More progress....

[trapin]

Rear suspension is back in the car. Springs look a lot better. I painted my differential cover (I just can't stand chrome). The 2nd and 3rd pictures show my ride height with just the 3" dropped springs. People here tell me not to worry that it'll drop a few more once all the weight is in it. I don't know...but I'll take them at their word and leave the lowering blocks off for now. The last few pictures in my reply below I think better explain why I have to revisit my front suspension. In a nut shell...the POR-15 I applied failed. It was coated 2 years ago and you can clearly see how the bare metal underneath is actually rusting through the paint. It's as if the POR-15 is doing absolutely nothing. So I will have to bust down the frame and have it media blasted. Monotonous...but necessary.

[trapin]

More pics...

[dropit69]

looking good..so you scuffed your chrome cover and painted it?..looks good i like the black too..never heard of por-15 doing that..heard that stuff was like concrete once applied ..huh..

[HILROD]

POR 15 does that some times. I don't use it anymore. The semi-gloss will do it every time if not applied over the gloss black or silver. But even though it seems to sweat rust it still sucks to remove again! FRANK

[trapin]

The media blaster wants 160 bones to strip this stuff off. I'm just thrilled to death over this. I don't know what I'm going to coat it with. I might just take it to a powder-coater or just attempt to prime and paint it myself. What would you guys recommend? Any ideas on durable paints?

[HILROD]

You could use a semi-gloss single stage paint. I use Standox Ralley black. Looks good and is strong. You might have to burn that paint off with a torch. If it is sticking good that's the only way it comes off. Even grinding won't hardly take it off. The upside is after it is burned off it can be sandblasted or cleaned real easy. FRANK

[Steve68]

Tony, have you tried a commerical stripper, you could use a metal etching primer and single stage paint, lots of progress, looking good,

[trapin]

If it has to be burned off, then I guess I could always take it back down to International Paint Stripping and have it chemical-dipped again. In their process they burn the paint off first in an oven at 600 degrees. Then I could have it e-coated and do a single stage Standox over the that. No?

*EDIT* Uhhh...scratch that. I just called IPS, they want $900 to strip and e-coat a frame. Yikes!!!

[kamaroman68]

Get it back down to bare metal using any of the above methods although I believe media/sand blasting will take care of it and then use an epoxy primer. I left a frame out in the winter under snow, ice, rain and still after 2 years showed no signs of rust. I'm sure you will not be disappointed with the stuff. Chris

[Steve68]

$900 Yikes!!!!

[trapin]

Yeah, tell me about it. When I had my shell done it was $1800. I would be afraid to imagine what it costs today. It must be the e-coating facility that is asking all that money because IPS doesn't do the e-coating at their facility, they job it out.

I'll have it bead blasted and then Epoxy prime. Then I'll top coat it with the Chassis Coat black.

[Steve68]

I've heard lts of people like the Eastwood chassis black, it looks good to me!

[awr68]

See this is exactly why everyone talked me out of POR15ing the bottom of my car...glad I listened to my brothers here on the board!!

Sorry to hear this, especially with the July deadline!!

How much to powder coat it?? Black usually doesn't cost too much as it is a very common color and can be done with other orders at the same time....

[Steve1968LS2]

Have a high res of the third pic? ;)

[trapin]

Have a high res of the third pic? ;)

Wish I did. My camara is only a 2 megapixel.

Right now the front clip and suspension have been removed, I'll unbolt the frame tonight and it'll go to the stripper tommorow. When I have it reassembled before it's trip to the painter I'm going to have my friend Ken come over and take some pics, he's a professional photographer. Then when it comes back I'll get some of it in color and shoot you what I have.