65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
Paint, Trim & Chrome => Paint => Topic started by: mdkd on October 06, 2014, 11:42:29 AM
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All
The temperatures here in Minnesota are settling in the 30's over night so my thoughts are switching from car driving to car preparation for next year.
I am hoping to repaint my 65 GS engine this winter and am looking for advice on how to clean - prepare and paint it successfully.
I have talked to a number of people who have had problem with repainted engines changing color and or pealing when they come in contact with Oil and or Antifreeze afterwords.
Of course anything that comes in contact with Brake Fluid is a sure problem.
I am looking to color the engine BUICK green and the exhaust manifolds cast iron to keep them looking good for a while.
Any thoughts before I get started.
Milton
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Milton,
Are you planning to remove the engine/transmission from the car to paint ?
Dan
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Dan
Painting the car is also under heavy consideration.
If I decide to do it I would probably pull the power team for painting at the same time instead of detailing it.
Understand my painting skills stop at rattle can so I have a lot of decisions to make yet.
The power train is running great so I am not looking to rebuild it at this time.
Milton
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Milton,
Guess I did not state my question very well. Was wondering if you were going to pull the engine to paint it outside of the car OR leave the engine in the car and detail it there. Understand you are still considering paint on the exterior and that the engine is running well.
Dan
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Here's my original Special engine before and after. I used a very strong degreaser then high pressure hot water at the quarter car wash, then I brush cleaned and rinsed the engine with mineral spirits. I media blasted the accessory brackets, engine mounts and other hardware.
I used POR15 (from Summit) and applied it with a fine bristle brush to the block, heads and intake manifold. I used my detail sprayer on the oil pan and valve covers. POR15 paint flows out very nicely however; it does need to be done at room temps. I used VHT high temp rattle can paint on the exhaust manifolds and bracket hardware. I allowed the paint 10 days to cure at room temp before reinstalling it.
The paint held up very well however as pretty as it looked the engine sadly lacked power, I replaced both the engine and transmission after about 500 miles.
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Dan
Thanks for the clarification questions.
Like a lot of old car enthuses looking to spruce things up the question of how far do you want to go comes up.
I was fortunate enough to get a car I really like to drive, in great condition with a long list of options I was looking for.
My exterior paint has some chips that can be easily noticed and is wearing thin in some areas. There has also been to much touch up work to really be considered original.
My conclusion is to get the car painted.
The next question is stainless and chrome.
The bumpers will be redone and I need to verify cost and timing on the rest.
Anyone have a Hoodornament with good color they don't need?
Rubber will need to be checked. Most of it has already been replaced.
Which brings me back to the original engine question.
My engine is running great at this time so I am not looking to rebuild it.
If I do decide to repaint the engine how can I avoid having it peal or discolor?
I would be doing a lot of disassembly to get the different parts color correct.
Is there a particular engine paint with good color that will hold up?
What can I do about the paint that is on my engine now? Degreese and pressure spray, bead blast?
Of course this all has to be done before BCA Nationals in Springfield MO early next June without question for the 50th!!! And several other events yet to be determined.
Milton
PS looks like Rollaround had some thoughts while I was writing. Thanks.
I do have a heated workshop which helps a lot in the winter.
Milton
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For a simple repaint I'd suggest a few tips:
- remove heavier deposits of grease and dirt by scraping. An old kitchen knife works well on curved surfaces. Scraping is more effective than trying to dissolve thick layers with solvents, can easier to clean up.
- degrease with a cleaner such as simple green or purple power. Apply with a spray bottle, scrub with a variety of brushes, and rinse with a light stream of water. Repeat until it's clean.
- light rust and peeling paint on cast parts can be removed with a wire brush mounted in a drill or air powered die grinder. Get as much of the surface as possible. Use a hand brush on the crevices. You are not only cleaning, but scuffing the surface.
- a scotch brite pad will clean and scuff surfaces on sheetmetal.
- As already mentioned, mineral spirits are a good degreaser that will leave the surface clean, Some say lacquer thinner will leave a residue. Brake clean is a strong solvent too, but I hate spray cans that only last 20 seconds!
- bare metal and light rust can be treated with a metal conditioner or even phosphoric acid (Home Depot) to neutralize rust, etch the metal, and leave a protective phosphoric coating.
- Primer is recommended for adhesion and to provide a good base for the color. I like two-component epoxy applied with a small spray gun.
- Correct Buick green paint is avail from Bill Hirsch or POR-15. I used the POR-15 on some parts with good results, although it is much glossier than original. You can add some flattener to dull the gloss.
- Another tip to mask off oddly-shaped parts is to wrap them with aluminum foil.
I'm sure others will add to the list.....
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THE BEST PERIOD http://www.kbs-coatings.com/engine-paint.html (http://www.kbs-coatings.com/engine-paint.html)
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/9217451073_3af859a031_o.jpg (https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/9217451073_3af859a031_o.jpg)
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/9217454403_1f084102aa_o.jpg (https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/9217454403_1f084102aa_o.jpg)
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Milton,
Where to begin? If you plan to repaint the exterior, it would be best to go down to bare metal as you currently have newer paint over the original factory paint. If you don't go down to bare metal the paint will eventually crack, crawl or peal off. If you do decide to paint the exterior, that would be a good time to remove the entire front clip to paint hood, fenders and inner fenders. It would also be much easier to gain access to painting the engine while in the car. Or remove the engine and detail it on an engine stand. Whether the engine is in the car or on an engine stand, I'd recommend removing the intake manifold, valve covers, oil pan and valley pan cover for stripping, cleaning and repainting. The block can be cleaned per Walt's suggestions. With the front clip off, you can easily remove the exhaust manifolds for cleaning and re-coating. A couple friends of mine used a product from Eastwood with great results.
http://www.eastwood.com/calyx-manifold-coating.html (http://www.eastwood.com/calyx-manifold-coating.html)
With the front clip off, it's also much easier to clean up and paint other engine components and front suspension parts. I know that your GS could use a new engine wiring harness. All this would really make the engine compartment look like new.
I had my bumpers re-plated by Northstar plating in Brainard, Mn, which is now owned by Keystone Automotive. Great work at a reasonable price. Drop them off at a local Keystone Automotive store and they will take it from there.
To remove the GS specific exterior trim from the sail panel, you may need to remove the interior sail panels to gain access to the screws that hold it on. Hopefully, you can do this without destroying the headliner material on the sail panels as they are glued in place.
Well that's my 2 cents worth. Winter in coming!
John
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Hi Milton,
I think what John has outlined is the way to go. If you do repaint the sheetmetal, you'll also want or need to remove most of the interior as well. Lots to consider when repainting; polishing or rechroming trim, replace weatherstripping, etc etc. Be forewarned... once you start detailing, plan on a place to stop!
Mark
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All
I'm back in town and just wanted to thank everyone for their great input.
This is not only a great help to me but the information is now also available to our family of 65GS.com.
Thanks again
Milton