We painted RamRodder’s frame...
We painted RamRodder’s frame with satin black KBS Rust Seal. The beauty of this paint is that no primer is required, it can be brushed or sprayed and it’s tough.
We’ve come to the conclusion that the only way our project cars are going to be built in a reasonable length of time is if the powers that be (read editor Brian Brennan) institute the 20-hour work week or days suddenly become 48 hours long but then anyone building a street rod has probably had similar thoughts.
While we usually try to follow a logical sequence when building a car, we’ve done a few things seeming out of order. A case in point is painting the frame while there are still a few things that will be done to it. As an example we are going to be adding a rollcage that has to be welded to the ’rails. However, once the ’cage is in place the body can’t be removed so the decision was made to paint the frame because there will be areas we can’t get to with the body in place. We dropped the body on and will add the rollcage, then spot in the paint where necessary.
With the decision made to squirt the chassis ourselves the next problem was deciding where to do it. Since our options were limited we decided to build a temporary booth. We built a wood framework, assembling it with carriage bolts so it can be easily disassembled, then covered it with clear plastic. Of course by the time we added filters to pull in clean air, a couple of makeshift doors so we could get in and out, and an exhaust fan, the booth turned out to be a bigger deal than it probably should have been. We could have thrown plastic over everything that needed to be protected but now we have a semi-clean place to paint that also keeps overspray from getting on everything in the shop.
Two of the square frames were...
Two of the square frames were attached with spacers to each of our shop’s sidewalls. We connected each set of side frames with more 2x2s and lengths of 1/2-inch conduit—the result is a 12x20-foot booth. We built a couple of doors in the sidewall of the booth from more 2x2s for access to the outside door and rest of the shop (note the filters in the wall).
To prep the frame for paint we decided to have it sandblasted, as any other method of preparation would have taken too much time. Once the frame was clean, the next decision was how much effort to invest in making it pretty. We had added a Fatman stub to mount the solid front axle, but the rest of the frame is just like what you would expect a stock frame to look like. Since this isn’t a show car we decided to forgo hours of welding, grinding, filling, and sanding, and paint the frame satin black as it will hide a multitude of sins compared to a gloss finish. We used a product called Rust Seal from KBS Coatings because we’ve found it to be perfect for painting the chassis of cars that are driven since it requires a minimum of preparation and it’s tough as nails so it resists chipping. For those without the ability to spray paint, most KBS products can be brushed and flow out without any brush marks. It should be noted that in some areas brushing paint might be the only legal method of application unless the material used is VOC (volatile organic compounds) compliant.
With the booth built, the frame sandblasted and painted, we were ready to drop the body on the frameall we needed were some body mount bushings. We went to the Suspension Restoration Parts’ website and found they listed polyurethane bushings in every conceivable size and shape.
We started to clean the frame...
We started to clean the frame with a scraper and a wire brush, after a couple hours we came to our senses and hauled it to the local sandblaster.
In most cases body mounts are made of 70-A durometer, however we chose firmer bushings made from 88-A durometer material designed for off-road, drag race, and other extreme use.
RamRodder is back to the top of our priority list; next we’ll start on the rollcage and install the floor that was made some time ago. Now if we can just get Brennan to go for that 20-hour workweek ...
We’ve got so many parts and...
We’ve got so many parts and pieces to paint, so we decided go build a temporary paint booth. We used 2x2-inch lumber and built four frames that were 10-feet square.
We picked up a 100-foot roll...
We picked up a 100-foot roll of 10-foot-wide 6-mil plastic to cover the roof of the booth as well as the sidewalls and stapled it in place.
Here’s one of the finished...
Here’s one of the finished sidewalls. We mounted light fixtures outside the plastic to keep them clean. Along with the overhead fluorescents, the lighting in the booth is quite good.
Our original plan was to bolt...
Our original plan was to bolt the booth together and take it down when not needed. As this area is normally used just for storage, we decided to add “roll up doors” at each end to make it a drive-through.
The ends were closed with...
The ends were closed with plastic that was stapled to the top ends of the framework—then a 2x2 stapled to the plastic across the bottom. For access ropes and pulleys roll the plastic up like a window shade.
For an exhaust fan we found...
For an exhaust fan we found an old central heating unit and used a reciprocating saw to cut away everything but the blower assembly. It sits outside the booth and pulls air through a hole in the end wall. We moved the motor to the outside of the fan to get it away from paint fumes.
We picked up a pair of HVLP...
We picked up a pair of HVLP (high-volume, low-pressure) spray guns from Harbor Freight. The big gun has a 20-ounce capacity and comes with 1.4mm tip for top coats and a 1.8mm tip for primers. The 4.2-ounce capacity touch-up gun includes a 1.0mm tip. The kit includes cleaning brushes.
KBS Rust Blast is a powerful...
KBS Rust Blast is a powerful rust remover and zinc phosphate pre-primer and metal etch that effectively dissolves rust, corrosion, metal oxides, and tarnishing from most metal surfaces. We used it to clean the sandblasted surfaces that had rusted.
Before we painted the frame...
Before we painted the frame we wiped it down with AquaKlean, a concentrated, water-based, biodegradable formula that is an excellent alternative to flammable solvents and hazardous chemicals.
For the frame we used satin...
For the frame we used satin black KBS Rust Seal, a one-part, ready-to-use, high-solids content, rust preventive coating that is actually hardened by exposure to moisture.
On some of the suspension...
On some of the suspension components we wanted a gloss finish. For the axles and other suspension parts we used KBS BlackTop over a base of Rust Seal.
Another handy item we picked...
Another handy item we picked up at Harbor Freight, an air-operated paint shaker. It sure beats using stir sticks and the mess that usually makes.
With our plastic spray booth...
With our plastic spray booth completed we shot our frame with two coats of Rust Seal. Used straight from the can, no thinning is required.
Our factory rubber body insulators...
Our factory rubber body insulators were too deteriorated to reuse—we found these high-durometer poly bushings at Suspension Restoration Parts. They’re slightly thicker than the originals but or our purposes that was actually an advantage.
Our factory rubber body insulators...
Our factory rubber body insulators were too deteriorated to reuse—we found these high-durometer poly bushings at Suspension Restoration Parts. They’re slightly thicker than the originals but or our purposes that was actually an advantage.
Once the body goes back on...
Once the body goes back on the chassis it’s there for good because the next step is building a rollcage, part of which goes through the firewall and trunk floor.