Paint vs Powder coat

[num_301]

Will be painting my bullbar and scrub rails/side steps soon.
wondering on what will last the longest and toughest.
The original powder coating is cracking and showing surface rust, will paint stop this?

[growler2058]

As long as you clean all the rust off entirely. I think powder coat will be more durable in the long run

[num_301]

Thanks for the reply mate.
The other thing is cost, How much do you recon it should cost for all that?
And if I paint it myself I have a fair bit of paint lying around making it cheap.

But quallity is what I'm after in the end so if it is a lot better powder coating is what i'll be going for.

[Robo]

Hi mate.
Powder coat will win the tough argument every time.
Its a matter of cost.
You will need to have old coat removed, blasted $$.
Then re-coated, $$.
If you live in major city Prices are competitive.
regional areas not so.
Need to shop around for best $$.
Good coating shop will have a blaster near by they use.
probably away from coating premises for better quality control finish.
keep in mind , if you intend to do some serious off road then no finish is safe from rock ledges scraping etc.
cheers

[MudRunnerTD]

You will find that the bar is likely NOT Powder Coated! ARB and TJM bars certainly are not.

Rub it back with wet and dry and spray with a good spray pressure pack. 2 or 3 coats and should give you a few years. Easy to touch up should you scratch it. ;)

[num_301]

Cheers guys
Think I will be leaning towards the pressure pack idea cause i've only had the ute a couple of months and used both many times and they are pretty scratched already.
And by the sounds of it if I keep powder coating it may end up more money then it's worth.

[White Elephant]

As long as you clean all the rust off entirely. I think powder coat will be more durable in the long run

X 2 Powdercoating is deinately the best option. It will have to be blasted first too. It will most likely be more expensive that painting, so it depends on your budget.

[mick.]

The best option is to get it sand blasted and resprayed using a clear over base and also using a ceramic based clear coat. It's a lot higher gloss and a lot more durable then any powder coat.

Cheers Mick.

[Winnie]

What about a two pack paint?

Tappa tappa

[num_301]

Yeah didn't think of that, 2-pac might be a good option.
But I'm thinking I will most likely be doing this again in a couple months anyway at the rate I'm going so i might go for the pressure pac option,
I wouldn't mind paying the extra to get it professionally painted, but then that would probably stop me from doing some things I don't wana wreck the nice paint, instead of using them as they where designed for.

[megatexture]

id go with the paint as you can touch it up yourself easily and more then likely you will need to ive had to touch up mine a few times

[mick.]

The best option is to get it sand blasted and resprayed using a clear over base and also using a ceramic based clear coat. It's a lot higher gloss and a lot more durable then any powder coat.

Cheers Mick.This is a 2 pack which leaves any 2 pack paints you have seen on most cars for dead. It's used on your prestige cars which is why they hold there gloss for many more years then your ford or Holden. It doesn't scratch easy either.

I would not consider anything else for my 4wd or anything I don't want scratched. I've been an automotive painter for over 15 years and ceramic based 2 pack paints leave everything else i've seen on the market for dead.

This is to be applied by a automotive painter in a spray booth though not a backyarder otherwise it will look like crap.

Cheers Mick.

[mudski]

In my opinion you don't want a gloss black. I done my on MK a few years back. The bull bar and rear bar. I had both sandblasted then powder coated in Satin Black. Gloss is too glossy and was advised against it by the coaters as headlight reflection may result. Now I have bought a GU I am thinking of doing the same to the bull bar, side steps and roof rack.
The coaters even gave me a pressure pack can of the same colour they used. While it looked schmick it was costly. Now I will probably just rub it back and spray it with a Satin black.
When spray with pressure pack cans do light coats and sand between coats. Do it right, let each coat dry properly and it will come up great.

[Finly Owner]

As always, it comesdown to your budget and what you like.

Me, I used good quality pressure pack cans for mine and it looks good enough for the bush. I did use Satin black on the back of the bar near the headlights.

Blastech in brisbane will help you out for sand blasting.

A good powder coater will be able to guarantee his workmanship. Bright Co in Slacks CK are good. And he would have a sand blaster he uses, Used to us (Red) in Kingston. I have seen Powder coated bullbars last a long time on rally cars and not scratch.

That ceramic two pac sound the goods also.

But you have to weigh up the costs "v" the look you're after, and whether you are after DIY or a Pro job.


Tim

[Trolatron]

We have a powdercoat plant where I work, there are many factors in how the coat comes out like have they used undercoat or how long and what tempriture was it backed at or has it been blasted and acid dipped or not-we have a 4 stage dipping tank set up-or how thick was the powder put on -to thin will rust too thick will crack. Done right it is very strong I have hit rocks etc and it has only scrapped the coating off with no chipping.
Having said that p/c goes dull after a few months of washing dirt and mud off , I will be painting my bar work from now on and its easyer to touch up aswell.

[04OFF]

As you metioned side steps as well, you should be aware that if you do a lot of beach work, the cheap spay can type paint, may get sand blasted off while driving on the beach.

I have had this same problem with my sliders (and my tow hooks on the bullbar), i chose the paint option so i could touch up the scraches easy myself, and for rock work its great, but just one day on the beach and its bare metal city, in the salt air the bare metal rusts before you get to repaint them, so now ive had them all powder coated.



The decent paints as mentioned in this thread will resist the beach sand blast effect no problem, but i just thought id bring it up, as i had to remove all my stuff and get it blasted to get all the rust off because i used cheap paint, if you dont go to the beach dont worry, but if you do, going the decent/durable option in paint or powdercoat,may actually save you money in the long run.

[Gas_Guzzler4800]

You will find that the bar is likely NOT Powder Coated! ARB and TJM bars certainly are not.

Are you sure? I always thought they were powdercoated, certainly look like it to me

[num_301]

As you metioned side steps as well, you should be aware that if you do a lot of beach work, the cheap spay can type paint, may get sand blasted off while driving on the beach.

I have had this same problem with my sliders (and my tow hooks on the bullbar), i chose the paint option so i could touch up the scraches easy myself, and for rock work its great, but just one day on the beach and its bare metal city, in the salt air the bare metal rusts before you get to repaint them, so now ive had them all powder coated.



The decent paints as mentioned in this thread will resist the beach sand blast effect no problem, but i just thought id bring it up, as i had to remove all my stuff and get it blasted to get all the rust off because i used cheap paint, if you dont go to the beach dont worry, but if you do, going the decent/durable option in paint or powdercoat,may actually save you money in the long run.

Yeah when I painted my wheels with pressure pacs i thought the same thing, so I did a primer then 5 coates, since then have done several beach trips and the paint has lasted.
I think as long as you leave long enough between quotes and do enough of them it should be alright.
But I'm still unsure that the quality will be high enough out of a pressure pac..............
Might end up just getting the whole thing 2-pac or powder coated then just live with the consequences

[mick.]

The biggest problem with powder coat these days is unless you know the quality of the work the place is doing you cant be 100% sure your getting a quality job. Done right it's an awesome product that will last years but done wrong you only have to look at Powerful4x4 products which are rusting out everywhere.

TJM and ARB get most of there stuff power coated and I know some of there stuff is also sprayed in LIC 40 which is one of the hardest wearing and chip resistant 2 pack paints in the world today. The down side is it's not very UV stable in any colour other then white. This is mainly used on side steps and under body protection where UV stability isn't that critical and it fills 80 grit scratch marks to so it's good for any home made bar work or a comp truck and very cheap.

Cheers Mick