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Hoping to have my frame out by the end of this weekend or midweek, in order to get it sandblasted. I was planning on having it painted professionally, but talking to a another old car guy, he said that a lot of the modern frame paints (like Rustoleum) can be painted on by hand and come out looking fine.

Anyone have any thoughts on hand painting vs. spray?

If I do handpaint, POR-15 vs. Rustoleum vs. ?

Has anyone hand painted and have it come out successfully or otherwise?

As always, thanks.

-Ken

Eastwood used to sell a special semi-gloss black frame and chassis paint in rattle cans that I had good experience with and could recommend as an alternative to paying a professional.

I would buy an inexpensive spray gun and give it a try. It is a frame and it would be a part of the car you could do yourself and learn on.

I agree with packards1. Buy a cheap spray gun and have at it rather than pay a professional unless you are planning on an invite to Pebble Beach. Personally I wouldn't bother with POR15 the paint dulls with age and is incorrect. It is very expensive but also very durable if applied correctly but if someone later on wants to remove it the paint it will probably have to be sandblasted off. I have had good luck doing touch ups with a spray can of semi-gloss rust paint like Tremclad.

My concern with buying a cheap spray gun is that it requires buying a cheap air compressor, then a cheap forced air respirator if you're using hardening acrylic enamel, then rewiring the garage for the air compressor.... !

The long term solution is certainly buying a compressor and spray gun, but I was also exploring short term ideas.

Perhaps craigslist will have the answer.

I shot the undercarriage of a '68 Mustang with DuPont Chassis Black in my garage with a 25 gallon Craftsman compressor (wired for 110V) and a Craftsman gun. It was easy (except for the lying on my back part...), came out nicely and didn't break the bank. You don't need the biggest or most expensive equipment to do decent work underneath the car.

I would caution against using POR15. Having gone this route the first time I took a car apart I can tell you that it's:
(a) expensive; (b) messy; (c) unusually glossy for a chassis coating; and (d) is not reversible. (sandblasting this stuff doesn't remove it!). Unless you really need a rock-hard coating, I'd stick with a quality paint system.

I think your Packard will come up really well Ken. Stick with it!

Just a brief comment . . . How you paint your frame comes down to personal choice, like quality of finish you want, how long it will last, how easy to clean (for example, if you want to maintain a show-quality finish) etc. My choice was spraying a catalyzed finish for durability. But mine is probably a bit glossier than the original finish so not 'original'(chassis-kote / semi-gloss black or whatever it should be). Doesn't bother me but could be an issue for others who want a 'totally original' restoration.

Regarding spray equipment: you can get a reasonable finish with a cheap gun, good enough for frame etc. I do suggest you think about whether you'll eventually want to spray the entire car yourself (- and enjoy doing it while saving a small fortune). If so, you may consider getting a reasonably high output compressor (12cfm minimum) as that's what will be required to operate a decent gun like a HVLP unit. Helpful too if you will use a grit blaster as they need a lot of air to operate.

IMHO compressor / spray gun / and possibly a grit blaster (for the dozens of minor parts that you'll be cleaning) are all extremely useful tools for a major resto like you will be tackling.

Ken, the POR-15 as well as Chassis Black and Chassis Saver all flow out and look very nice without all the brush marks that some paints will leave. Some actually flow out so well it looks like it has been spray painted. Although brushing these coatings is more time consuming than spraying the results can be just as rewarding and less messy as these coating stick to everything and will not come off if they get on to something not attended to be painted and you don't get to it before any length of time. These are like ceramic and will stay for a long time, so don't get it on your skin or anything else you don't want painted with it, and make sure you clean the top of the can and the lid ring very well before you close it up or you will not get the lid off again without cutting it off. It's good stuff!
Oh and some of these come in gloss, satin, silver and clear..and maybe other colors now..
Greg