Looking for chassis paint

[1930marie]

I am trying to find a good quality paint for the chassis. I'm looking for a black color that is a rich black-black color, not a grey black that I'm finding on the shelves. My car has a beautiful gloss black (that is black) and I would like to find something close. Any help would be sincerely appreciated. Does anyone know of a restoration shop that would sell me a quart? Thanks! Mike

[RonC]

The original color was black with a slight brown tint more
semi gloss than gloss. Any automotive paint store would carry a modern black chassis paint

[SeaSlugs]

I used about 2-3 coats of por 15, they sell a semi gloss version if their standard is too glossy.

[larrys40]

I like the std shop line black as it tends to be less glossy and about right for the chassis look
Truth be told if you look at the frames in the production photos especially touched up ones you will see the are not black/black and have the brown hue to them and are certainly not what I would call glossy.

I use sherwin Williams 2nd dimension on body panels and the shopline on the frame looks good with it at least to me
Larry

[Mitch//pa]

Once the body is assembled to the frame you won't tell the difference if it's a little this way or that way.. It will just look black
As LARRY said not to glossy... Mine is a powder coated semigloss looks great..

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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Mike, plenty of advice above, so let me offer this. Originally, the frames were coated with a Gilsonite tar-based paint that was to be applied very thin (-not always the case throughout the coating process). Two or three items need to be mulled over in your mind. Are you trying to replicate this look, -or just something that satisfies your interpretation of what it should be?

If you are looking for a close facsimile of what it was originally, then realize that a primer was not used. Today, restorers tend to bodywork the frame where the stamping draw marks, scratches, and depressed areas around rivets are all lost. Next, the color of the tar was glossy black ONLY for a short time period until the solvents evaporated and the finish died off. So how long did this take, ...and how long was the frame coated prior to the finished vehicle traveling out the Branch (factory) door? Since the coating was sprayed, orange-peel texture would have been apparent, and it would not have been too slick. Adding to this coating, as the frame became scratched during assembly, it was to be touched up with black Pyroxilyn paint.

So with that said, I am not sure what your capabilities are as far as spraying the finish, but to have a tough finish, it will definitely need to be a 2K product. Each of the big paint manufactures will have a single-stage line, but here are the 3 that I would recommend out of PPG's single-stage DCC line. Use a DCC9300 if you are looking for a soft, eye-appealing Black. It has white & violet toners added. The DCC9000 will be the blackest but is often touted as not as pretty. If you want to mimic the brown that is more like the tar, then the DCC9700 is the paint line. All of these colors can be purchased in as little as a half-pint but will need to be catalyzed with PPG's DCX61 hardener. Hope this helps.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I know exactly what you mean by gray/black in spray cans because that has long been my complaint. Tempo used to have a nice black in automotive touch up spray cans, but I haven't seen Tempo in many years.

I've been spraying PPG DP90 on for a primer, and this alone would be a nice tough chassis paint, but I've been top coating it with PPG DCC9000 and it's a shiny black tough paint. I've only sprayed some front axles, wishbones and parts attached to them so far, but will have to add some flatner when I spray my frame. I'd like it to look like Marco's frame, if that's possible.

[1930marie]

Thanks everybody for the awesome help. Many thanks for your time to write a post. I am only having to do the front axle and wishbone this winter (need to seal it from rusting) to get me ready for the upcoming summer. Next year I plan to drop the front end for painting only. I just completed the entire rebuild and need to move on to the motor/trans/clutch. I'm going to need lots of your help - lol. Thanks again for all the excellent assistance! Having fun with my Model A - oh yeah!!

[1930marie]

Thank you Tom! Can I forgo the primer since I only need a winter rust coat?

[1930marie]

Thanks Brent - I believe I understand the process now. I want to do it right (fool people that I know what I'm doing?) - lol., and have it look somewhat professional. What's been holding me back is our Oregon 45deg temps and I have NO paint booth. YIKES! I just may have to wait.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Well, when I paint ANYTHING, I want it to look as SHINY as possible!! Otherwise, it looks like CHEEP paint or a POOR painter. I even re-paint generators & starters, when they're fresh back from the rebuilder.
Bill Shiny

[1930marie]

I bet it looks awesome and you also have no worries with regards to rust. My car has a fair amount of original parts and my #1 concern is rust. I am blessed to be part of an awesome club with super members willing to help me and who have a stock pile of original parts. My goal is to complete my car with 85 year old parts. I have a feeling there are quite a few that just arent to be found ie., running boards. Probably couldnt afford em anyway. Thanks for your note!

[1930marie]

Happy Birthday Uncle Bill!!! Me too. I can't help it. And, I want to do it right. An old old timer once told me, "not just anybody can maintain one of these cars in reliable condition." "Hold your head up when people see you driven down the road." "You're one in a million!" My dad would be 90 this year.

[1930marie]

Thank you Larry!

[1930marie]

Thank you Ron!!

[ericr]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Mike, plenty of advice above, so let me offer this. Originally, the frames were coated with a Gilsonite tar-based paint that was to be applied very thin (-not always the case throughout the coating process). Two or three items need to be mulled over in your mind. Are you trying to replicate this look, -or just something that satisfies your interpretation of what it should be?

If you are looking for a close facsimile of what it was originally, then realize that a primer was not used. Today, restorers tend to bodywork the frame where the stamping draw marks, scratches, and depressed areas around rivets are all lost. Next, the color of the tar was glossy black ONLY for a short time period until the solvents evaporated and the finish died off. So how long did this take, ...and how long was the frame coated prior to the finished vehicle traveling out the Branch (factory) door? Since the coating was sprayed, orange-peel texture would have been apparent, and it would not have been too slick. Adding to this coating, as the frame became scratched during assembly, it was to be touched up with black Pyroxilyn paint.

So with that said, I am not sure what your capabilities are as far as spraying the finish, but to have a tough finish, it will definitely need to be a 2K product. Each of the big paint manufactures will have a single-stage line, but here are the 3 that I would recommend out of PPG's single-stage DCC line. Use a DCC9300 if you are looking for a soft, eye-appealing Black. It has white & violet toners added. The DCC9000 will be the blackest but is often touted as not as pretty. If you want to mimic the brown that is more like the tar, then the DCC9700 is the paint line. All of these colors can be purchased in as little as a half-pint but will need to be catalyzed with PPG's DCX61 hardener. Hope this helps.

from what you are saying, the aesthetics of the undersides of the original cars likely deteriorated quickly, right?

[Larry Jenkins]

A suggestion:

Get a can of VHT SP-650 Black Gloss epoxy paint. It dries with gloss/satin (inbetween) finish and looks very nice and even. Kinda has that "ceramic" look.

All my underside stuff and the frame is painted with it. They claim no primer is needed, but I primed anyway.

Cheapest is about $7.00 a can at Auto Parts stores.

Larry

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

That's GOOD stuff, Larry, Gregg always used it on his headers & they always looked really good. Wish he were still here to paint for me! I can't even make myself replace the ammeter glass, that he accidentally cracked. He almost cried when he did it.
Greggs' Dad

[Dave O]

I bought industrial grade black paint from the paint store for my frame. Tough as any automotive paint and half the cost.

[Larry Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Dave O

I bought industrial grade black paint from the paint store for my frame. Tough as any automotive paint and half the cost.

Brand; type and cost are most helpful..

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by ericr

from what you are saying, the aesthetics of the undersides of the original cars likely deteriorated quickly, right?

Interesting thoughts. If you look at a modern vehicle, many items on the undercarriage are unfinished too, -or at minimum have very thin coatings. Been that was for years I suppose.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Interesting thoughts. If you look at a modern vehicle, many items on the undercarriage are unfinished too, -or at minimum have very thin coatings. Been that was for years I suppose.

For a while during the 70's GM didn't even paint the starters and driveshafts, along with several other parts under the car. Sure didn't take long for those parts to rust in Minnesota, and GM went back to painting them. At least with the light coat of paint they looked pretty good for a couple years.

My 28 Phaeton had oil and dirt covering much of the front crossmember, and I should have left it until I was ready to paint the whole frame. I cleaned it with gas, and where the metal was bare it got a light coating of rust within a year.

[glenn in camino]

I use Rustoleum semi gloss black. looks great.

[GPierce]

Has anyone used KBS RustSeal on their frame? I carefully followed their instructions but still had problems with what looked like just or sand in the paint. They told me it was solvent evaporating and to put it on thinner. That did not work either. Brushed thin coats, it popped solvent and left brush marks. Brushed it on heavy, it flowed out nicely and left more solvent popping.
Any ideas?
The KBS instructions say thinning is not generally required and they do not include thinner in the kit that contains a soap solution for cleaning and a surface prep/acid etch/rust removal in addition to the paint.

[mshmodela]

Like any paint, hard to match up existing colors...

[Rowdy]

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If spraying the initial coat with 9700, then assembling the rb braces etc., which do you recomend using for the touch up after assembly? Trying to duplicate the Ford touch up as is shown on Marco's website. I am of the understanding the paint used in the touch up process was a much more black than the initial paint on the chassis. I may not understand what I read at some point, but assume it was a flat black. Am I correct? Thanks Rod