Frame, suspension, underbody paint everyone is using?

[jasonL78]

I thought I would start a topic on frame, suspension, underbody paint. What is everyone using? I have tried a bunch of aftermarket products with really IMO not very good results. I did have very good results with PPG single stage paint and adding flattener for an eggshell finish. With the cost of paint, hardeners and reducers going through the roof, I decided to use my 55 as a genie pig to come up with an inexpensive top coat for the frame and bottom side of the car.
The paint I decided to test with was located at my tractor supply store, its call “Tractor Supply Implement Paint “the paint is an enamel base paint that you can add reducer and hardener to it, but isn’t required. For a quart of Flat paint its $13.49, the hardener for ½ pint was 14.99 and I think the pint of reducer was also 14.99. The half a pint of hardener and pint of reducer is enough for a gallon of paint so these go a long way. I mixed the paint 8 parts paint to 1 part reducer, 1part hardener. I just painted the bottom side of the GTO I’m working on with 6 parts flat paint 2 parts gloss paint and 1 part reducer/ hardener. I must say it came out very nice. I use an older gun to lay the paint down and it flows nicely at this ratio. The down fault with the enamel is it takes 24 hours to set up. But once set up this stuff is hard, no more worries about dropping a wrench in you engine bay and chipping paint. I first sandblast the parts I’m going to paint, then sand with 80 grit paper, then 2 coats of epoxy primer (Black) and then go to the top coat of implement paint. The results are IMHO some good protection for the bottom side of your car.
I’m not paint expert and I’m sure some will chime in let’s hear what paint and processes everyone has used on there cars.

[cook_dw]

Pics!!!

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Sounds good so far.

Ryan

[Lee Stewart]

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-2k-cerami...tin-26895.html

[CamarosRus]

I recommend SPI Epoxy Primer for a superior product sold direct from the mfg to
you.....NO distributor , No body in the middle taking their mark up

http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com

[Lynn]

The under body on my 08A car was a very dark gray back to the rear axle and a much lighter gray from the rear axle back. Car was a black car, and had a lot of black overspray on the lighter part of the underbody (even though the tard that painted my rear valance FAILED to cover all the way to the bottom of the valance from the factory).

I used a combo of Dupont black paints with varying degrees of white to replicate the colors that were there originally.

I used RM lacquer (with some flattener) to paint the black out on the firewall. That is the most durable paint on my car.

So, firewall black, first 2/3 of underbody very dark gray, back 1/3 of the underbody lighter gray with lots of black overspray.

Pics here: https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthrea...updated%2Apics

My belief is that this practice (as well as stipe and "white out" treatment for Z's withe white stripes) varied greatly not only from one month to another but from one shift to another.

[jasonL78]

Sorry guys here is the frame from the 55. I don't have any bottom side pictures of the GTO yet they will be coming soon. For this frame I didn't mix any gloss with the paint that is just the matt black finish.