The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Sand blasted and Powdercoated Frame pictures for 48 2 ton Diesel

I have just posted pictures of my freshly powdercoated frame for my Detroit Diesel 4-53T project truck.

Click the link below and go to the last 5 pictures in the Diesel folder.

Grigg

Or, you could start here http://community.webshots.com/photo/483943098/2778163590080251109pqEVvI and also look at the next 4 pictures.

Very nice Grigg....I have been thinking of a diesel swap also.

I'm sticking with a '54-'55 1st....maybe a 3100 panel with a 5 cylinder Mercedes turbo diesel/auto....or a 3800 pickup or dually....or an other BIGBOLT with a Cummins 5.9/NV4500...NV5600 would really be special!... hey, dreaming don't cost nothing....

Since I've sold my '04 F**d Ranger and drive an '85 MB 190d as a daily driver I am more convinced diesel is the way to go...34 mpg with 173k on the clock.

How come GM does not put a diesel in one of the small pickups ?....I no at least 4 guys that would buy one....

Anyway...keep up the good work...Jim

Boy that frame looks good Grigg, not at all like mine!
Rick In Va

Hey Grigg,

How expensive is it to have a frame powdercoated? Did you sandblast everything before sending it out or did the powder coat guys do it for you? Are there any "down sides" to powder coating?

Thanks!

Mike B

Hi Mike,
My frame with a loose cross member, 4 running board brackets, trailer hitch, and 12 other small pieces cost me 350 to have sand blasted and 689 to have powder coated, and 160 for gas to drag the truck and trailer around for a week.

I had the sand blasting done before I took it to powder coating, he can't blast anything that big at the powder coating place, but can do smaller stuff.
The day it was done being blasted I took it straight to the powder coater and it was done the very next day. So, 2 days total, and it is very important to have it done ASAP after blasting so stuff won't rust.

The down sides to powder coating are that it can't be "touched up" like paint, you would have to use paint if you had a scratch.
The other downside, I think, is that you can't use any filler under it to smooth stuff up, the 400 degrees would just pop it off. So what you see sandblasted is what you get powder coated. Powder coating tends to smooth things out a bit more than paint though, so it was fine for my frame.
On the up side, it is very tough. The trailer hitch I had blasted had been powder coated previously, the blaster said it was the hardest part of the job to blast it. I also found that powder coating is only slightly more expensive than a really good PPG primer that was my second choice, and that was with me spraying it. If you were going to prime and color coat powder coating may even be cheaper than paint.

I think that for a frame powder coating is the way to go. Although if you were making an all out show vehicle paint would be better because of the filler and touch up issues.

Hope this helps,
Grigg

Nice way to start ie. with a clean frame. It looks great!

lookin' good, engine looks nice also, I like the color.

Grigg,

Thanks for the info!

Mike B

Looks great Grigg! It is going to be the neatest truck!!!

More power to you. You are a man after my own heart.

Thanks guys,
With luck, by next weekend I will have my freshly painted axles installed as well as my engine and transmission.
Grigg