Frame restoration and cleanup

[cttandy]

Since I am pulling my engine back out AGAIN, I am going to tak ehte chance to clean up the front of my frame and get some paint on it.

What should I use to clean the frame?

What should I use to paint the frame?

I will be doing this outside, but under a car port. It will probrably be pretty cool out.

I am not rich, so I would really like to keep it as cheap as possible, but I don't want to have to do it over again for at least a year, when I plan to do a full frame off.

 

[hp3445]

I used an angle grinder with a knotted cup brush.. It was probably the cheapest way to go. I then painted it with Chassis Black from Eastwood.

 

[Doober]

I cleaned mine with a wire brush/scraper, did the final wipe with brake parts cleaner & rags, and used good ol' Rust-Oleum semi-flat (maybe semi-gloss... whatever I had). I did it somewhat hastily so I didn't get all of the frame, but I wasn't extremely concerned given the condition of the rest of the car.

 

[cttandy]

Thanks guys

Any idea on the price of that eastwood chassis paint.

The car's frame is pretty nice, I just want that motor to look good sitting in there to look good after I get it all rebuilt.

 

[Doober]

Are you going to take the front clip off? If I had the time/drive when I was doing the motor I would have on mine.

 

[axisg]

I used engine cleaner twice in 1 week early in the AM at the Coin Op Carwash to get most of the gunk off ( I had pulled the wheelwheels too ) before I even pulled the motor. The second time let me catch most of the places I missed the first time. I spent a good 2-3 hours on each wheelwell getting the years of crap off of them with a scrub-brush and varsol and the work paid off as they came out great.

Once the motor was out I got what was left with a scraper and brake cleaner. Then coated it all in paintable rockerguard and top coated that with some quick dry semi-gloss black I had laying around. The old motor came out friday eve and I did the final clean and paint that night in about 2 hours and got the wheelwells back in. The next morning everything was dry and the new motor went in. I find the paintable rockerguard evens out all the dirt and crap that is missed and because it's textured it will hide alot.

 

[cttandy]

Are you going to take the front clip off? If I had the time/drive when I was doing the motor I would have on mine.

No, not right now. I haven't gotten to drive the car except up and down the drive way. I would like to get some drive time so I don't loose interest.

I am going to get it driving and hopefully enjoy it next summer. Next fall, I plan to jerk the whole thing apart and do a frame off restoration on the car.

It has no rust on the entire car, so I should only have to pull it apart, clean, and paint.