Summary
Paint is the standard for most automotive parts. Current paint technology produces long-lasting high-gloss exterior finishes that are resistant to fading, chipping and even small abrasions. Many of the paints applied to the outside of a vehicle are a base coat/clear coat combination. This process coats the part in a colour coat that may appear dull or flat. Then a clear coat of paint is applied over the base colour to protect the colour and provide a glossy finish.
Cadmium plating is often used to protect parts such as relay covers, electric motor cases and fasteners. To prepare many of the special bolts and washers that are used to hold my Impala together, I have spent hours at the bead blaster, removing rust and grime by blasting each part with glass beads. It leaves a smooth, clean finish that will rust very quickly, but the cadmium plating isn't expensive and will protect the metal fasteners. Some chrome shops offer cadmium plating, but unless you prep everything first, you will pay for a lot of tedious labour.Powder coating is very durable. I am having all the suspension, axle and steering components powder-coated. There are a wide variety of colours available, but if you want a special colour, you may have to wait for a while before the shop 'does a run' of that colour. Metal parts are stripped to bare metal by bead- or sandblasting. They are then chemically cleaned of any oil before a dry powder is electrostatically sprayed on the part. The parts then proceed into an oven where they are baked and the powder melts into a smooth, durable coating.See the full content of this document
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Auto's Good Looks Are All About the Finish
Esthetic, practical considerations go into restoring a classic Impala
Auto Tech / Jim KerrI was working away in the shop last week on my classic Impala project with a couple of friends when the subject of paint came up. I was preparing some of th...See the full content of this document
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