Painting new rollbar

[glasgow]

Hello, all.

Bought a new FIA rollbar to replace my standard one. I am thinking of having it painted in matching colour to the car (yellow).

Is it just a matter of spraying paint on top of the existing black colour?  any preparation needed? what to do with the 2 stickers on the diagonal bar? How much would I expect for professional painting? 

 

Could it be a DIY? (don't have a compressor)

Regards

Ahmed

[Jonathan Kay]

How fine a finish do you want?

I'd probably talk to local powdercoaters, ask if they can match for colour, and what preparation they recommend, which i'd expect to be some sort of blasting.

...

Is it just a matter of spraying paint on top of the existing black colour?  

No.

any preparation needed?

Yes. For painting there's probably some aphorism such as the quality of preparation being 90% of the quality of finish. Watch some Wheeler Dealers or American Hot Rod! :-)

...

what to do with the 2 stickers on the diagonal bar?

Do you want the certification stickers to show for competition use? If not I'd remove them as part of the preparation, and start with WD-40 and a nylon brush and my fingernails.

Jonathan

PS: I have a blind spot about wrapping. Is that a contender for this job?

[elie boone]

I would always mask the FIA stickers. A Scotch brite should be ok to prep the surface. What color do you want it to become, if it's yellow or red use a clear grey primer it makes it easier on the paint consummation, i.e. you don't have to put 5 or so layers to get it covered.

[Roger Ford]

If you send it away for powder coating, make it very clear that you will not be paying and you will expect a replacement bar if they remove or coat over the FIA sticker. I've known more than one person who's had a cage powder coated and it's come back without the stickers in spite of the promises beforehand.

Fortunatelty for race scrutineering they never check the stickers. But for some strange reason, sprint / hillclimb scrutineers do seem to check them. So unless you are quite certain that the car (or the bar is you ever sell it separately) will never be used for sprints or hillclimbs, you need to keep that sticker.

[Roger Ford]

From a previous life: Bodger's Guide to Paint Spraying

[Ian Mackenzie]

I've painted a few cages, I agree with Jonathan 90% is in the prep. If you want a smooth finish you'll need to rub back any stone chips etc, if you can feel a chip by hand, you'll generally see still see it once painted.

Any big rubbing then use 600 grit then smooth off with 800 grit for the roll bar to give a key to the paint. Then undercoat and top coat. If you then want to flatten the paint T-Cut scratch remover can be used as a rubbing compound which is easily available.

Cheers

Ian

[glasgow]

Thanks for the reply.

If I take it to someone to do it. Is a bodywork repair shop ok for this job or it has to be powder-coater? (it is a new bar so can't see the need for a  powder coater).

Any idea about the cost please?

A

[Ian Mackenzie]

I'd estimate £100-200 from a power coaters, similar from a paint shop......someone who has done this will give you a more accurate guide....

If sending away to be done I'd go for powder coating...

Cheers

Ian

[AndrewE]

Not painting related but where was the bar from?

[glasgow]

Bought from Caterham cars

[Dave J]

Had my FIA bar done a few months ago, local powder coater outside Cardiff, who had done my wishbones before, he quoted£40 cash. Blast, passivate (sp?) type coat and powder coat in RAL number paint. 

ps - he did all my wishbones, arb and trailing arms for £60.

 

 

[JNC]

Powder coating as far as I know !.  Powder coat is applied to bare metal and can't be over coated ! Apart from paint. Powder coat is applied via a positive/negative charge the powder sticks to the bare metal it's then baked in a high temperature oven , the reason stickers are removed 1 shot blasting  2 high temperature oven . 

I would be a bit concerned to powder coat a roll bar for the second time due to heat distortions  ! It may twist and not fit the car .much safer to use Ech coat primer then the desired colour. 

[Bricol]

I wouldn't worry about a second round of powder coating causing distortions - peak stresses may have been relieved in the first round at the curing temp of 200 ish C, so if it fits now, it'll fit again. 

Proper steel stress relieving is up around 600 C.  Sometimes causes me grief if we've not left enough meat on a part for final machining after relieving.

[David Brown]

Hi Ahmed, no problem overcoating as long as the surface is roughed up and it's only had one coat. Gets progressively harder to coat as thickness builds. I think your main problem will be finding someone who has the correct shade of yellow. Powder coating is normally a high volume process and powder production is not an easy process so manufactured in large batches. Black, clear, etc are easily available and colours that are used on alloys but doubt yellow will be. We used to struggle to buy 25kg of colours like that, which would cover 400 alloys and cost circa £15/kg for yellow with only certain shades available. Go wet paint. 

David