Hi All
Having seen nearly 18 months of use my uprights are looking shoddy. As I am replacing the brakes (4 pots and vents) I may as well change them. As far as I can remember I red leaded them and hammerited them. I have a new pair covered in a blue coating. What do youse guys think is the best covering. Paint, powder coat or something else? Bearing in mind they're open to all the poo thrown at the car, not hidden from view like the chassis.
Cheers

Chris

I dont know what martin sprayed my wishbones with,but if i had a £ for everytime i drop a spanner on them i'd have eeerrrrr lots.

And theres not a scratch on em.

[Edited on 20/11/02 by bob]

I’ve been experimenting with a nickel plating kit. Finish can be polished to a mirror shine but depends on surface to begin with. I was planning on doing the track rod ends and ball joints as well. If done right it will give a very hard finish for all those hammer knocks and stone chips, look good even when not polished up and prevents corrosion. I got a basic kit from bullnet, I think, but mainly for the ingredients and instructions.

How about a link to supplier?
I've been contemplating nickel plating, but can't find any local suppliers.

Terry

I've had the basic kit a couple of months now but haven't set it up yet so I can't tell how good it is yet and how it performs on a porous casting like trackrod ends. The link is

http://www.bullnet.co.uk/shops/test/nickel.htm

The Tractol stuff I've been using seems excellent - though I haven't 'shit' tested it yet, it has stood up well to knocks during the build and I'm painting everything with it.

I'm using the matt black undercoat, and shiny black topcoat (chassis black). Works out about £35 for a litre of each. Let me know if you need a distributor.

What about powder coating? I had most of my suspension done and besides the impressive looks,they are very resistant to those bladdy spanners!

Nickel plating would look good, but make sure that the company knows what they doing(and the metal surface is in perfect nick) 'cos after fetching some of my parts,I took them directly to the coaters!

cheers
darren

I used the Epoxy Mastic stuff from this place...

RustBusters

Sticks like the proverbial and tough as boots - the only downside is that it doesn't brush too well, and the thinners are 'exciting' when you spray

The brush marks don't show on the rough surface of the front uprights, so that's not a problem.

Thought I'd drag this one up again!

I was going to use hammerite on my cortina uprights until my dad told me not to (chips very easily he said).

He pointed me in the direction of this stuff Clicky Clicky

or look at http://www.frost.co.uk

anyone come across this stuff? or is there a definitive alternative for paint on stuff?!

cheers,

Ned.

the por 15 stuff is very good, even withstands the accidental hit with a hammer, make sure you use the metal ready prep stuff for best results.

don't get it on your hands it a complete bitch to get off, like it wears off after about 3 days.

tim

I'm using metal etch primer and Dulux weathershield in Black gloss. Very easy to apply and seems to be nice and hard wearing.

Cheers,
Craig.

I've used POR 15 on mine, and then topcoated them as POR 15 is light sensitive. The POR 15 is as hard as nails, but my cars not been on the road yet.

i used kurust as an undercoat and external gloss as a top coat.

I think whatever you use the original rust (unless you got it spotless!) on the upright will come back at some time.


atb

steve

Painted my uprights just over two years ago. In that time they've spent most of their time in an unheated garage. So far so good.

I painted mine 4 days ago and they still look pretty good....

atb

steve

Hey Chris (locodude),

Most places which Chrome Plate also Nickel Plate, part of the process. There is a place down Rotherham do a fine job back of Barbot Hall Ind. Est. opposite Demkel Engineering. Also, Rowbucks - Meadowhall Road, Sheffield.

Be very careful with Nickel... it's a high allergen. So, if after handling it you get a rash or something you know why! Nickel is very tough, resists chipping much better than chrome, is cheaper to coat usually.

Chrome or nickel plating won't necessarilly guarantee a rust free finish, especially around the edges of welds and in concave areas. A regular spray of Inox or WD40 should help though.
Powder coating isn't very resistent to being blasted by road dirt. It soon looks like grip tape as used on stair treads.
If going for a black finish, Chassis Black from Frosts (or anywhere else) is excellent.
POR is excellent.
Hamershite is too hard, which is why it chips and pings off when hit hard.