Need to paint my bars and see some are using a Hammertone and others brush on Rustoleum etc. Anyone have any pics or advice on the Hammertone or other sprays to bruch on? I will use a gray to match interior I guess. Thanks
I've used Rustoleum Hammered paint on the last 3 or 4 cars I've built. I've used the aerosol cans and have rolled it from the can. For the best "hammered" effect, don't prime the cage, apply it directly to the bare metal. I prep the cage using a scotch brite pad and then clean with lacquer thinner. It's easier to apply with a foam roller and alot less work without all the masking when applying from a spray can. Here's a few pics of my GN I did last winter...
I sanded my chromoly cage and clear coated it. Looked great. I can put up some pics if you'd like to see.
Pls post pics - getting ready to prep and paint my bar and looking for ideas. Thought about doing a Carbon Fiber look but that might be too much work.
Corbeau CR1's... Thanks Brett.. You can purchase it at Home Depot or Lowe's. I had to order the Gray, they didn't have it on the shelf. It comes in quart cans, one quart will be enough to do your cage. Also, you'll want to thin it down a little to get the paint to flow while rolling. I'm not sure what I purchased, but it's in the instructions on the can. The additive for thinning is also what you use to clean-up...
Thanks. Mine is chromoly also. Got the same seats as well in two tone. Hammertone is easy to touch up I would think? Any pics appreciated of the clear coated chromoly!
The black hammertone is actually a darker grey. That is what I used, quart can, foam brush. Didn't thin mine any.
Mike if you have seen mine, I finished it with the Hammertone black. I think that it looks more natural and blends with the black & gray interior nicely. The gray color is too silver for my tastes. Lowe's had plenty of cans on the shelf and one can should be enough for most people. I used scotch brite to scuff up the bars and painted them using a standard quality chip brush. This product will even paint over and stop surface rust. Sanding the bars to a smooth finish is unecessary. They actually need a slight roughing up to strengthen the paint's ability to adhere to the surface. The key is to not over work the paint once you have complete coverage on the section you are painting. It does a great job laying out evenly on its own. Before painting, be sure to mix the contents up thoroughly to properly disperse the chemicals that create the finish. It will take some time to paint your bars and the product is thicker than most. If you need to stop your project and pick it up later, a good stopping point is at a weld. This paint is excellent about smoothing out the appearence of the welds. Painting the bars near the ceiling can get tricky if your headliner is still in place.
What if I have already painted my roll bar black? Can I paint over the black paint with Hammertone if I scuff it up with a scotch brite pad?
Doing this should be no problem at all. Mine was already painted flat gray before applying the Hammertone. I would recommend getting some powderless latex gloves to keep your hands from getting fingerprints on the surfaces you are going to paint. Be sure to use at least a medium course pad to get it to dig in the paint. The Hammertone will smooth it out nicely. Once you have completely sanded your cage, wipe the bars down with some basic isopropyl alcohol that you can get at any drugstore. This will help remove potential contaminants that might cause the new paint to fish eye. On another note, using laquer thinner is fairly caustic and may strip away the existing paint if you would rather go that route. But even if you have chips and nicks in the existing paint, the Hammertone tends to lay on thick enough to smooth them out.
I had mine powdercoated prior to install...then I took one of the side bars to a local paint shop...they matched the paint and put in spray cans...I sprayed the areas around the welds where there was no powdercoat...spray paint matched perfect...here are a couple pics...
