48 fire truck roadster

[truckster]

Dan,

When we were talking about welding penetration the other day and the welds on those fish plates in the photo just above, I just remembered looking at the photo that frame and the fish plates was all stick welded. Didn't use MIG on any of that, so disregard everything I was talking about.

 

[truckster]

Dan,

When we were talking about welding penetration the other day and the welds on those fish plates in the photo just above, I just remembered looking at the photo that frame and the fish plates was all stick welded. Didn't use MIG on any of that, so disregard everything I was talking about.

Well, maybe not everything, I still like to run the MIG on the hot side, so that you really have to watch the puddle to avoid burn through.

 

[DJ3100]

I'm confident in the frame welds. Most of them were minus material and required more weld to level. The problem is that the welds shrink and I get a new undercut line next to the new weld unless I really stack it up and that leaves a lot to grind. Any how I'm done and ready to paint.


Now for the next problem. i have to make a color sheen decision.

I have envisioned this roadster satin black, like the semi-gloss black Rustoleum rattle can (the link and steering arms will be blood red powder coat to match the wheels). I was only seeing the body and not considering the frame and axles as a whole package. The body and the chassis needs to match or be totally different - can't be a few shades off or have the gloss a little off.

There is quite a bit of rust on the frame, hubs, rotors steering arms, etc. I'm going to use black Zero Rust which is a rust converter and semi flat. But I don't want to use Zero Rust on the body.

I also want to get the frame and suspension done, plumbed, and wired so I don't want to come back and re-coat it to match the body later.

The body could be silver + red and semi-flat black would be OK?

Can't be red - I'd never match the red powder. Orange, copper and green are out for different but obvious reasons.

Could be blue + red and semi-flat black - lot's of choices for blue, some might work.

Could be gloss black. I don't think my body work and my spraying skills are up to gloss black.

Ideas?

 

[Sam_Fear]

Maybe a very dark red or maroon? Lots of shades of gray to choose from too.

 

[truckster]

Got a little lost in the color choice options. Did you veer away from the semi-gloss black for the body in there?

Sounds like you came around to wanting to go with the Zero-rust black for the chassis, and some color for the body.

If so, I like the idea of a dark, dark blue, or very dark gray, maybe semi-gloss on either. I don't think a red body would be easy to match to the wheels, but if you could, that would be my first choice (fire truck). The color of the wheels, and the large area it covers, controls the rest of the colors.

 

[DJ3100]

Now it's red. Probably gray tomorrow- primer/surfacer and some sanding then black Zero Rust.

There's a lot of other parts to get painted on the axles and I'd like it all to match without doing multiple coats. I'll be able to shoot a couple coats of ZR black and be done with them and they'll match the frame.

Went to Space Age this morning and talked to them about a dark red candy for the body. Looks black at night and in the shade, but red in the sun. They had about 50 swatches that would do that in base coat / clear coat without painting the candy (I probably couldn't pull off the candy anyway). I think I'll pick one of those that is in the same red family as the wheels.

Actually I'll probably be girlie and change my mind a few more times.

 

[DJ3100]

Now it's black! I hope it's black everywhere, but I'll probably find a few holidays when I get it in the sun.

A lot of these places are hard to get paint into - like the gas tank support and the motor mounts.

Starting last Tuesday, I welded all the joints ground some of them flush, blended corners, grounded and re-welded ugly welds and DA's everything I could get to with 36 grit and used Scotch Brite on the rest. I cleaned it with paint prep 4 times.

The tube came with deep and ugly weld seams (in the 4th photo you can see the line where it will be behind the muffler so I didn't fix it) and some of the blends weren't as good as I wanted, so I fixed the areas that show with 2K plastic filler. Sanded flush with 100 grit.

I shot Zero Rust red (oxide) to encapsulate and convert the rust. Waited until the next day and shot 2K urethane surfacer on the parts that show and DA'd that with 360 grit.

Applied a light coat of epoxy to seal everything together. Waited overnight and applied 2 coats of black Zero Rust.

At this point, it sure doesn't look like I put all that effort into it.

 

[DJ3100]

Observations

I was strongly tempted to powder coat the frame. It would be a better finish and wouldn't have cost much more, if any.

But, the metal has to be perfect, or at least as good as you want it and this wasn't. Fixing powder coat when it gets dinged during assembly is difficult. Matching the color and gloss on parts like the rear differential is impossible for me.

Getting the frame sandblasted before painting would have been much better - no rust to deal with. But this box tube frame has been sitting around for 3 years with almost no rust. That means it is oil or grease soaked. Sandblasting won't get that out.

The cost of the paint, catalyst and reducer is just the beginning. 6" DA discs:$1 -$2 each, unless you buy a 100 for $45. Rage filler $30 per quart. Paint prep / metal cleaner $15 per gallon. 2K surfacer $40 - $100 per gallon, epoxy $40 per quart. Tack rags, gun cleaner, gun lube, plastic to cover the stuff or make a paint booth - this list is almost endless and it adds up. In the past, I have left $500 at the paint store and not bought actual paint.

 

[Broke Down]

Powder coat is some nice stuff but if you ever decide to modify it you will have to burn all that powder coat back off. I would paint it and be done, that way if you modify it down the road a quick touch up can be done.

 

[AZ4GEMAN]

Paint vs Powder coat

Good discussion on the pros and cons of paint and powder.

I ran into the same problem when I had the sand buggy shop. We had to build the car, test drive it, make any changes then blow it all apart for powder coat. Then we had to put it all back together without dinging things up. Labor intensive and time consuming.

I learned some techniques for touching up powder coat that work pretty well for small repairs and modifications. Some manufacturers offer matching rattle cans and I've had custom rattle cans made a few times. Expensive, but sometimes what I had to do when the parts were permanently attached to a building.

Maybe a shrink wrap is the answer.

 

[zzrodder]

Wow, the frame looks great!! It looks like a piece of bridge structure, super beefy, lovin' it. [cl I see you also the floor with the ever changing colour...

 

[DJ3100]

I got the bushings out of the link arms yesterday. I took the 4 rear, 2 front, panhard bar, trans cross member, and the steering link cover that looks like a machine gun barrel, to get powder coated. They will be blood red to match the wheels and provide some color to accent the satin black.

Arizona Powdercoat has touch up rattle cans to match most of the colors they have. About $10 a can - not too bad.

I'm gone for a few days to watch old fat guys hammer on hot iron. Maybe the links will be ready when I get back.

 

[earthman]

Have a good time Dan. We will leave the light on for ya'.

 

[earthman]

 

[DJ3100]

Got a little more done but nothing very exciting. The front axle is painted, but still have one hub to wire brush and paint. I have been wire brushing the paint and rust off the rear diff -probably have another day before I can paint it.

My next goal is to get it back on its axles, get the master cylinder and gas tank mounted and plumb the brakes and the fuel lines. But first...

....The rain storm took out my cooler motor - at least I think it was the rain.
....Someone (actually 2 someones) wants to give me money, but first I have to make their stuff.

 

[Snake Farm]

....Someone (actually 2 someones) wants to give me money, but first I have to make their stuff.

There's always a catch isn't there!

[P[P[P

 

[AZ4GEMAN]

Go for the money

I'd go for the $. No body has been offering it to me lately.

But.. if you have any referals ....

Dk

 

[DJ3100]

I'd go for the $. No body has been offering it to me lately.

But.. if you have any referals ....

Dk

I am going for the $ actually it's probably more like cents.

Referrals? Who are you kidding, you're just as adverse to actual work as I am.

 

[DJ3100]

Not too much exciting going on here. After days of wire brushing and cleaning, I got the axles, frame and a few misc. parts painted. A few more are ready to paint.

The front axle is a pain - it wants to be upside down. I got the brackets on, but not the hubs yet.

I haven't decided what to do with the springs, but I did remove one leaf.

The brake pedal assembly is ready to go in the frame.

Hope to have the frame back on its wheels this week.

 

[truckster]

Looking really good! Glad that paying jobs haven't stopped prgress all together again.

While I am thinking about it, there is a truck parts place in Mesa that sells the complete caliper assemblies for that and if I remember correctly they were about the same price as the rebuild kits anywhere else.

It is where I bought the pinion seal. I think you have the receipt.