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Paint my AH frame

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dvu101

Jedi Hopeful
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I traveled to the American blasting Co yesterday to see what it costs to blast my frame and prime it. They had a 100 frame there they just finished. The cost for the blast was $1,500. which seems good to me. Anyway, my plan was to have the frame delivered from the welder to the blaster, have it blasted, primed and then being it home till I retire. Whenever that is. I was told that I should not do that. The primer hardens so much sitting that paint will not stick without sanding the whole frame.

Is that true? And if true what should I do if my plan is to delay the restoration for awhile?

He also said that often after blasting the frame has to go back to the welder for hidden work, then back to him for more blasting then reprimed.

If the answer is to go ahead and paint the frame before I delay the restoration, what kind of paint are you guys using?
 
Paint it after blasting/priming. Even if more work is required, it will be much easier to do touch-ups than sanding, re-priming and painting.

I used an acrylic enamel, with a polyurethane hardener. Even though the paint had its own inherent gloss, I still clearcoated it for additional chemical resistance.

Shown in PPG DP40/401 epoxy-chromate primer:

Healey_Chassis.sized.jpg
 
Scott, there is another alternative. From the welder send your frame to a metal finisher (acid dipped). Actually I have my frame "dipped" prior to welding on new panels etc. Nice to have clean metal that is rust proofed from the dipper. From what you're telling me, the cost would be about half of what blasting would be.
 

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I believe that primer absorbs moisture from the air causing rust. It should be painted soon after primer to get a good bond with paint. New primers may be different from the old stuff. I'm visiting my car at the painter to approve paint color Monday and I'll ask them. You may want to consider the paint cost increase with time. It has gone through the roof in the past few years.
 
Hi Scott, I will try to answer your questions.
Primer/sealer /paint/epoxy whatever sprayed product you choose to put over the steel, all have time time windows for top coating. For example most sealers need to be top coated within 12 hours otherwise you have to sand them to get a mechanical adhesion since the chemical adhesion window of wet on wet will have passed. Usually after 12 hours anything sprayed will have to be sanded too accept another coat of whatever. I would dip it personally ,what ever you choose have something put on the metal that is a non porous product like a epoxy or a urethane primer afterward. Any of the modern paints is fine for the underside ,everyone has a little different preference depending on application of the vehicle.
 
I've got to say that I would be wary of "dippng" the chassis. There are so many confined spaces, overlaps, etc. that the possibility of trapping corrosive liquids, even in small amounts, would be too great. I'd go for media blasting of the chassis, which is the route I took. $1500.00 sounds a bit high. It cost me $450.00 for the blasting, and a total of $1000.00 for a complete prime, seam seal and final color.
 
The major problem with dipping is that it removes any protection on inner
surfaces that you can't get spray paint to hit. Not sure of Healey frames
but a lot of frames are dipped in a protective solution that coats the inner surfaces. If you remove it, the frame rusts from the inside out and you won't know it. I had a hood dipped once and had problems with the seams rusting. There are places that will dip a frame in paint or other coating after chemical stripping.
 
I agree, $1500 seems quite high. I have had three sandblasted and know others that have had blasting done and $4-500 seems right. If you were in northeast Ohio I could give you someone who did my last one for $150. Also agree about dipping doing too good of a job, especially on the inside of the frame rails.
 
I have been unable to find someone to dip my frame any where to the Northern Va DC area or even a second Co to blast it. Does anyne know of one?

And thanks for all the replys...
 
I confirmed with the painter that you should not leave it primed unless you want to re-strip it. There are newer epoxy primers that would probably work but you may as well paint it for what it costs. They try to paint within two days of the priming.
 
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