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powder coating body panels???

Racer99

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This might be a dumb question....but has anybody ever powder coated a complete car....I'm thinking of trying it, but not sure how the body filler would hold up to 400°f in the oven....it would be very durable and seal all the pinch welds...just wanting to hear of others thought...pros and con's
 
It probably won't stick to body filler.
 
I asked my powder coater this question and he said it could not be done. I think the temp used is too much for the body panels and would cause heat warping. The paint curing temperature is really pretty low in comparison.
 
Guess I better stick to do in the bolt one then.. Sure don't want to build a wavey car
 
I have coated wood and MDF boards. Many materials can be coated. There are just tricks to it. also low cure powders (250 F) are possible.
 
Theoretically it CAN be done with some limitations if the oven's big enough.

Lots of new car manufacturers now are e-coating bodies (similar to powder coating but different) and there are vast technological advances in the industry all the time. As callofthemopar mentioned, wood and mdf can be coated nowadays, and there's even a portable method for swimming pool liners that cures in the sun! To date though, you still need to be able to invoke a charge to your metal for the powder to adhere evenly, and it will definitely not stick to Bondo.

I've had pretty good luck with interior panels over the years but haven't had a chance to try a fender or quarter panel. The interior stuff holds up fine to the curing heat with no warping or adverse affects. (Don't try it with anything that's ever had Armor All or other silicone based lubricants on it though -- the results will be streaky and uneven, and no amount of prep or outgassing will ever remove Armor All from the metal.)

There are several high temp metal fillers on the market specifically designed for powder coating -- ThermoBond3, Lab Metal, et al. -- but in my opinion they ALL suck. The only thing I've ever had luck with is a product designed for exhaust repairs made by Permatex. It's easy to work with, sandable, grindable, doesn't shrink much, sets up fairly quickly, and a little bit goes a long way. When it's done right, repairs under my powder work are invisible. The only drawback is that it's $12.99 for a .7 ounce blister tube.

You'll also need to remove EVERYTHING from the body that will not withstand 500 degrees: every piece of rubber, every seal, all the weatherstripping, every piece of plastic, etc., etc., etc., has to be pulled off, and you'll need some kind of sturdy support jig that won't touch or interfere with your powder work with metal wheels so you can roll it into the oven after the coating is on there.

Keep me posted -- I wanna see it when you're done. :D
 
Basically like many have said its not your best choice. Applying powder to a part is the easy part, Getting desired results with the finish during cure is the tuff part. Also would be near impossible to repair if damaged.

Listen to Cuda chick on this she deals with it every day and is up on the latest tech. when it comes to powder. I have seen great things with powder but as of now only the big companies can afford to play R&D with those systems.
 
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