I am in the midst of restoring at least 30 projects (or so my wife says -- it's really closer to 8 truth be told). Recently, I got a catalog from Eastwood like lots of people. In there was a product called "chassis black" which I'd never heard of. I just assumed, maybe wrongly, that most people just used Rustoleum or regular Centari or whathaveyou to do up the chassis.

I've used Rustoleum quite a bit over the years, and have never really had a problem, but I guess your mileage may vary. I'm thinking about doing the next chassis in something different. At the risk of opening a can of worms, what are you all using? Does it turn out shiny? Satin? Dull?

Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks!

The Eastwood product Chassis Black is a semi gloss. Incorrect for a Model T. It is more appropriate on a 55 - 6 - 7 Chevy and other cars of the 1950 - 1970 era.

Model T chassis and associated parts are shiny black.

I use an epoxy primer PPG's DP 90. Its a nice looking two part satin black that does not chip or flake. One medium to heavy coat is all thats needed. It holds up remarkably well, never needs redoing and always looks good. Best thing about it is you paint one time and you're done. I personally do not like the look of gloss black on unfinished chassis parts because it magnifies the imperfections in the finish. Here's a photo of a handbrake painted with DP 90.

The extreme chassis black has a nice shine to it still after it dries, looks very nice on a T chassis. It is not satin, but retains an nice semi-gloss. This is my front end painted with eastwoods extreme chassis black semi-gloss

Twenty-five years ago I used rattle cans of flat black epoxy enamel on my Packard chassis, and it has held up remarkably well. It's still available from Krylon if you can find it, or it was this winter.

It's really flat, but I used it on this head and gave it some Nu-finish for a satin look.

I think Henry used Black Japan. I don't think he spent a lot of time trying to make it perfect.

Kirker still make a chassy black, a company out of Ky sells there products on line at smartshoppersinc.com or 1800 541 0399, call and get there standard color chart they do not mix colors you have to do that. It sands easy and polishes very well and the best part is it is inexpensive, cheap if you are looking for a deal. I have been using it for ten years and had no problems.

Eastwood does have the high gloss. Here is from their catalog:


Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black® High Gloss 15oz

* 3X more durable - epoxy formulation
* Improved solvent, brake fluid, chip, scratch, & corrosion resistance



You spent many hours prepping your frame; now paint it with the best Chassis Black formulation available. Up to 3X more durable than Original Chassis Black. This maximum durability epoxy formulation offers improved brake fluid, fuel, solvent, chip and scratch resistance. For improved adhesion prime clean bare metal with Extreme Chassis Black® Primer aerosol (11193Z), quart (11194ZP), or gallon (11195ZP). Prime Rusty Metal with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. 15-20 minutes between coats of Extreme Chassis Black®. Can be recoated at any time without lifting.

Also available in satin: Click Here




Item# Product Qty Price
11172 Z Extreme Chassis Black® High Gloss 15 oz. Aero

$19.99
11173 ZP
High Gloss Quart
$39.99
EW11172 Z
EW Extreme Chassis Blk HiGloss Aeo 14oz Case of 12
$199.99
EW11173 ZP
EW Extreme Chassis Black Gloss Qt. Case of 12
$399.99
Special shipping charges may apply.

I've used both Eastwoods semi gloss and gloss chassis black and they are both very good products - excellent coverage, very chip resistant, etc. On my Model A pickup I did the chassis itself with the semigloss, and the ancillary components like the brake crossshafts in the gloss. Added just a hint of contrast which frankly nobody else knows about, but I thought it looked pretty good.

I think the first time I did my TT chassis I used Dupont 099 Black.
I used a automotive paint on the pickup chassis but I cant remember what it was called.May have been Omni.
I aint never used Eastwoods chassis black but I have used the Radiator paint that they sell on any radiator,T or other wise ,that needed work and it looks good,and covers well and doesnt seem to cut down on the cooling much at all.

Pitch Black DuPont Centari 99A acrylic enamel with hardener added for gloss and durability.

Looks like Henry's japan to me

Engine enamel is meant to go over bare metal. That means no primer needed.
I use satin black engine paint in the rattle can, 3 coats.
15 minutes to two days between coats.
Looks good, doesn't run and a better class of ladies will wave at you when to drive the finished car down the street.

I haven't used it, but the POR 15 is supposed to work very well and has a very good gloss I'm told. Dave

I wore out 2 wire brushs on my angle grinder on a chassis and painted it with Por 15 about 2 years ago and hung it on the side of the barn under the overhang.It has lost it's shine,started to rust again and will need sandblasting to use.I was optimistic about the stuff for a long time,but I will refrain from useing it any more unless there aint another way to deal with the rust.

Mack,
Did you topcoat the POR-15? I have had only good luck with it, but it MUST be topcoated to stand up to sunshine.

I have also had good luck with their Chassis Coat (Semi-Gloss) Black. Tough as nails, and self leveling, so you can brush it on and get a good finish.

C.

David,

POR 15 is not all it is cracked up to be. Like Mack's experience, I find it dulls quickly and then peels after a few years. It also is very slow drying. The parts I painted in my Long Beach California back yard were covered in dust before the paint became tacky.

It also is hard to get off so you can repaint. It adheres well in some spots to the point that you remove lots of surrounding metal with the bead blaster before the POR 15 finally is gone.

Like Dan I have found that Dupont Centari with a performance improving hardener kit gives great value for the money, while being easy to spray, and dries quickly to a high luster. It is everything I want in a paint for the engine, chassis and the body panels.

Prep work is the key to any good paint job no matter what you are painting. The proper surface cleaning, patching, sanding etc as well as proper undercoat for each manufacture brand or type of paint. Paint is a top coating not a body filler or hide all. If your surface has scratches, dents, pits, and imperfections paint will not hide them only maginfy them. Proper temprature, moisture, lighting, and clean paint area are important for a good looking paint job. Be sure you follow the manufactures instructions for the type of paint you use to obtain the proper results. It's not the paint it's how it is applied.

Gloss black powdercoating is hard to beat.

Rustolium gloss black.

Rustoleum is very tough paint and is easy to apply, but it will fade to flat black in a year or so. I've been using it for 45 years, but it will not hold it's gloss. Dave

POR15 will fade in sunlight, they warn you about this on the can, best used with a topcoat ( and few paints will stick to it) or under the car were sun can't find it. It's also best used on rusty metal surfaces that have been prepared with POR15's own “Metal Ready” product. This is a rust converter, and metal etching spray that goes on like water, and leaves a phosphate coating behind, it is a must for using POR15 on sandblasted metal, or unpainted clean steel, but should be used before painting anything with POR15. The metal must also be 100% free of any oil before painting, they sell a cleaner to use before applying the paint, but I find that simple green does the job just as well. I have been using it for over 20 years for just about everything, and when used properly it can be a very tough paint. POR 15 has it’s own topcoat paint made to be used in conjunction with POR15, specially formulated to stick to it, and not fade, I have only used it once, it’s almost as expensive as POR15, but it does have a good shine to it.

KBS Rust Seal sealer and KBS black top (UV resistant) top coat. This stuff goes on extremely easy and no sanding in between applications if you do it within 4 days.

What a great discussion! Thanks everyone for the variety of opinions.

Just so I'm clear, gloss is the way to go for chassis components? I was thinking that they'd be more of a satin or semi-gloss, but I guess the lacquer finishes of the period would have initially turned out glossy.

Thanks!

Andy,

Ford used black Japan enamel because it dried faster than anything else. Lacquer would have dried flat. Enamel dries glossy.

Question for Grant Baker--- Did you spray or brush the KBS products? Who is a good source for that product? Your frame looks great! You can email me off forum at Youngfd1@juno.com Thanks, Jim

I sprayed the frame, but brushed everything else. Small parts turn out just as well with it brushed on. I used the rust seal only on the bottom of my Model A and was extremely pleased. It is as hard or harder than powder coat. I have "keyed" my front axle 100 times to show people how good it is, I still cannot see any thing showing.

Buy it from Antique Auto Parts of KY. 859-227-0695

Thanks Grant! J

Grant: Did you use anything under the KBS black top top coat??

Rust Seal over bare metal, then Black Top.

www.kbs-coatings.com/

Thanks, I misunderstood your 5/11 03:38 post. I thought you meant you used the rust seal/black top combo only on the Model A. You meant you used the rust seal without the top coat on the bottom of the A. Duh! Now I understand.

Zophor Mills Triple A No. 20 Heavy Duty Black. This is a coal tar coating just like Henry used. Can be found in commercial shipyards and chandalries. Used to paint anchors, chain and deck hardware on work boats.

I'm with Mr. Stroud, I have been an advocate of Rustoleum since it first came out, I want to think they touted it as having "Fish Oil" in it, I know it used to have an odor. Anyway, it does fade, and pretty fast. I thought I would try it one more time on my pickup headache rack, but it needs painting again right now, real faded, so I am going to go with what comes out of this thread.

I bought a gallon of Majic brand alkyd enamel (gloss black) tractor paint along with a can of hardener and a can of reducer for a project a buddy of mine and I are working on. Anyway, I had the front axle and spring to recondition. I ground out the wear points on the springs and the pits, painted the spring with slip paint before assembling. I then primed everything with sanding primer and wet sanded all the parts 2 or 3 times before painting. It turned out really nice looking like it black glass. I was pleased with it. The gallon of paint, hardener and reducer were right at $50.

I know being an alkyd enamel it will not hold up as long as acrylic enamel but it was half the price and for under carriage components that won't see much sun I suspect it will hold up fine. This is the same paint that all these landscape trailers are painted with and they usually look faded within a couple of years of sitting in the sun.

As a side note, I also used a small HVLP gun from Harbor Freight that is awesome on smaller assemblies. It seems as if it was $16 on sale. It never spit, dribbled or gave even a hint of a problem. The detail gun only holds 5.5 ounces of paint so you're not going to paint a whole car with it. Having said that, it will work fine to paint assemblies such as axles, frame, steering column, wheels, etc.

At Hershey there was a booth selling Master Series coatings. They had a rust sealer silver primer and an AG111 black. Brush on-looked good. About $65 for a quart of both, plus a quart of solvent. Has anyone had any experience with this product?

At Hershey there was a booth selling Master Series coatings. They had a rust sealer silver primer and an AG111 black. Brush on-looked good. About $65 for a quart of both, plus a quart of solvent. Has anyone had any experience with this product?

I tried something which was recommended by another Model T restorer. While Rustoleum is ok and very popular, it takes forever to dry and doesn't "flow" like other paints. Go to a True Value hardware store and get a quart of XO Rust gloss black. It's their version of Rustoleum. Get some cheap brushes and brush paint a frame or axle. You won't believe how it flows and covers. Yes, it still takes a while to dry but looks fantastic. Until you try it you won't believe me but SOMEDAY if I ever get the truck finished some of you will be able to see the chassis at Hershey and won't believe your eyes!!

For something that is already super smooth and just needs a quick coat, grab a can of Krylon gloss black. You'll be able to touch it in 10 seconds if you don't make it super thick.

Craig

Paint science continues to evolve as polymer bases find their good points and some of that science may in fact be good, but I don't know.

I would tend to agree with hearsay on the results of POR15 over the years. Looks good, easy to work with, but has longevity issues as that is the point that keeps resurfacing.

DuPont Centuri was the paint of choice of professional restorers and the big guys in both clubs for a number of years. I'd guess reports on Centuri is that it can be a pain to apply and takes a bunch of extra prep, but don't know if these were simply laments from guys who wanted slick smooth finishes. Don't recall hearing ttoo many comments about Centuri actually failing.

Me, I learned a chassis finishing system from an old white hair guy named Richard Petty in No. Illionois when I was young and I guess he learned it because none of this spiffy stuff was available then. Parts done in this, and then married to originals other parts were always close enough..

Primer - rustoleum sandable red which is really a maroon brown. Coat and sand off....coat and sand off to fill most exiting pits, then a light general coat on all.

1st Coat? Yup-Rustoleum Black thinned out of the can with Rustoleum thinner....

2nd coat? A mixture of 50/50 Rustoleum Clear and Rustoleum Black

Final effect is an initially overly reflective surface that looks like a deep Enamel representative of a Japan enamel used on other things.

It does fade off after a bit as others have mentioned and the black part dulls slightly to what I see in Railroad engine restorations as far as hue. It stays reflective in a sheen way due to the Clear that is mixed with it. And the good part?

It wears like iron, I have never had a blister or a peel and the earliest chassis I did was maybe 77-78 and it STILL wipes clean with a soft glow that matched other previously finished/factory stuff that has aged of its own accord. Nice thing about it? A chip repair is a 'little dab will do you' and you NEVER see it!

As an experiment, I did two '15 rear wheels in it about 5 years ago, spokes too....no checks, no peels.

I'd not hesitate to use the system again for anything I do, but you have to like the sheen and the softness as opposed to a mirror reflective finish that some feel called for.

I would have thought the modified roof bitumen would work here too. It would kind of resemble undercoating all in one. Seriously I am going to go with powder coating on my current project. We have half a dozen decent powder coaters in town, some will sand blast and some want you to bring it in all ready to go, the price of course varies. A lot of epoxies are not very UV stable I have found. Of course on a chassis this shouldn't be a big problem except on the front end and even then most of our cars are inside most of the time.

Tell the environmentalists to go pound sand and get a $3.00 quart of of black equipment enamel from before when Jimmy Carter devaluated the dollar, actually from 1950 at your favorite paint store. It works well and dries fast and babies don't like the taste of it and will not eat it. . . . .but still we are being protected from it.

Charles;
I've used the Master Series coatings on my running gear and was pleased with the results but the car isn't on the road yet so, as far as durability I guess I'm not qualified to say.
I did paint the rims on my almost daily driver(24 tudor) with three coats of the silver primer only and it looks great and has withstood lots of mud, cow and horse manure as well as being constantly urinated on by my farmers' dogs. That's my experience with the stuff so far

Tyler,
Thanks for the feedback!

Just to update my posting, I went ahead and bought a kit from Jegs of the KBS stuff to refinish a gas tank for a Crosley I own. There are no original-style Crosley gas tanks being made today other than fiberglass repops and a very expensive stainless steel one, so I figured this was a good test of the product: can I recover an essentially junk tank?

The short answer is I second what Grant Baker mentioned above. It's pretty intense stuff and seems very durable. The base encapsulator paint is fairly glossy, even in the semi-gloss or non-gloss versions, so be prepared. I used a top coat after sealing the outside (also fairly glossy), then sealed the inside of the tank with their tank sealer. So far, I like the results and I was able to save the tank for about $75. The pin holes and crevices were completely sealed with the paint and sealant, so no weaping. We'll see how it holds up, and I plan on doing a spare T frame I have hanging in the garage next to see how it works on something that will be very visible.

The nice part is that the stuff levels really good even with a brush, so it's like working with Rustoleum -- very forgiving. But, you can't get it on too thick (which is very easy to do for a something pretty rusty), otherwise it will run before it sets up completely. After that, it's break out the sandpaper time to remove the drips and start over. Thin coats, lots of thin coats. And, it loves hot and humid weather since it's moisture activated.

My two cents.