LocostUSA.com

I am coming up on detailing the suspension and bracketry. What have you done to protect these parts? I used to have parts like this done with zinc chromate or even electroless nickle but I now live in east bum frack and those sources are very hard to find and expensive. Powdercoat is available or Rustoleum?? Any great ideas?

See "JR's MR2 based Middy"

John

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When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting -- Steve McQueen from LeMans

My build log viewtopic.php?f=36&t=10658&start=0 NOW NAMED =The Wycked 7

My other build log viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15162 The Skayt'R6

#1 Powder coating
#2 solvent based 2 part epoxy paint or primer followed by paint
#3 Paint

Pour a little "boiled linseed oil" inside tubes after protecting the outside. A little goes a long way; just enough to wet the surface. A quart is more than enough for the entire car.

I doubt you will be on the roads in winter, but does Washington still use dirt instead of salt on the roads?

I remember a section of road between Port Townsend and Port Angeles with banked curves. Zipping through there on my CB1000, the g forces were enough that I could not hold my head up off the tank.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

hi i just used primer and paint brushed on, easy touch up , , think how many times you will be making changes. protects just as well as spray on,, maybe better.

Rustoleum paint used here. I found that while painting, I found some missing welds despite inspecting beforehand. If it were powder coated, those missing welds would have gone unnoticed.

As noted, any changes or additions can be made easily. You'll never know it was done after the rest of the frame was painted.

If you are 100% sure that your frame is ready for finishing, any method will work. Remember paint has a buildup thickness. Tight fitting parts will fit tighter after paint. This buildup is more with powder coating.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Yo-
To repeat a recurring theme, I used Rustoleum "Hammered Finish" paint, and brushed it on. It was a good opportunity to look the chassis over and we found some ragged edges that needed ground down and/or covered and welded, and we found some 'missed' welds.

I also managed not to have to do all the cleaning, grinding, sanding and painting:

Decisions, decisions, decisions! I appreciate all the remarks and thoughts.

JR

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When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting -- Steve McQueen from LeMans

My build log viewtopic.php?f=36&t=10658&start=0 NOW NAMED =The Wycked 7

My other build log viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15162 The Skayt'R6

Industrial rust primer then paint with one of the hammertite compressor type paints. Good thing about the rust primer is that it's flat and problems stand out clearly and can still be resolved.

Powdercoat is ok but it's a one time thing so get your prep right the first time, problems are difficult to resolve.

we always powdercoated our frames for FSAE, mostly for presentation points. it's a pain if you want to to make any changes to the frame or brackets- we always had to grind off the powdercoating and spray paint it black again when we were done. it ends up looking patched up if you have more than a few changes to make.

that said, we only had to do a couple changes like that because we always built up the entire car with an unpainted frame to the point where it was driveable, then took the entire car apart, powdercoated the frame, and assembled it back together again. i'd only go powdercoating if you planned on doing that.

Frame - Rustbullet and then Rustbullet Blackshell
Suspension and bolt on bits- Powdercoat

Its how i did mine and i wouldnt change a thing

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2007 R1 Powered Mid Engine Street & Track Car
Build Log: viewtopic.php?t=4970

I assembled and tested it before disassembling it for power coating.

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William Keeling
Houston Texas
Spec Miata Racer

I do powdercoating for a living and I would suggest for best results, put the car together, completely. Make sure you aren't going to add anything or change anything; then take it apart, bead blast it, then coat it and put it back together. We just did a customer's dune buggy frame in flouresent green over gloss white with gloss black detail pieces. He thought things out very well and didn't have to change anything... I will powdercoat mine but I haven't picked a color yet.............

I figure that if I am going to invest in a compressor, I might as well spray.

Some time ago I was looking for a durable and nontoxic wood finish, and wound up talking to the president of a small company that made 'green' varnishes. He told me that one of the very toughest finishes you can buy is alkyd enamel, i.e., house paint as recommended by Uncle Ron. I wound up using alkyd for my project and, yes, it is some tough stuff.

Grainger sells alkyd enamels made by Rustoleum, but I'm not sure if all Rustoleums are alkyd enamels, will have to look at some cans. Anyhoo, I plan on using oxide primer and an alkyd enamel for the frame, suspension bits, and wheels. If this car ever gets built it will be my baby and will never see salt. Otherwise I would use Rust Bullet for a primer.

Powder coating is cool and you can get some effects that would be hard to reproduce in a durable finish with a sprayer, such as clear over metallic. Metallic powder coating is awfully close to plating in effect, and a lot cheaper.

Something to watch for in any finish, particularly epoxies, is whether it will be UV resistant.

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Dreaming the dream since 2003. Haynes chassis, Miata uprights, everything else from 1987 NA RX7 donor.

I've powdercoated some stuff for corrosion resistance in my 9-5 and I've found that it can be difficult to get good coverage on all areas on an very irregular object. There are several areas on a locost frame that I would imagine would be very difficult to get good coverage on.

The other thing I would worry about is repairs. If you scrape the bottom of your chassis over a rock or curb etc., can you go back and paint over it? Will the paint stick to the powedercoating too or will it flake off?

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

I plan on powdercoating my frame once complete and fully assembled. There is a trailer manufacturer here in town and they will let you fill a 10 foot length of their powder coating line for $100. This includes an acid dip and powder coating. I just have to wait for a run of the color I want. They run gloss black alot so I may just go with that.

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Build on

Chris
Build: NA Miata based +221 Se7en

That sounds like a pretty awesome deal.

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
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