Powder coatings

[SteveA]

Having spent time modifying and strengthening the lower wishbone arms on my GT6, my thoughts turned to some sort of surface coating for it. Powder coating came to mind, but there is no one close to me who do it. Is it really worth me sending the parts off to get them professionally coated or does anyone have alternative coating recommendations?

 

Thanks.

[willcolumbine]

I've got powder coated wishbones, suspension turrets, anti roll bar and various other brackets and bits and bobs. It is worth paying a bit extra I think to get it done. It is very durable and my suspension looks just like the day it was fitted.

 

If you don't want to go for powdercoat try something like POR15. It's a very durable paint. I have found the finish to look very similar to powdercoat but a little less smooth - you sometimes get the odd brushmark. On the other hand it is extremely messy and unpleasant to use, costs you a fortune in brushes and (in my experience) the parts really do need to be surgically clean as it will not stick if there is even the slightest trace of oil or grease.

[mattius]

if your gonna por15 it, use std and then chassis coat on top of it, i've found bar a hammer hitting it, it doesnt budge.

[starman]

Steve-

 

Paul Tegler, who lives near me, does his own powder coating.  He has one of those inexpensive DIY electrostatic powder coating guns, and he picked up a used kitchen oven for free, which he has in his garage just for powder coating. He's done suspension bits and all sorts of other parts and the results are really pretty good.  Moreover, considering the cost of the equipment and the ready supply of inexpensive powder, it's worth considering rather than paying somebody else big coin to do it.  

 

We have these stores here in the States called Harbor Freight Tools, and that's where Paul got his gun and gets his powder ($70, or I guess about 45 GBP):

 

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94244

 

Maybe Clarkes or somebody like that has similar/same stuff in the UK.

[JMH]

If you want it 'bling' - try to find a place where they do metallization (not galvanisation), give it some etch-primer (2pack) and finish it with what ever you like  8)

[SteveA]

Thanks for the tips, I have, for now atleast, given the parts a few coats of chassis paint as I want to try and get the car mobile again for a club meet next week and the MOT not too long after that. I did try contacting the local-ish powder coating place, but their business number kept on diverting to a turned off mobile, so I have given p on that idea for now.