MTFCA Forum

How is everyone painting their hardware (nuts and bolts)? I'm painting the car with all the fenders, running boards, hood and trunk off but what do I do with the hardware? just press them in a piece of cardboard and spray them when doing the car?

Also what paint are you using in the trunk and floors?

Close observation will reveal that some of these are original Ford bolts and some are modern bolts adapted for Model T use. Obviously adapting includes drilling for cotter pins, but there's more. I grind the modern markings off the heads and buff them smooth. Cad plating on modern hardware sheds paint, so I strip it off with a bath of muriatic acid. I'm very careful not to breathe any of the fumes. After a cold water rinse I prep with 50/50 phosphoric acid, which prevents rust and etches the metal to help paint stick. After wiping dry and thorough air drying I spray the hardware and other chassis parts with black satin Rustoleum. I dislike glossy chassis parts. Glossy is for body parts. I put the painted hardware in the oven and bake it overnight at about 180º. It's often a good idea to chase the threads on old hardware with taps and dies before use.

Ahhh thank you Looks like I have a bit of work ahead of me....

I completely agree with Steve’s preparatory process except for one thing. I prefer “Rustoleum Gloss Black Appliance Epoxy” (which does not need primer). It is tough, looks great, it is easy to clean due to the slick surface and I believe the glossy finish is more accurate to the original paint finish applied at the factory, since the painting process did not use different types of paint due to the time restrictions the painters were under. Jim Patrick

I follow Steve's process, skipping the phosphoric acid and baking steps.
While I want SOME paint there, I am not interested in making "perfect"
looking parts on a truck, where my aesthetic objective is a "barn fresh"
look. I paint them to match the other well preserved, but unrestored
parts present.

I am a fan for small parts also.