A Warning About Powdercoating, Unprovoked Lecture Time Options

[McMark]

All you powdercoaters... a warning.

Powdercoating is THICK. If you're sending a pile of parts out for some nice coating or getting a nice set of wheels refinished, you need to be careful of the various areas that have tight tolerances. For example, a lot of factory wheels (especially late model 911 wheels) have a hubcentric ring that centers the wheel. If this area get powdercoated it will not fit on hubcentric hubs. Seen it happen.

Anyway, avoid a hassle, identify areas to not be powdercoated before handing your stuff over. Coating shops won't know what's what.

Can you tell I ran into this issue today.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Pat Garvey]

OK, I'm dipping my toe here.

WHY would you powdercoat? You've already stripped & prepped the parts. So, why wouldn;t you put an original finish on them? Face it, powdercoated parts are immediately recognized as such. So, why do it?

[scotty b]

OK, I'm dipping my toe here.

WHY would you powdercoat? You've already stripped & prepped the parts. So, why wouldn;t you put an original finish on them? Face it, powdercoated parts are immediately recognized as such. So, why do it?

I'd bet I could put a powder coated piece of tin right beside a painted piece and you couldn't tell me which was which just by looking at them Pat. Not trying to start anything here but I have been doing high quality restoration for a living for several years and essentially ran a powder coating shop last year and can promise you it isn't that easy to tell visually. That is assuming the powder coat is done properly. I personaly see no reason at all to paint anything under a car anymore. I am currently werking on an Alfa Giulia Sprint Speciale for a customer who wanted ALL of the suspension completely stripped and re-painted. For the amount of time I have tied up in etching, sealing and painting the parts I could have powder coated them in 1/2 to 3/4 the time and had a finish that looked completely factory, would have filled in some of the minor rust pitting and would hold up MUCH longer.

[ConeDodger]

OK, I'm dipping my toe here.

WHY would you powdercoat? You've already stripped & prepped the parts. So, why wouldn;t you put an original finish on them? Face it, powdercoated parts are immediately recognized as such. So, why do it?

I'd bet I could put a powder coated piece of tin right beside a painted piece and you couldn't tell me which was which just by looking at them Pat. Not trying to start anything here but I have been doing high quality restoration for a living for several years and essentially ran a powder coating shop last year and can promise you it isn't that easy to tell visually. That is assuming the powder coat is done properly. I personaly see no reason at all to paint anything under a car anymore. I am currently werking on an Alfa Giulia Sprint Speciale for a customer who wanted ALL of the suspension completely stripped and re-painted. For the amount of time I have tied up in etching, sealing and painting the parts I could have powder coated them in 1/2 to 3/4 the time and had a finish that looked completely factory, would have filled in some of the minor rust pitting and would hold up MUCH longer.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) My tin is powdercoated and I have two more sets of powdercoated 2.0 tin in the garage next to my original 2.0 tin that I just took off. No difference in appearance, more durable, etc....