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Have i done the right thing?

Have I done the right thing?

  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .
DH1

DH1

Shifting Up
So I bit the bullet today, I've stripped the series 1 for powder coating, It's been a difficult decision that I've been thinking about since I started, I loved the true Patina, but after spending a year working almost every day in a small cold garage , I felt it just didn't show the effort to bring it back to life
So powder coating all Alloy panels back to the original colour, leaving all the trim as is (very dull galvanised) no bumps or scratches filled, no corrosion holes filled, all catches and fittings untouched,
Still not sure I've done the right thing
I'll do some before and after pics, so any one else thinking about it might find it easier to decide
 
It's more a no than a yes from me, but very conditionally in that I don't think powder coating the body will look that great or do you or the vehicle any favours in the long run.
I prefer the patina look, but that's just personal opinion and not relevant to the fact I think painting will be much better initially and also something that will gain its own patina over time and be easier to maintain.
Powder coat, once compromised, can flake off in large chunks and can't just be touched in like paint can.
Go buy a paint roller and just get going yourself ;)
 
A good question, I really have no idea, it's standard on Alloy wheels, that see significant temperature changes, so it must have some "flexibility", guess only time will tell, would be interesting to know the results if anyone else has done this, interestingly the guys I'm using also powder coat alloy helicopter panels
 
I think it will be more than up to the task of flexing with the panels, but a scrape...a stone chip...it may end up flaking off.

Saying that, I have had my sump powder coated and it's been mint since the day it was done about 5-6 years ago.
First stone chip though, and i'll be sweating :p
 
I did similar many years back. Spent loads and many hours on it but felt it needed ‘finishing off’ with a coat of paint. It wasn’t the original finish to begin with so patina not damaged. I’ve never regretted my decision as such but i’ve had to choose more gentle green lanes so as not to inflict damage and it also means you have to be more careful when working on / around it.
 
Land Raver said:
I did similar many years back. Spent loads and many hours on it but felt it needed ‘finishing off’ with a coat of paint. It wasn’t the original finish to begin with so patina not damaged. I’ve never regretted my decision as such but i’ve had to choose more gentle green lanes so as not to inflict damage and it also means you have to be more careful when working on / around it.
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Does it have a plus side???
 
It certainly does…it satisfies my OCD mainly but with the regalvanised cappings and freshly painted galvanised bulkhead, it did make it look more of a completed project at least to my own eye 😆
 
nickjaxe said:
Can I ask....why powder coating rather than pain......paint repairs in future maybe a pain????

Will powder coating bond ok with Ali???
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Looking at the paint on my defender it's not so impressive, so thought try powder coating, no idea if it'll be better or worse, guess it some sort of experiment, if it turns bad, then it's free patina :)
 
DH1 said:
So I bit the bullet today, I've stripped the series 1 for powder coating, ...
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This is very bold. Breaking new ground here.

It will need some sort of etch undercoating or it will come off.

Imho, powder coat is too brittle.
Unless you are really careful, I would not be surprised to find it pinging off as you reassemble her.
Be sure and get a touch-up can from the powder coaters.

What are you doing about the bulkhead, hinges, etc...?
 
Not much paint left on my 80 Inch panels after sitting at the top of a mountain for 40 years.
 

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LightweightV8auto said:
This is very bold. Breaking new ground here.

It will need some sort of etch undercoating or it will come off.

Imho, powder coat is too brittle.
Unless you are really careful, I would not be surprised to find it pinging off as you reassemble her.
Be sure and get a touch-up can from the powder coaters.

What are you doing about the bulkhead, hinges, etc...?
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Zinc based undercoat, every part will be blasted with a very fine media (not even as harsh as soda) to key the undercoat, they do large alloy panels for helicopters, so this gives me some confidence, all hinges etc removed, I think sometimes if you don't give it a try you'll never know, just hope it's not a mistake
 
I'm not a fan of powder coat, its often too thick and too brittle and once water gets under it you get terrible corrosion. Its also very hard to touch up. I much prefer synthetic enamel. But I see the people you are planning to use do helicopters so I'm thinking they must be able to put it on thin and flexible. I still don't like it but I reckon you've got the best chance of success.
 
Just paint it if you want it to look nicer. I can see no obvious advantage in powder coating, and certainly risking deformation of the panels by soft media blasting first. Why go this route? It's an inappropriate finish for a Series 1 IMO.
 
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