Powder Coating vs. Painting

What does the group think about this?

I have found paint work to be a rather expensive proposition (if not done by myself - I'm not set up for large items).

I just had my fender wells and other under hood parts powder coated and the time/money was really worth it and was very reasonable.

TIA

I have never seen a powder coated car before. Could be interesting.

Big Dave

Powder coat is hard a durable, but can crack over time when applied to parts that flex. Paint is more flexible, and if done right can last just as long, or longer, which in the long run could save more time and money. Also, paint can be used on anything, where as powder coat is limited to parts that will withstand 400 degrees in the bake oven.

It had occurred to me that PC is more 'brittle' but I would still have to try it on an entire car.
It would have to be stripped down and the body panels separated but it would be worth a try - I believe.

Thanks:thumbsup:

I just got my fender wells and other parts back and they look great.

Still not too sure about an entire car body but this was a lot less expensive compared to a paint shop.

cYa

One other issue is heat. In an Impala with lots of under hood acreage it may not be a problem, but those same powder coated inner fender panels might melt if within an inch or two of some exhaust headers. When I had my 305 HO police interceptor running TBI-EFI with my current headers and exhaust I had no problems for years. I swapped the engine (no other modifications) over for a high compression, high horsepower SBC 406 and those same tubes are melting the plastic sleeve on my steering column and spark plugs wires (high temp silicon).

Big Dave

I guess with a car body, I look at the long term. What happens if you get a rock chip on your hood, or a door edge chips while trying to adjust the hinges. Or somebody gives you a doorshot and it cracks...It would be much more difficult to repair, know what I mean?

With your typical basecoat/clearcoat, you just featheredge the chip, spot prime, blocksand, and blend your base and clear the panel.

I don't have firsthand experience with powder coat, but from what I know about it I think that a good paint job is worth the money.

Thanks again!

Big Dave: Now that is something I had not considered. Impala's have quite a bit of space between the exhaust and the fender wells though but I will watch for that.

maas restorations: This will be a new experience for me and I will be learning about those types of things so that I can make an informed decision later on.
I did watch a fellow at the powder coating company actually whack a piece of sheet metal with a chunk of scrap and it did not hurt the finish at all.
If a chip occurs I wonder if I could just use localized heat to melt the surrounding material and fill the void???

Take Care.

I would think with a crack in a powder coat finish you could "weld" it all back together with a hair drier to get a smooth continuous coat again. It is just plastic as I understand it (which could be a problem if I don't understand the properties of the plastic).

Big Dave

Powder coating has to be cured in a 350° oven. How would you put an entire body shell in the oven? There are seam sealers and plastics (bondo, putty, etc) on the car body even if it is stripped down to nothing. Wouldn't these materials melt or deform in the heat of the oven?

There are ovens more than big enough to accommodate a car body. Seam sealers wouldn’t be needed with a fully covered car (the powder coat is continuous and water tight).

I am assuming you are going to put forth the same level of body prep for a powder coated car as you would for one that is painted. That usually means no Bondo or fillers and metal is acid etched and primered ready for seal coat.

Big Dave

IF I were to attempt this the body and any separate panels would be stripped to bare metal. The powder coating company that I used sand/media blasts everything or they bake it until all sealer/bondo/etc would fall away.
I would most definitely prep it as well if not better.

Thanks Again!