then you need to find another source. I have been PCing moto and DH bike frames for years and only in extreme circumstances does it chip. To the extent I have pieces with quarter size dents in tubing that have not chipped. It is thick, and you will have to sand out press fit holes, tap threads, and so forth, but it's the ultimate in durability.

IMO it's the only way to go for frame and suspension pieces on a car that gets driven.

You can sand chips out of powdercoat and repair with paint if need be. It sands just like paint.You can wetsand and buff it just like paint.So the whole 'hard to repair thing' doesn't make sense to me unless your using some trick colors or the vein look.But for black its not problem. I scratched my powdercoated frame when the cable from a come along slipped while installing my springs and dug into the frame. I spotted it in with semi glosss and you cant tell.

I was talking to a guy that has done a few (at least 5 from what he told me), frame off restorations of 1st gen Camaros...He said that if you dont clean the sub frame perfectly to where there is absolutly no chance of rust, after time the rust will make it buckle up and then crack...especially in the areas where there are welded joints. I am sure this will take quite a while to get to this point, but he said it looks ugly even before if breaks through.

I guess I am still not sure what I want to do on mine yet. I am scraping it down as we speak and preparing it for the sand blaster. I am tending to lean more towards paint since even scuff marks would be hard to repair and match up...plus I wont have to deal with the possibility of rubber bushings squeeking, pressed joints needing to be cleaned out and threads re-tapped..plus if some day my kids want to do this again, they will have the ability to go either way.