I just seperated my body and frame, and I'm wondering what product to use to paint the frame. I know the color I want, red. Has anyone used POR15 Hardnose Paints? Any other suggestions? The frame will be bead blasted and primed.

 

Have not used the HN POR 15 but have used quite a few of the others and have been thoroughly impressed with each product... Used close to 2 quarts of POR 15 followed by almost a quart of BlackCote as the topcoat... This was for the frame, crossmember and trailing arms... I thinned with the POR15 solvent and sprayed through a cheap Harbor Freight spray gun...

Rogman

 

If you are media blasting and removing any rust the por 15 or any other rust encapsulating paint is probably not the best choice.

Contrary to popular believe, the claim to fame in these products is not that they will resist the elements that cause rust but rather that they encapsulate any existing rust and stop it's growth. In fact most rust paints tell you not to fully remove the rust because that's what they adhere to best.

If you are stripping the frame a coat of a good quality epoxy primer followed by any brand name urethane single stage or base/ clear will have a greater resistance to the elements than a rust paint. To reduce chipping add a flex agent to the urethane. With either of those you can have any color you can imagine.

Steve g

 

Thanks steve,
The POR15 Hardnose paint is not an encapsulator. Its a 2-part Epoxy paint thats advertised as very tough stuff. My frame isnt in bad shape at all so after bead blasting and priming, i just need a good HARD color coat. I'm just wondering what others have used and if they liked their results.

 

I have used base coat clear coat in Dupont's Nason line, single stage urethane in the Nason line, Eastwood's ceramic urethane single stage, single stage urethane in PPG's Omni line and Nason's chassis black which is an old school enamel. I have also used Dupont's Imron which is also a polyurethane.

My view is that if I wanted a durable paint I wouldn't buy from a company who's niche market has been rust encapsulating paint. If you want good paint you won't find better than what goes on the top of the car.

You don't necessarily need or want hard. Hard has great abrasion resistance, but anytime you get hard you get easier chipping. Abrasion resistance might be great if you were driving through stubble hay fields, but the biggest risk to underbody paint is stone chipping. The advice to ad a flex agent to the urethane is out of Dupont's tips and troubleshooting guide as a preventive measure for stone chipping on front panels/bumpers. The idea is to keep the surface a little softer and more flesible to lessen the chances of chips.

I've been chasing around the right finish for bottom side work for a long time. My experience confirms the remarks about chipping. One thing I have found that is unquestionable in all the finishes I've used, a coat of epoxy primer on the bare metal is critical. Following the recoat window of the epoxy primer is critical. My favourite epoxy was Omni's 170, however it is no longer available in Canada with the new VOC rules and may not be in your area depending on your local rules.

However, if you're looking for someone that has used the Por product and liked it, I'm not your guy.

Steve g

 

Have you considered powder coat?