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Painting a series... powdercoating?

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paint series
3K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Uncle Douglas 
#1 ·
I'm nearing the painting stage for my series 1. Going RAF blue (thanks for the input).

I was going to spray it myself, but after spraying the ambulance I'm thinking I will just pay someone else to do it... mainly to minimize my chemical exposure but also because I want this one to look good!

I have been going to some local paint shops to get a quote but everyone will only spray water based paint with a clear coat. They all state that a single stage that is CA VOC compliant has to a have clearcoat. I dont want a clear coat.... I hate clear coats.

So I'm thinking about powder coating. Daniel on this forum has some of his 88in body panels powder coated and it looks great. He was in a small accident and it bent with the panel well and chipped similar to paint. Another buddy has a series 1 that looks incredible with all powder coated panels.

Any thoughts on powdercoating? It seems like a good option and is similar in price. It is all on pieces so no problem there. Color matching in the future could be a problem if there is damage.... any other potential problems?
thanks
-steve
 
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#3 ·
Powder coat gets scratched up and looks like ass. Can't compound or buff it out. It's melted plastic fer crissakes.
Water based paints need clear coat because they flash off so fast that they dry all nubbly. Clear coating smooths out the crappy appearance. Difficult to repair in the field.
You can get spectacular results at home rolling and brush tipping Awlgrip or Interlux Perfection. Both paints will endure abuse, UV, and retain their good looks for many many years. Fumes aren't a problem using this method.
 

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#6 ·
I would have to second the opinion that it will be a major chore to touch up. If a panel gets dinged up it will need to be completely removed from the vehicle and thrown back into the oven to cure the new Powdercoat. Whereas paint can just be masked off to repair. It might depend on how and where you intend to use the vehicle.
 
#8 ·
The use of the truck will be a DD with some trail use. I dont need it to be a princess but I dont want it to look like crap either. I'm putting a lot of work, galvanizing and what not but I want to use the truck.

I would not mind having to take a panel off to fix it... the problem I see is that it would have to match in color and fade may be a problem.

Does powder coat scratch easier? For some reason I thought it would be harder. I never buff scratches out anyway.
 
#10 ·
do some research-there are many different grades and qualities of powder coat. A company here locally had a marine anti fouling powdercoat they were doing boat shafts and wheels with-ie it had chemicals in it that prevent marine growth. there are epoxy based powders etc. Powder coat is as diverse as paint.
 
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