Vettrocious

I have a new frame for my 63. Since I'm starting fresh I think the best long-term results would come from e-coating it. Trouble is, I'm having trouble finding anyone who does e-coating of parts that big. Does anybody here know of such a coater in Michigan or Ohio (or wherever, I guess) who does such single jobs?

Thanks,

csherman

There is an E coater in Michigan
let me look it up......

Vettrocious

That'd be great

Nowhere Man

The orginal one lasted 50 years sitting in the climates The next 50 years of your car will be pampered and only driven on the best of days

Vettrocious

These frames were rusting through in Michigan by 1980.

I've got a 63 trailer queen, I don't need another. This car will be driven a lot, in all kinds of weather. Since the the frame rusts from the inside out, I'm coating the inside very well.

JohnZ

The E-Coater was in Romulus, Michigan, and worked with an outfit that dipped frames in caustic soda (they did both of my '57 frames); I think both are now out of business.

Vettrocious

Thanks John, after searching on line and calling around for a few days, I've found that a lot of such places have stopped doing really big parts (or gone out of business) in the recent past.

Vettrocious

One of the guys I spoke to suggested hot-dip galvanizing the whole thing then painting a finish black coat on the outside, as an alternative to e-coat. He said that if they didn't "quench" after the dip, the paint would adhere very well. There's a company near Detroit with a big enough bath to handle it.

Anyone have experience with this?

ghostrider20

Unless you are driving in the salted winter months, a good oil based metal paint will work fine. Power wash, prime, paint. It will hold up great.

DansYellow66

Eastwood carries a frame interior primer paint that comes with a long flexible wand, fan spray head to get inside the frame. If not mistaken I think Frankie the Fink has reported using it with good results.

Vettrocious

Thanks for the info. It'd be a nightmare to try to reach every interior surface of a 63 frame with such a device. Since this is a completely new frame, with bare surfaces everywhere, I'm hoping to do some sort of dip coating, like e-coat.

There must be an e-coater somewhere who has a bath big enough to do this. Anybody got a suggestion? I suppose I can go anywhere...well maybe not Somalia, cause yesterday I was told that I'm to expect a big cash payout from a deposed despot there, any day now...

Frankie the Fink

Nightmare ?

Not really - well yes, sort of.

Doing it on my '63 while laying on the floor of the garage was bad mo-jo. The Eastwood spray wand takes a little practice to control. The product tastes bad but will sure keep your hair slicked down There are a TON of holes in a '63 frame that allow you to get copious coverage. I used 6 cans of the spray inside my frame. I think you could treat the frame yourself for about $150 and it'll be fine (oh and I drive my split window - a lot).

Two years later, doing it on my newly installed lift, after refining my technique took only about 45 minutes on the '61 and I'd bet you'd be surprised at how good a coverage you can get.

Canuck62

I did a google search for electroplating in MI,, a few came up
here is one in Clinton Township,, you could call and if they cant do it,,, maybe they could direct you to a company that could
http://www.epiplating.com/

Vettrocious

Epiplating doesn't do e-coat. I've called most of the Michigan companies I found on line and everyone tells me that they don't think anyone does large stuff on a one-off basis. If I wanted to get a GM production run of frames, they'd be waiting in line, though...
Thanks,

schmibm

I know the John Deere Harvester plant in Moline Illinois that has an e-coat process large enough to do a full combine. It is like a 7 or 8 tank process. So there are places out there that have the process. It is just finding a shop that will do it.

As for galvanizing, I wouldn't recommend it. Hot dip galvanizing can actually imbrittle the base metal.

I worked at a small shop once that built gen-set enclosures for industrial accounts. We had an acid tank that we would rinse all the new metal in a phosphoric acid solution. Since it was a small mom and pop type company, we would do things for folks in off the street. Basically, it was anything we could do to bring in some money. So think about shops like this. Once you get it totally clean, the process with the hose and spray cans looks pretty good.

Vettrocious

The galvanizing is only a second option, not the one I'd prefer, although, I'm not sure how this embrittlement would happen on these frames, as steel doesn't embrittle below a hardness in the 30s; these frames are a much lower hardness. If this does happen, I'd like to learn about it...thanks.

In any case, I'd prefer e-coat and there are probably some mom and pop coaters out there for the e-coat, I just need to find one.

c2performance

We have used this company to strip and e-coat Corvette frames with great success:
International Paint Striping
Paint & Rust Removal Services
Mark Kochanoski
(734) 942-0500
Email: mkochanoski@hotmail.com

Just called him to confirm he is still in business and is located near Eureka & I-275, just west of Detroit Metro Airport.
Tom

ricks327

Any idea on the cost to strip and ecoat the frame? Does the company have a website?
Thanks,
Rick