Just looking for advice on the following options please folks.

I've ended up completly dismantling the back end of the Avon as I needed to swap the hub carriers to the correct sides (not my error) and I've ordered a new set of bushes as the others are now ten years old so I may as well go the whole hog - paint diff, driveshafts, replacing CV boots, oil seals etc etc.

Anyway - the wishbones are showing the usual signs of dreaded powder coat blistering and some surface rust coming through - I'm not a great fan of powder coat for this reason.

Do you think I should:

clean up the patches and patch in with smooth Hammerite

clean up with nitromors/abrasives and paint in with smooth Hammerite

get them shot blasted and paint in with smooth Hammerite

get them shot blasted and re-powder coated

something else I haven't thought of

Thanks for any advice
Ian

Must admit I'm a big fan of shot blasting, it produces an ideal surface for paint to stick to, like s*** to a blanket.

I've just stripped the E Type's back suspension had it blasted and now I'm finishing it in smooth hammerite, 1 brush coat, and a couple sprayed. I did the same with my last project, even jacking up metal to metal on the axle didn't cause the paint to flake or chip. Just make sure you give it plenty of drying time before assembly.

[Edited on 24/6/11 by r1_pete]

If it rusted under Powder coat, it would have likely rusted under paint. Its all down to the preperation.
However, due to the exposure of wishbones, ive always felt that a heavy duty finish is best for them, and regular poder coat could never be refered to as heavy duty!

I'm having no end of problems getting *good* quality powdercoat off a 'new' (2nd hand) chassis to weld, repair and ajust that which needs welding, repairing and adjusting. Dreadful stuff, wouldn't use it on anything that you might want to work on later.

Before all this, I had a 2002 Westfield with powdercoat that shed like lizard skin, revealing less than a perfect surface beneath. Initially, I was very depressed having had it all coated (and paid for it), but after stuffing the car in the wall at Combe (and having to weld on a new rear end), I was happy that it was so badly done!

Get it blasted and primered at the same time, then apply you're choice of paint finish. IMHO you need the primer coat applied very quickly (hours not days) after blasting in order to avoid future rust issues.

In terms of paint, I've had very good results with "Plastikote" spray cans. It seems to be more durable than normal car body type spray can paint and easier to apply. I usually warm the part before painting and allow up to a week for it to fully harden off.

Why not have them dipped - I might go this way with my MX5 wishbones - there's a company in Dudley that does some kind of electroc magnetic dipping magic. You get them back primered and just paint them.



http://surfaceprocessing.co.uk/technical-process.html

good powdercoating, imo, is as good if not better than paint, ourt last cage was powdercoated by these guys STP Coatings Telford the finish was as goot if not better than paint and looked perfect 2 years later, didint chip as badly as paint can either. BUT, its all down to the surface prep they were fastidious and the results were therefore excellent. We also had them do our wishbones, they were similarly tough and long lasting.

thanks - very useful replies.

rang around and they're looking for £80 - £120 for the blasting/dipping lower price in primer upper in a good quality laquer protected paint used for rally car wheels.

Unfortunately I can't access the midlands companies easily from here - but did grow up there - well sort of grown up

Might have to resort to nitromors or shell out for a proper job.

Cheers
Ian

With powder coating it is not just the surface cleaning but also whether a base primer coating is applied before the top coat.
The powder coater I use offers 2 prices, the dearer one being for the 2 coat system.