Hi to all Ford nutters,

I would like my finished project to be a daily driver
but i like the underside as smooth as possible.

I am looking at doing a underbody restoration and was wondering why so many of you use the Hammerite/underseal stuff?

Could i use the same paint (with a smooth base) for the underside as for the bodywork?

What would the disadvantages be?

Would i get more roadnoise and more stonechips or is the main reason for using this stuff the fear of rust?

Thanks in advance

 

use a acid etch primer, then a grey primer , the your choise of colour over that followed by a few coats of clear coat all from a spray can

 

Thanks for the fast reply

This is the kind of paint finish i am looking for

Would this stand up to stoneships?

 

not really best bet try body shutz the under neath then apply what i said above with extra clear coats around 6-7 clear coats

 

Hammerite mate

 

Basically cleaned and ready for stone guard (all welding complete)

Stone guard applied

Smoothrite red applied

The reason i applied stone guard is for added protection and because i was painting it by hand, if i had left it smooth all the brush marks would show,really if you leave it smooth underneath you will have to spray it.
With this finish you dont get brush marks .

 

1. get rid of any dirt with a steam cleaner or karcher?
2. rub it to the basecoat
3. take the grinder out and get rid of any excess metal
4. weld any holes shut
5. rub everything smooth
6. apply acid etch primer
7. apply grey primer
8. color of choise
9. clear coat

So i should apply body shutz before any primer?

I heard about waxoil what does it do?
I imagine it s a special wax to apply after everything is finsihed.

Cossiemen // There's a kind of Hammerite that leaves a smooth finish so i could use that, i that what you are suggestion, or are u saying i shouldn't be a 'bufty' and apply rough hammerite? Greats from Belguim!

Twins // I would do everything upto priming myself and drop it at a bodyshop. so i am not taking the brush route.

Since i am newbie around PF could you tell me who's done a underbody restore with a smooth finish? So i can send them a PM about there method of choise.

Thanks

 

I’m in the process of doing mine also and I haven’t decided on a finish myself yet so im watching this thread with interest.

I can answer a couple of your questions though:

Cossieman did use hamerite smooth finish but it is still very thick compared to normal paint anyway. If you don’t use stone chip you would find it hard to appy without the brush strokes showing.

Waxoil is another hamerite product that repels water and provides a seal from the elements. It never dries fully and is best used for inside box sections ect, if you use it all over the underside its messy stuff and want give that bufty finish & dust and stuff tends to stick to it.

 

I haven't decided either on how to do the underside of my car, first all the old crap of the underside!

Then maybe everywhere or only on some parts stone guard, that I didn't decide yet

Then spray the underside or paint it, I think spraying, but I guess it isn't nice to lay under the car when spraying

Good luck with it!

 

What does "stone chip" or "stone guard" do?

According to Twins post it doesn't leave a smooth finish so it wouldn't be best for my "bufty" look. Is this correct?

I am really unsure about the method i posted.

Is this a good / the best way?

 

correct, i've used Hammerite smooth finish and you realy have to take a very very close look before you can see the bush strokes

here's an example pic

 

The stone chip offers more protection,but wont have a smooth finish,just showing one with stonechip on if you decided to go that way with it
You did post a smooth method ,they are both a good way,just depends if you will use the car a lot,as i dont think a smooth finish will offer you a good protective sheild underneath,if you are concourse then thats ok

 

fook me thts red!!!!!!!!!!! i hope not to see the underneeth to much,so mines just gonna be coats of underseal to stop the silent killer commin thru!

 

will post some pics from my cossie later on which is also done with Hammerite smooth finish.

 

Please the more pics the better

 

Yeah, more pics

But wich is the best method to get rid of the old stuff at the underside? Scraping it off takes ages Is there another (easyer) way?

 

very intrested in this thread too,going to do mine soon too

 

After asking some questions i am happy to report i got some input.
It s a little thing to make working on the underside a bit easier.

It s claimed to handel 3.5 ton at a 90 degree angle
The tilting mechanisme is opperated by a drill with at least 800 Watt
expect to pay around 500 quid or 750 euro's



http://www.liqui-technik.com/kipp1_e.html

 

what about spray hammerite on the areas you can see (but there very expensive) like wheel archs etc as i want 2 clean mine up a little.

 

DreamRS, that thing is top, plus once the job is done, it would no doubt be a doddle to sell on again

 

This was done using a 2 pack







https://passionford.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88770

What's the advantage/disadvantage of this method?

The blue bits are powdercoated, i know it s a technique used commonly on wheels but in what way does it differ from your average paint job and what are the possibel advantages of this method.

 

If your after that 'bufty' look, i would use an etch primer, then a 2 pack top coat, it's very tough, is good at holding back any rust in seams etc, and looks the part. If you want durability, waxoyl over the top of the 2 pack, it'll look sore, you'll get covered in it when you work on the underside of the car, but it's the price you pay if you want to protect you metal work from tin worm.
To clean up the underside, i first de-grease the area to be worked on. Then i used 'web wheels', you use them in a drill, they look like disks made from like a scouring pad. They're excellent at removing seam sealer, paint and light rust. They aren't the easiest things to get hold of, 'Frost' do them, but i get mine from 'RS', but for them you will need an account. I'll post up some further details when i get back to the workshop. Black and Decker powerfiles are top too .
Powder coating is supposed to be excellent, as long as the parts being coated are free of rust. The only horror story i have heard was where the coating lifted on a part, moisture got in behind it, rusted the component away to excess, with hardly any visual indication from the outside. Though i wouldn't let that put me off. I was also told of a rally car, that all of it's rear suspension components coated. After the years rallying, they jetwashed it all down, and it all looked like new!
If you can sort out a jig to turn the car over, it is the way to go, not only will it be easier to clean the underside up ( no sh*t raining down on you ). It will also be easier, hence better job, for the person painting it!

 

I’m no expert by any means but the advantages of painting the underside as opposed to under sealing is that you will see if any rust starts to appear quite quickly with routine inspections. With under seal you could have all sorts of nasty things happening underneath the sealant if water gets through and you wouldn’t know it as ive found with mine while I have been striping it.

If you want to paint it seems that 2pac offers the best finish and goes on thin so it looks great, its still very durable (not as durable as powder coating though) but its expensive and requires specialist equipment and it is toxic so most paint supplier wont sell it to Joe public. Im not sure if standard automotive paint would hold up underneath the car with stone chips etc.. Maybe with enough layers of lacquer it may im not sure..

Powder coating needs an oven to bake it on but its the toughest paint finish available so ideal for suspension arms etc. Ive had this done to mine

 

[quote="aRSe"]If your after that 'bufty' look, i would use an etch primer, then a 2 pack top coat, it's very tough, ]

what is an etch primer? and do you know if its possible to hire the equipment to 2 pack?

Cheers

 

I'll tell you the little i know (feel free to set me straight if anyone knows better). There are two main types of etch primer, acid etch, which physically 'burns' into the surface you spray it on, and another type, which adheres by sending 'hook like spores' into the surface it is sprayed onto. Obviously, they stick to the base metal real well, so resist stone chips etc.
Two pack paint, basically means you get two packs (tins) when you buy the paint. The paint itself, and the activator/thinners, which you mix together, the two react which drys the paint. 2 pack dries quicker and harder than single pack (aerosoles/cellulose, which dry by evaporation) ,which make it better suited for your application. Though, 2 pack paints are carcinogenic, so your supposed to have full respiratory equipment, and extraction facilities etc to protect yourself, and others, when using it.
The equipment you need to apply 2 pack, is the same as for single pack. A compressor, regulator and water trap, and a spray gun. If your gonna have a go, practise on something thats scrap or unimportant first to build your confidence. As if you get any runs, their a b*tch to flat out, because the paint drys hard!
Try 'Frost Restoration Equipment' for the 'Clean n strip disks' (web wheels), WWW.FROST.CO.UK or get them from 'RS Components Ltd', their about a third of the price of 'Frost', but you'll need a trade account for them.

 

Forgot to say, 'Upol' do a single pack acid etch primer in an aerosol. Bought some for my project, so i can paint local areas to stop them rusting. Better for me to do that on small areas, rather than mixing some 2 pack up for the gun......

 

Thanks for all the info just what i needed to know, cheers one more quick question is 2 pack availble in a moonstone type colour?

 

So...

Bar Hammerite all methods seem to need a pro to spray paint.

How about powdercoating the underside and wheelarches?

Is it an expensive method?

What method would give me the best colourmatch?

 

I went to my local paint shop to buy some Diamond White, the shop assistant asked me which shade, to which i thought he was pulling my p*sser. He told me there are 16 shades of Diamond White . So, i'm pretty sure you'll be able to get a colour match for your car, you should have a paint code on 1 of the tags on the slam panel under the bonnet, quote that when you ask for the paint. Buy more paint than you need, as there can be slight differences in shades between batches/mixes.
To powder coat, the item is electrostatically charged, then sprayed with the powder. The part is then baked in an oven to harden the coating. So, powder coating, though not impossible, probably isn't an option. Powder coating is affordable. There's another topic on this forum 'Saff underderside restoration' or similar, ask that guy for prices, as he had all his rear suspension components done not so long ago.
Probably aint gonna make any friends for saying this ( no offence intended ). Classic car restorers generally steer clear of Hammerite, as it drys (eventually, about six weeks!) very hard. Hence it chips easily. I don't see why you could't brush 2 pack on? Havn't a clue what it would turn out like though? I'd spray, or get it sprayed myself.

 

Powder coating is quite reasonable I got all my rear suspension parts done for Ł70 and that included the fuel pump bracket. It cost the same amount to have them blasted though so was Ł140 all in job done, that was just black however it does cost more for colors. I also phoned my local hire tools place and they can rent me a compressor for Ł30 a day so all I would need is the spray gun I guess.. And the paint of course.

 

I find it strange you use that as an a argument, cos before you said this...

I understood that being hard was part of the advantage of using a 2 pack.

So... 2 pack is the way to go.

Unless... I strip the shell to the bare metal (what i planned on doing) and get it powder coated and baked.

How does the finish compare (i somehow got the impression that powder coated surfaces appear more rough) and what would enable the best paint match (could my bodyshop mix up a 2 pack to match my body)?

 

Hammerite, single pack paint, dries by evaporation, sticks to a keyed surface, dries hard. Therefore it has a tendancy to chip easily.
Acid etch primer, two pack paint, dries by a chemical reaction, burns itself into the base metal, does dry hard (by comparisson), though it is tough. 2 pack top coats are very tough, but they are flexible, which is why i did not describe the finish as hard, as i did for Hammerite. The choice is yours....
I've never heard of a bodyshell being powdercoated, anyone else? The finish isn't as impressive as 2 pack paint, so i don't think your body panels would look all that?
The body shop/paint shop should be able to mix your colour pretty much spot on. I'm assuming your car is it's original colour, which is why i said quote the paint code, so they can do as good a job as possible.

 

Ok, thanks a lot for your replies!

So 2 pack it is

Do you think it s usefull to prome using spray cans and leave a bodyshop to paint things? Or will my sprayed on primer be more hassele for them?

I am a bit worried about working on the car and leaving the metal unprotected for to long, anyone got any tips. I thought about one of those giant airbags (park car in it blow it up kinda thing) to seperate it from the elements

 

A Carcoon (airbag) would be a good idea, as long as it doesn't get damaged during the works, sparks etc.
I bought the aerosole etch for my own project, as i work on it when i have the time, so at least i could paint the small areas of bare metal as i go. If there are any large areas of bare metal, i will mix some 2 pack etch, and use my spray gun, it's not economical/practical to use the gun for small amounts. Ask the body shop who you want to apply the 2 pack top coat, i'm sure they will have a preference.