Rust converters and Frame paint

[Originalthor]

So I'm in the process of cleaning up my frame.

What have you guys been using that stands up? Works the best? Cheapest to the best? Easy application?

Been watching lots of videos.

Have had good and bad results with por15. Did all the right steps and the crap peeled off my duramax frame. Painted my boat trailer with it with just basicly wire wheeling it painted it and put it in the water 4 hours later see sun all day and still in great shape 3 years later.

 

[Grit dog]

I used Tamco Chassis Black on the square (and other stuff since then). Can’t say long term, but the bond is really good to bare metal, old paint, even old asphalt based undercoating. It’s supposed to have rust reforming qualities as well.
It also took clear coat well (within a normal clear coat window). I used it when restoring the wing windows on the square and cleared them as well for UV.
I tested some stuff before shooting the whole truck chassis just to have it peel off later. Pretty comfortable saying as long as there’s no oil/grease/wax/moisture on the surface it’ll stick. Looks way better than the flat black rust paints too.

 

[Ricko1966]

POR15 it's just science,it's a just a 3 step process,it works not because it's POR15, it's because it's science. POR15 cleaner=water-based cleaner degreaser,gets things clean for the magic part. POR15 metal ready= Phosphoric Acid Wash, there's the science, the acid neutralizes the rust and etches the metal which makes it ready for a topcoat of whatever,epoxy,enamel,your choice. For water based cleaner I use purple power. For Phosphoric Acid wash I use ospho in a pump up garden sprayer. I use ospho because there's just a little more science,so I use a purpose made Phosphoric wash instead of a general purpose wash. Topcoat I use rustoleum in a brush on can.

 

[waterpirate]

I just bought some rubberized under coating from advance for a non truck project. That $hit covered like a boss and had great adhesian with little or no prep. It also covered without glopping up. If I had discovered this 1 year ago, I would not have wasted all that money on frame paint and prep.
Eric

 

[Originalthor]

My worries on using say a rubber coatings or por 15 is that if any of this stuff gets a small pin hole in it its now a cavity for water to stay in there behind the paint or rubber coatings.

Or let's say you want to change something on a the frame. You got to burn off that coating.

I was watching some guys use this wax coating stuff which is self healing or painting it with a Tremclad and then spaying the new PB blaster under coating stuff.

 

[Midnightmoon]

I've used Eastwood Rust Encapsulator recently. It seems to stand up to our road salt environment for a year or two before the rust starts through again.

 

[midwest]

over 15 years ago a friend of mine was doing a frame off on a 66 Chevelle. The guy doing the paint used POR 15 on the frame and the next day took a hand held angle grinder with a wire wheel to it and all it did was shine it a little. After seeing how tough the stuff was I ended up using it on the frame of my K20. We just used a pressure washer first to blow off the loose rust. Frame is still holding up good, close to 16 years late.

 

[Originalthor]

I was checking out that Eastwood rust encapsulate stuff there and it looks pretty decent. They have this new platinum stuff which is silver so then you got to top coat it with there black paint but its pricey.

 

[Ricko1966]

@Originalthor Get online do some research find out how stuff works,why stuff works. I researched the pi$$ on this stuff figuring out what I wanted to use. From memory so this may be a little off, but the encapsulators use tannic acid to suck up the moisture,then cover to stop moisture from getting in. The phosphoric acid washes neutralize the rust and if left on to dry forms a protective layer of I think iron phosphate you can paint right over.etc.etc. I don't remember all the products I researched but my decision was based off what I thought was best scientifically. What worked good for me may not be what works best for you,what worked good for gritdog may not be good to me. I even heard of people spraying everything with different oils to repell water.

 

[Grit dog]

I just bought some rubberized under coating from advance for a non truck project. That $hit covered like a boss and had great adhesian with little or no prep. It also covered without glopping up. If I had discovered this 1 year ago, I would not have wasted all that money on frame paint and prep.
Eric

Well be glad you did. That stuff is not near as good as you’re attempting to give it credit for. Although if you paid someone to do menial work like that, I could see it sounding like a good idea vs the effort or cost. But not a free lunch.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Well be glad you did. That stuff is not near as good as you’re attempting to give it credit for. Although if you paid someone to do menial work like that, I could see it sounding like a good idea vs the effort or cost. But not a free lunch.

Yea, I can see both side of this. Of course keep in mind this is coming from someone that lives in non-rust belt area, though my 77 Cadillac is from an area that has rust and I've had to do plenty of repair to it. I have no idea what is best for a frame, what I do know is I can't afford to pay someone to do it for me and I don't have the time / patients to strip, wash, etch, paint ect. So for me I would be down with a one step process or if it's rusty, hitting it with acid, washing it and putting whatever top coat on. Again this is not my area for expertise in automobiles, just wanted to relay my thoughts.

 

[Grit dog]

Yea, I can see both side of this. Of course keep in mind this is coming from someone that lives in non-rust belt area, though my 77 Cadillac is from an area that has rust and I've had to do plenty of repair to it. I have no idea what is best for a frame, what I do know is I can't afford to pay someone to do it for me and I don't have the time / patients to strip, wash, etch, paint ect. So for me I would be down with a one step process or if it's rusty, hitting it with acid, washing it and putting whatever top coat on. Again this is not my area for expertise in automobiles, just wanted to relay my thoughts.

He just had someone completely restore his truck. It would have been a poor decision to just spray bomb some crap like that on the whole chassis. That’s all I was saying.
Would be like doing all the body work perfectly and painting the car with Rustoleum.

 

[SirRobyn0]

He just had someone completely restore his truck. It would have been a poor decision to just spray bomb some crap like that on the whole chassis. That’s all I was saying.
Would be like doing all the body work perfectly and painting the car with Rustoleum.

Right, I don't disagree with that and fully understand.

 

[Cyrillious]

I intend to sandblast the chassis and undercarriage and use automotive primer by Dominion Sure Seal Ltd. with activator to have a strong bond to metal. Paint I will probably use the same paint company but in black for the undercarriage

 

[TheC5Surgeon]

I'm going to try Picklex after paint/rust removal under filler/primer and paint for the frame and engine bay. It came highly recommended over at the autobody forums. Ill post pictures when im done