398HBX's Build Thread - Engine is IN!

[398HBX]

Frame is Painted!

I think I beat the weather. It is supposed to get colder starting this week and I was a little worried about getting the frame painted before the cool weather set in. I "got-r-done" tonight. Eastwood states to use a 1.3mm tip with their epoxy ceramic paint. I don't believe it. Should have used a bigger tip. The spray pattern was not that large and I had problems with consistancy on the spray pattern. Maybe a 1.4 or 1.6 would have been better. Anyway, It's done. Once it drys I can start putting the new springs on. Then it is on to rebuilding the axles. Has anyone here rebuilt a GM 14-bolt 9.5" SF axle? If so, what parts/supplier did you use?

 

[ryoken]

1.3 is for base or lacquer... anything else is usually best with a 1.8....

 

[398HBX]

now you tell me...

 

[y5mgisi]

Either way it looks nice!

 

[Greg72]

I like that way that looks a LOT!!!

Satin....looks really close to a factory sheen, not uber-shiny or wet looking.


You're really tempting me to get off my a$$ and make the final push toward dry compressed air and an HVLP gun.

 

[Chevy305]

wow I wish I saw this before you layed down the Eastwood chassis coat. I could have warned you that the stuff is crap. Rustolium applied with a spachula would have lasted longer on my frame. Then again you do have a much better base down on a clean frame. It might look good now but give it one winter and you'll see what I'm talking about...

 

[398HBX]

I tried to do a lot of research before I chose the paint. Some people really like POR-15, others hate it with a passion. A lot of people on different sites suggested the Eastwood. Some people hate it. I guess a lot of it comes down to personal preference and preparation. Never having painted with an HVLP before I had no experience to base my decision on so had to go with a general consensus. I will admit, I am not 100% happy with the way the paint sprayed, then again I had too small of a tip. I ended up putting on three coats but only used 1.5 quarts of paint. Seems like the coats are pretty thin. I hope that you are wrong about the Eastwood, I really don't want to have to go back and redo everything. Maybe I should paint a layer of rust-o-leum over the Eatwood?

 

[Greg72]

Don't second-guess yourself....

The success of any paintjob is the prep, and it looks like you've done a good job with that.

If the Chassis Black is doomed to fail somehow, then no amount of extra paint on top of it is going to help anyway... of course if you still have material left, you could change out to a larger spray tip and shoot it once more (with the Chassis Black) to smooth out the finish.

 

[Chevy305]

I tried to do a lot of research before I chose the paint. Some people really like POR-15, others hate it with a passion. A lot of people on different sites suggested the Eastwood. Some people hate it. I guess a lot of it comes down to personal preference and preparation. Never having painted with an HVLP before I had no experience to base my decision on so had to go with a general consensus. I will admit, I am not 100% happy with the way the paint sprayed, then again I had too small of a tip. I ended up putting on three coats but only used 1.5 quarts of paint. Seems like the coats are pretty thin. I hope that you are wrong about the Eastwood, I really don't want to have to go back and redo everything. Maybe I should paint a layer of rust-o-leum over the Eatwood?

I tried to do all the research too, and I heard good and bad things about all the different chassis coating systems, but didn't hear much about the Eastwood 3 part system. I wanted to do something different that the POR15 and Rust Bullet croud so I bought the Eastwood 3 part system. It applied really nicely and gave a real good finish when I was finished. My frame could have been show worthy. Until the next winter I had rust coming through again and by the time the second winter rolled around my frame was back to the way it looked before I coated it.

The differences between your frame and mine is that you started with bare metal and a good urithane primer for a base. I applied the stuff with rattle cans, and you are using the new 2K ceramic formula. I think your finish will hold up better than mine, but I just wanted to express my dis-satisfaction with my Eastwood Chassis coat experience.

Read up in my build thread of how I did it:
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181502&page=10

 

[ryoken]

not to detract from your thread HBX, just a quick rant sidetrack..... it definitely looks like your about quality work... kudos...

I'm sure I'll offend most in here, but apparently I must be one of those "bodywork snobs"... this is not directed at anyone, just a general overall observation of the way things are nowadays...

I'm utterly amazed at the intraweb and myth's and laziness it propagates..... everyone wants some miracle cure in a bottle snake oil.... god forbid they do a little hard work, and GASP, remove the rust! nope, i just wanna slather some snake oil all over it and be done...

paint procedures haven't changed, just the marketing..... 30 yr old technology is better than most of the miracles out today... most of these processes out don't come close to a zinc, urethane, Imron finish, 30 yr old tech...

and I also find it humorous when someone has a million questions how to do it right, explain to them the processes, then they want to spend $50 to achieve those results...
why'd ya ask how to do it right when you have no intention of spending the coin?

I swear POR15 owes the intramaweb a big BJ.... it's not a bash, I was using that stuff 20 yrs ago, it has it's place.... i just hate the "how do i do it right" "POR15!!!!!" chorus's around the web... Rustoleum too.....

HBX.... as mentioned..... if you are concerned at all with mil thickness, have material left, just go in and give it a little sand/scuff and overcoat... if your not, looks good from here....

 

[398HBX]

Thanks for the support, I really want to do this rebuild right, the FIRST time. I would rather spend a little extra now than have to go back and fix it later. It is supposed to get cold here for the next few days, if it warms up next week, I'll give it another coat. In the meantime, I'll get take the axles off the K20 and see about starting the rebuild on them.

 

[79rustyk10]

Ryoken I couldnt agree more, I know youve probably forgotten more about painting cars than Ill ever know. However I do know the prep work makes more of a difference than what ends up covering it.

I think the problem with peoples opinions on stuff like this, is that the vehicles might see two completly different types of usage, and you end up comparing apples to oranges in the end.

 

[Chevy305]

I wanted to do it the "right" way as you have patiently explained it many times over but given my time and $$ constraints my only options really were the snake oil fixes. I just chose the wrong brand of snake oil. At the time my truck was my daily driver and I had a minimum wage high school job so obviously sand blasting, zinc, urathane, and topcoat with a gun was out of the question. I'm just saying that not everyone can do it right the first time so those people have to go with the band aid fixes that might fall off in the pool.

HBX:
Never mind about my bad experiences with the chassis coat. You are starting with clean metal and good base which is key. As it has been said your work seems detailed and I like it, keep up the good work

 

[ryoken]

I wanted to do it the "right" way as you have patiently explained it many times over but given my time and $$ constraints my only options really were the snake oil fixes. I just chose the wrong brand of snake oil. At the time my truck was my daily driver and I had a minimum wage high school job so obviously sand blasting, zinc, urathane, and topcoat with a gun was out of the question. I'm just saying that not everyone can do it right the first time so those people have to go with the band aid fixes that might fall off in the pool.

HBX:
Never mind about my bad experiences with the chassis coat. You are starting with clean metal and good base which is key. As it has been said your work seems detailed and I like it, keep up the good work

understandable... and as I said, that was directed at absolutely noone.. just an observation, not only here, but other places around the web...

i think more of the point i was trying to make was the amount of disinformation floating around the web... it seems to propagate itself... starts out innocent enough I suppose..

but Ebob out on the farm using cow semen to polish hoods, 6 months later turns into the holy grail of detailing... kinda like the rolling and tipping, like it was the greatest discovery since twist off beer caps..

as I've said in the past, cutting corners for financial, time or tree-bashing reasons is fine, as long as people are informed on the varying levels of quality to hack.... not having been mislead to believe something is, what it isn't...

sorry for the rude hijack HBX, back to your build goodness....

 

[Chevy305]

but Ebob out on the farm using cow semen to polish hoods, 6 months later turns into the holy grail of detailing... kinda like the rolling and tipping, like it was the greatest discovery since twist off beer caps...

 

[398HBX]

kinda like snipe hunting

 

[ryoken]

i had to look that one up...

what axles are you doing?

 

[398HBX]

I plan on using the axles out of the K20. They are 3/4T axles instead of the 1/2T out of the Blazer. The front axles is a GM 10 bolt, 8 lug, with 4.10 gears. The rear axle is a GM 14-bolt, SF, 9.5", 8 lug with 4.10 gears. I know its not as good as a full float but I think it is better than the 12-bolt, 3.73 geared original rear. And it is what I have. Also since I am using the TH400 and NP208 out of the K20, it will make hooking everything up on the driveline a lot easier. By the time I am done, the entire drive line will be the one out of the 86 3/4T K20. I had to move the transmission cross-member back a little to accomodate the longer tranny.

As for snipe hunting......
We have all kinds here in TN. A good hunter can get $300-$400 worth of snipe in one day!.

 

[mrwilliamsburg33]

Any updates on your progress?

 

[398HBX]

Nah. Winter has set in and most of my work has to be done outside. That and I needed to do Christmas for the kids. I will probably get back on it around March.