Chassis Paints

[Crashtastic]

G'day brains trust,

The 70s done about 6 months worth of bush bashing now, and the "dealer" brand chassis paint is looking a bit worse for wear on some bits.

What's everyone's recommendations for touching up chassis paint? Supercheap brand 'chassis black' rattlecanned every few months, or are there some good rust prevention paints that people swear by? Is good prepwork worth it with the chassis, or is it a waste of time if it's likley to just get sandblasted/dragged on rocks next weekend?

 

[Les PK Ranger]

I’m a panel / paint bloke and to be honest it’s generally not worth doing such a task unless it’s part of a restoration.
Then you’d prep and 2 pack paint the chassis using a good industrial 2k black (paint and hardener).

If you just want it to look good whenever you feel it needs it, a good scour with scotchbrite and some of the rattle black is fine.

 

[cam04]

I wash mine and give it a hit with penetrol. It dries clear and glossy so keeps the look of the original chassis paint - and rust proofs.

 

[EffieC]

You could try POR products saw a demo at a car show in Sydney and it seems a good product
John M

https://porproducts.com/

 

[dno67]

I'd buy a single application machinery enamel, lm going to give my truck chassis
a lick when the weather's a bit warmer and more consistent.

 

[Albynsw]

I find the flat black rustkill type rattle cans from the big green shed work well
They dry a lot harder than the standard stuff

 

[greenmav]

I just coat with inox. Or Lanox. Twice a year. I do it after a chassis wash with the pressure cleaner, keeps everthing looking clean. Seems to help with reducing the amount of crap that sticks under there also.

 

[mac_man_luke]

I have found rust kill or dulux metal shield in satin or flat black to work pretty well and cheap. No matter what you use its going to get sand blasted again
Under side if mine looks pretty ordinary for 38k km, factory paint does seem to be very weak but really only seems to be cosmetic.
Got to do mine properly one day soon but needs a good clean and preferably on a hoist to do a good job.

 

[dno67]

I've been uaing this stuff from the big green shed, on wrought iron work l make for some time.

Works well and is pretty durable, will be using it on the truck chassis when l get
around to it.
From memory it's made by PPG.

 

[Colly18]

Just to throw a couple more options into the mix.
Once I have the vehicle underside and chassis clean and dry I use a liberal coating of fishoil (a few cans of cheap Australian Export Fish Oil works fine). It stinks a bit for a week or two. Then just re-coat every couple of years as required. Works for me! If you want the chassis to look prettier then wait a week for the fishoil to dry and coat with oil based enamel of your choice.
I also have used Ormonoid Bitumen Paint brushed under wheel arches and thinned with turps and sprayed onto the chassis and underbody. It seems to stand up to the rigors of gravel roads reasonably well and is easy enough to touch up. Plus it is is very cheap. Downside is bitumen paint is messy stuff to use and clean up after application.

 

[shanegtr]

You could try POR products saw a demo at a car show in Sydney and it seems a good product
John M

https://porproducts.com/

dont bother with POR if its getting applied to an area thats going to get peppered with stones. Painted it on my camper trailer and it didn't last one trip

 

[red hilux]

I fish oil everything under the car, in the chassis rails.

A month and a half later. I went to the beach. Sea sand got stuck to the oil.

 

[Colly18]

I fish oil everything under the car, in the chassis rails.

A month and a half later. I went to the beach. Sea sand got stuck to the oil.

I've never had that problem but then again I keep away from beach driving. I have noted that fishoil will pick up a dust hue from gravel/earth tracks. I'd say that's an argument for top-coating with chassis black paint.

 

[itlldoo]

Sea sand

there's your problem !
i thought you were on the beach mate !

 

[Les PK Ranger]

Fish oil hardly skins without a bit of a sticky surface, so yeah it can attract a bit of a coating of whatever you’re stirring up on the tracks.
When we mixed it with Tectyl 506 about 50/50 it was better as that stuff skins nicely.
We’d use that on rust weld patch repairs in restorations before further processes were done to seal the back off.
We thinned it to help get it through the long hose / nozzle inserted in cavities.

 

[Petunia]

Red dust works fine for me, coats the chassis beautifully, it works so well its making its way out the door lock buttons.
Live on a red dirt road, red dust is finer than talcum, in the real world ya live in the sticks ya get over painting stuff. Washed it once in 2 years, and then only because it rained.

people in Winton walking round in white tennis sox, washing behind numberplate covers, complaining of chips underneath .... me rolls out dirt an ***t head to toe looking like a local, doors still shut, that's good enough.

 

[Les PK Ranger]

Love Winton.
Do you know Youngy (Bob) ??

 

[Petunia]

Love Winton.
Do you know Youngy (Bob) ??

Ah, no.

I've been out round Winton, Muttaburra, Aramac, without white tennis socks, and been asked if I was a local, Old Yella looked like it belonged, so did I never did paint its chassis either!