Powdercoat or rattle can?

[barlowrs]

Hey Everyone, Got a quick question for you. I am about to pull the trigger on a ALlpro plate bumper for my tacoma, but I am not sure what way to go here, they offer just raw material, or a powder coated one for $200 more. I know powdercoat is durable and looks nice, but on parts that are made to be abused and scratched, such as sliders, bumper, etc. Is it better to powdercoat them or just rattle can them with some rustolium? Wouldnt the rustolium be much easier to touch up after being abused? What did you guys do with your sliders and bumpers?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[toyota_jon]

Rattle can is easy, quick, cheap and x2 for all of that when you scratch your bumper and have to touch it up. I use the Rustoleum professional enamel from HD or Lowes and have had great results. Will stick to just about anything, including plastic, holds up well, and touch-up's aren't even noticeable.

I am not a fan of powdercoating at all. looks great for a while and even when things are going wrong. Since powdercoating forms a shell over the metal if it cracks and water gets in it will hold it there and rust it out before you even realize that something is wrong. not worth it IMO.

 

[craig333]

I like por-15 for that kind of stuff. Expect this thread to reach many pages though. Lots of different thoughts on this stuff.

 

[762X39]

I have had bad experiences with powdercoating.Like a previous poster noted, it can hold moisture in letting the piece rust.Rattlecan paint applied on a nice hot day seems to dry fast and bake itself on (especially black).

 

[corax]

POR-15 doesn't adhere to fresh/smooth metal very well - it's meant for rough/rusted metal - so probably not the best choice for a new bumper (unless you let it sit out for awhile)

Rustoleum oil based enamel is my choice - you need to brush it on, but it self levels fairly well & holds up better than any spray paint I've seen

 

[Sirocco]

Another vote for Spray Cans

I done a full set of Wolf wheels for my landy, only require a quick touch up (not done yet in over a year of abuse), still looking good, but not so shiny.

by contrast, a friend had powdercoated mach 5 wheels and they chipped lots, leaving lots of bare metal. We sprayed them soon after

G

 

[I Leak Oil]

When I built my bumper I coated it with POR-15 then top coated it with rattle can, VHT bumper and roll bar black. It's been 7 years now and it still looks great and the POR has held the rust from scratches at bay very well.

The key with the POR on virgin metal is to get the metal prep spray they sell. Then, POR has to be top coated as it is highly sensitive to UV rays.

Go rattle can on a bumper.

 

[goodtimes]

If you *really* do beat the bumper up, and not just say you will beat it up to justify using an inferior coating to save a few $$$, a rattle can works. Do all the prep work, and the finish will look pretty good -- for a couple years. But be aware that pulling the bumper off every 2 - 3 years to restore the finish (rattle can paint just doesn't hold its luster very long) gets old the very first time you do it. Been there, done that. If I did it over, I'd powder coat it.

My most recent paint job on the Jeep included hitting the bumpers and sliders with automotive trim-coat (a semi-gloss black paint intended for chassis parts). I buy it in quart cans and spray it with a HVLP paint gun. That works better than a rattle can, IMO. But you gotta have a compressor and gun (guns are cheap -- <$100 for a decent one).

 

[TangoBlue]

Powder Coat on a properly prepared surface can't be beat, e.g., bumpers or limited abuse items.

However, for those items like skid plates, sliders, etc., that are designed to be abused Rusoleum is hard to beat and can be easily touched up. I try to stay on top of rust so after every outing, after I clean up the truck, I try to spot treat bare metal with a shot of paint from the spray can.

 

[dustboy]

I vote rattle can. You don't necessarily have to pull the bumper off to touch-up, I just mask where needed, give the spot a light sanding and shoot. Also, don't wait for the primer to dry before topcoating with Rustoleum, the two will bond better. You might get some grey spotting through the black on the first coat, but the second coat will cover it.

I recently used a brush-on Rustoleum bedliner product that I found at Auto Zone, it's not as smooth as a spray can but seems pretty tough. It doesn't build thick like the herculiner type products.

 

[Dave Bennett]

POR-15 doesn't adhere to fresh/smooth metal very well - it's meant for rough/rusted metal - so probably not the best choice for a new bumper (unless you let it sit out for awhile)

Rustoleum oil based enamel is my choice - you need to brush it on, but it self levels fairly well & holds up better than any spray paint I've seen

I agree on the RustOleum being great chassis paint for new metal vice POR-15, and way better than spray cans, however, I tire of the "re-do" it every season thing... been there done that. Powder coat is far better IMO and pays for itself.

If you *really* do beat the bumper up, and not just say you will beat it up to justify using an inferior coating to save a few $$$, a rattle can works. Do all the prep work, and the finish will look pretty good -- for a couple years. But be aware that pulling the bumper off every 2 - 3 years to restore the finish (rattle can paint just doesn't hold its luster very long) gets old the very first time you do it. Been there, done that. If I did it over, I'd powder coat it.

x2

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

I have been through this dilemma myself many times. If you do powercoating it is a matte color and you can use a Rustoleum "satin black" to touch up but it is by far the most durable coating. I generally think powercoating is the way to go usually.

My solution has been to use a product called Zero Rust (available by order at most autobody supply places) which is basically a cheaper more durable version of POR. It is sort of like a truck bed-type thin polymer based material that also adherers very well to a wide assortment of metals (particularly if they are clean). I use HVLP gun (currently on sale for $20 at Harbor Freight with the mailorder coupon) and it cleans up very nicely. It's also way way cheaper than even rattle cans and a gallon should even last years. You can touch it up whenever and you can also buy it in rattle cans as well, or many auto body supplies will also put it in rattle cans for you. It's about $60 a gallon, which is about $15 a quart and a pint in a HVLP gun will probably do an entire bumper and then some.

Here are the results. I recommend it strongly...

 

[Deleted member 9101]

bedliner gets my vote

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

Rattle can is easy, quick, cheap and x2 for all of that when you scratch your bumper and have to touch it up. I use the Rustoleum professional enamel from HD or Lowes and have had great results. Will stick to just about anything, including plastic, holds up well, and touch-up's aren't even noticeable.
.

from a DECADE of rock-crawlin/wheelin...the rustoleum professional is what alot of guys use on their chassies!!...you can touch her up and keep rockin (no pun intended)

Rustoleum oil based enamel is my choice - you need to brush it on, but it self levels fairly well & holds up better than any spray paint I've seen

I've actually painted an ENTIRE truck with this stuff!!...thin it by half (read the instructions) and get a CHEAP paint gun from HDC or harbor freight (gravity no siphon...it has the paint contianer on the top!)..

its WICKED easy...WICKED durable...and comes in MANY colors at tractor supply and WALMART!!.. (dont be scared of paint guns!!..just make sure your plastic'd off from everything you DONT want painted if your doing a sizeable project..it will overspray badly onto anything near you...(like your garage floor/walls/wife CAR (no I didnt spray the car)... but its a nice setup..)

oh...and after buyin the stuff to use the paintgun...its CHEAPER than rattlecans!!! (by about HALF!!)

 

[VicHanson]

It's about $60 a gallon, which is about $8 a quart and a quart in a HVLP gun will probably do an entire bumper.

Is that the new math? ;-) It comes out to $15 a quart on my calculator.
Vic