I'm about to get some parts refinished for my classic car

I've heard good and bad things about powdercoating and wanted to hear if anybody here has any experiences

It seems a lot of parts that are powdercoated from new are probably not prepped properly and only have one coat applied to them

I'm guessing that a shop doing resto work will have a more thorough work ethic than a large company that's only interested in shifting volume (ie, three coats as opposed to just one)

I've seen a few videos on youtube recently that seem to have better practice than a lot of the shops i've seen

Can anybody comment on this and let me know what I should ask about when talking to my shop?

(the shop fetured in the videos isn't the one I'll be using, they're just the one's with the best videos that i've found)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KVSV...lay&playnext=2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5jkF...A64&playnext=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJpPM...C1DA64&index=1

 

Don't make the mistake I made and forget to tell the shop to mask off all mating surfaces. I forgot to do this for my hollow spokes and had a wobble until I sanded/stripped off the powder coating where the wheels sit against the hub (because the powder coat can crush, especially if there are multiple heavy coats, and you can end up with thicknes variations) I will say this, after about an hours worth of work per wheel, I can personally attest to the durability of that stuff. On my wheels I was jabbing the parts I was sanding just to see how tough the finish was and I couldn't even get much of a knick!

 

Hope I can give you a few tips. In my line of business I have delt with electrostatic finishes or powder paint on vehicle parts since the mid '80s. The biggest reasons for doing this type of finish is that fact that it's fast and inexpensive. If applied properly, it has a hard glossy finish that is highly weather resistant and keeps its good looks for a long time. If it's applied less than perfect the finish may be too thin, too thick with runs or loading to heavily in certain areas.

It's very important for the finisher to properly prep the metal properly. Every trace of rust or corrosion must be removed or it will continue to corrode below the finish. The coating will dimentionally change the original part and allowances will have to be made if this is a concern. Bearing bores and internal threaded holes must be shielded as well as any machined fit`gasket surfaces, etc. If an area is coated that is not supposed to be sometimes the part is ruined, or at best it's extremely difficult to restore and remove the finish.

Unlike paint the finish is nearly impossible to remove if wanting to choose another finish. For that reason it should be considered permanent. Too bad, in time it will chip or become brittle near edges, become dull, scratched, weathered looking and need restoring. Often this is difficult to do with success.

According to the largest finisher in the area, removal is best done by burning the finish off in a high temperature oven. This can change the heat treatment of the parent metal and substantially weaken components.

This type of finish is great for patio furniture, door and window frames, all types of industrial applications and certain vehicle applications for a quick and inexpensive finish that will look good for a few years. I would not use an electrostatic finish on any potentially valuable or collector type vehicle component as it has the potential to destroy its value.

I have had motorcycle frames, engine and transmission cases, heads, cylinders, covers, cast wheels, rims, brake components, handlebars, controls and other parts done. A few patrs ruined, most have turned out ok for the short term. When something has to be refinished years later, it's best to source another part rather than try to refinish and old one.

Hope this helps a bit.