Epoxy durability vs. Powdercoat

ksungela

ksungela

Member
I'm starting my next build and will need to paint the aftermarket chassis. I used powdercoat the last time which cost ~$800 and am now getting prices in the $900-1200 range. This is motivating me to look for alternatives. Anyone have an opinion on the durability of epoxy vs. powdercoat? I'd be spraying a satin black epoxy which I guess would reduce the hardness of it having to use a flattening agent.
Another questions, can I tint the epoxy to match body color? Would a jobber be able to do this, or would they need to be familiar with SPI epoxy in order to properly color match?
 
Nice rear end. ;) I did my frame with black epoxy. During assembly, every scuff leaves a permanent mark. Next time I am going to do a bc/cc or ss to cover the epoxy. I powdercoat all the small pieces. I think PC is easier than spraying all the small stuff.
 
Speaking only of SPI epoxy as all epoxy's are made different common to popular beliefs.

There are different grades of Powder coat, contrary to popular belief.
Problem with epoxy is the SPI full cure is 30-90 days, powder is right away.
The spi will come in about 5% less in tests then the very best powder coat.

You will not have much luck in tinting the epoxy, so this could be the decision maker for you.
 
Thanks Barry. How much am I compromising the durability of black epoxy by adding something to reduce the shine to say a semi-gloss or low luster appearance?
 
If adding a flattening agent of 20% you losing about 15%.
Best way is slam 3 full coats on, let set overnight and to leftover add 50% acetone and spray one coat, it will be dead.
 
Ok, sounds good....this leads me to another question. If I want to color coat the chassis, sounds like i would have to do a bc/cc process. How does the durability of Universal clear compare to the best powdercoat? If its not even close, any alternatives or combinations of SPI products i could use to achieve a "colored" durable finish on a chassis?
 
Ouch, once you get to actual color or clear coats, they don't hold a candle to powder-coat.
 
Looking at the picture, it's also going to be very difficult to get good coverage between those two outside frame rails with a spay gun. That's one of the advantages of powder coat is it will flow around the tubes to help get good coverage. But even then it's not the end all be all, PC also has difficulty flowing between two pieces of metal that are really close together. Also must consider the cost of all your paint materials and prep time if you go that route. Your going to spend over half your PC quote on paint materials if you choose to do it that way. Don't get me wrong, SPI all the way but sometimes the job just dictates using other methods. If you are trying to color match or specific custom color, then paint maybe the only way. Just black (any sheen) then I'd go PC (Unless it's a mirror under the car quality show job).
 
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