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Triumph TR6 - Front suspension paint finishing Toronto area

I have the right side of the front end suspension of my 69 TR6 completely apart and clean of grease. I am now wondering the best way to have it finished before I reassemble it. I am looking for a firm in the Toronto area (or a home made method) that can finish the parts in black that will offer long term corrosion protection and I don't have to pay an arm and a leg. Following the right side I plan on doing the left side. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks & Regards
Mike Petryschuk
Mike The Obsessed TR6 rebuilder

Mike- Powder coat everything you can. You can't beat it for protection.
Don k.
DON KELLY

Mike, do exactly what Don says. I guarantee if you have one part powder-coated, your next obsession will be powder-coating everything you can un-bolt. I could spend a lot more money on this....and it looks so good! Seriously, it is a good investment. Good luck with your next obsession!
Rod
Rod Nichols

Hi Mike

Powder is the best for this but you have to remove all rubber parts and block any holes in machined parts. Then sandblast. The powder will go anywhere following the charge and it is baked on in oven with high heat.

Without arm and leg. And sand blasting.
Now on a reasonably clean surface use a good prep wash 15.00 a can. That will last you forever. Buy 2 cans of rubberized undercoating not ashfalt. 9 bucks a can. One shutz gun 20 bucks and if you don't have compressor rent one for a couple of hours maybe 30 bucks. and your done. It stays on won't chip and if you get the one every auto body supply sells its made in Milton so if you have a problem you can go down the road and yell:)

Blue and white shutz tin but can't think of name. You can thin it as well if you mix good.

Bill
Bill Brayford

I have found a local coater that will sand and coat anything I want for about $5 a piece. For machine holes, if you are concerned, just insert an old bolt. They like something to hang from anyway. I just wait until I get it back and then Re tap the hole or die the stud. I usually tape all threaded parts first.As Rod says I am obsessed with doing anything that will come off.
Don
DON KELLY

Gotta raise a shout for POR 15. Not sure if P.O.R. stands for Paint Over Rust but thats what you do, and wind up with a smooth high gloss, very tough finish. Quite amazing considering how easy it is to do, and one coat is all you need and even brushed on, it came out perfect.. Just read the can carefully - it is NOT your ordinary paint.Only prep is that parts be grease free and knock off any flaky rust w/ coarse paper - the finish likes a good 'tooth'. Very impressed. Peter G
Peter G

My two cents,
Powder coating is as perfect as we get at the moment,
Por 15 would be my second choice but a very close
second.I recently had to take some off my frame for
some additional welding and removing the Por 15 took
longer than the welding job. Not even the industrial
paint stripper did much to it.
Christopher Trace

When I restored my TR3A, I did all the "black-works" (as they call it in England) by degreasing, taping all holes and parts not to be sandblasted or painted with duct tape. After sandblasting with real sharp sand, (don't use sharp sand on body panels or the it will heat up, distort and warp the metalwork panels) I had the clean blasted parts sprayed with acid etch, then primer, then with 2 coats of Dupont Imrom Aircraft and Truck paint. I did the frame, rear diff and axle, all the suspension parts, front calipers, frive shaft, rear drums, shackles, rear shocks, front and rear springs, etc. Make sure you tape the rear akle parts (remember a TR3A has a solid rear axle) with the duct tape really well so the sand won't get blasted inside the bearings, etc.

The parts came out shiny and the Imron is very hard. After 70,000 miles over the last 12 summers, I wash everything under my TR with soapy water and rinse it in a do-it-yourself high pressure car wash. If I'm at home I use my own Karcher 1500 psi washer. Then I hand wipe everything underneath with Mineral Spirits (Varsol) and paper towels, then again with clean cloths. I do this twice a summer, usually the day before a major Concours show. I carry a jackstand with me and use it to support each corner of the TR, one corner at a time, to reach underneath.

At the concours, the judges crawl all around and get down to inspect under. It still looks like new. and there is no rust.

I felt that the Dupont Imron took too long to really cure, but as it was another two years before everything else was finished, the Imron was really cured hard by them. maybe the painter who did it mixed the wrong quantities of reducer and thinner before he sprayed it.

It's worked for me.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Thanks everyone for the input.

Bill - are you familiar with any powder coaters on the west side of Toronto? Where do you buy your prep wash, rubber undercoating. I am unfamiliar with the shutz gun or tin- can you elaborate? I have a compressor.

Christopher- Where do you buy the POR15? Are you aware of a powder coater on the West Side of TO?

Don Elliot- where did you get your acid etch, primer and Imron paint? I am familiar with the Imron as my 68 Spitfire is painted with it 22 years back. This paint has lost its luster now and after the TR6 is done I plan on fixing some rust bubbles and repaint the Spitfire.

I hope I can find a coater that will do parts for $5-10 as Don Kelly has.
Mike TOTR6R (the obsessed TR6 rebuilder)

OK, since everyone gets their two cents, it's my turn. First I totally agree that #1 would be powder coating! If you do not want or have the capability to sand/bead blast then I would go with the POR. I agree that that stuff is impossible to remove, took me 1 hour of bead blasting to clean it off a tractor engine water pump housing!!! If you do want to do your own bead/sand blasting then another great product is Eastwoods Gloss Chassis Black. I use this a lot on extremely clean bare metal parts (no primer) and have had very good long term results. The only draw back is that if you need to recoat a part you MUST wait at least a week for it to fully cure or the new coat will lift the first! Gets really ugly!!! Imron is an absolutely wonderful and long lasting product. Problem here is the danger of using it... it NEVER comes out of your lungs.... NEVER!
Steve Yott

You can get all the Dupont etch, primer and Imron at any auto paint shop supplier which carries Dupont products.

For POR Products, call TOLL FREE 1-877 548-9323

Check out:- http://www.por15store.com/ - They have lists of do's and don't's.

I can buy POR Products in St. Lambert Quebec, about 3 miles from home. That's what I'll probably use on the "blackworks" of the 1960 TR3A that I'm restoring here for Frank Redmond of Toronto.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A

Don Elliott

Mike, found an ad in Old Autos newspaper,
www.oldautos.ca Couldn't find the ad when I looked
but I know there are a couple of distributors in the
Toronto area. Try the speed shops and paint shops.
The powder coaters should also be listed with the
paint shops. Also check out the web site on Don's
entry above.
Christopher Trace


I had a motorcycle frame and various bits sandblasted and powdercoated at "Blast & Coat" in Mississauga. They're just west of Dixie south of 401.

905-625-7739

Great results, the BEST price, and very quick turn around. Spend some time on prep - they skimped a little there and I needed to remove some paint on surfaces that shouldn't have been painted.
Mati Holland

Again thanks for the leads.

Mike Petryschuk
Mike The Obsessed TR6 Rebuilder

Hi Mike

Sorry I havn't gotten back. The only outfit I know is here in Guelph and they have just re-opened under new management.

The cheap stuff I was talking about is Dominion Sure Seal #3 rockerguard. Same stuff they put on door bottoms but not pebbely looking. It comes in a tan color shoot it on and paint over in an hour. Almost all body shop supply stores carry it.
Schutz gun is just a simple $20 sprayer that screws on the quart cans. You can also get this stuff in spray cans but I haven't had much luck with them. Your doing small amounts though so may work for you? Same for prep wash 12 15 a gallon at body supply store. It just removes any oily residue before coating. Wipe on and wipe off.

This is not as good or as pretty as the other 2 but it works well. Can't use it on calipers due to heat. Requires High temp paint. Works the best of any thing on springs I have seen. I just use the straight #1 black on them and don't coat.

There you have all the options. Depends on if your going for show or nice driver.

Bill
Bill Brayford

Just for the record. As far as showing. The frame and blackworks were factory sprayed with a mix of whatever was handy and cheap. Most items were a flat black but on a lot any colors even a tan or yellow are known. That came from a quote on one page from one of the top BL management at the time.

Cast machined parts are porous and removing oil residue from them after machining nearly impossible. Prior to the new coating systems no one bothered. Manufacturers still don't. Quick squirt to tidy them up. Designed to get them out to the showroom.

I had a friend passed on now who judged many classic Mustangs Cudas GTO's for car shows and owned a couple of race horses. When I asked him how he and his fellow judges could look at so many different cars and decide who should win. He said its just like horses all in there stance and presence and readiness to go. He felt he could walk onto a field and pretty much tell the winner at first look. The nit picking just sorted out the best of the best in a good field. Don's TR is probably well known by judges as a great car just from stance and presence. And you drove down from where???!!!! Readiness to go.

If you want unbiased opinions on your car drive over to the wobbly pop shop on a nice bright Saturday afternoon. You are doing OK if you have to say thank you to WOW nice car more than once. If you wind up with the hood up and old guys and the "young guys" in the bright yellow Honda with the $6000 stereo system staring in. You are ready to show. :)

Bill

Bill Brayford

Bill, you got that right. Peter G
Peter G

This thread was discussed between 25/02/2003 and 01/03/2003

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