Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

[G A.]

I have looked through the archives and think I understand the drawbacks to this coating. Still, I believe I would like to go this route.

My question is this; Am I wrong thinking that I can apply it with a foam or roller or brush (maybe a bristle brush?) and have a finished product that looks good?

Your experience and opinion please.

Dan

[Edward J.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Dan, Spraying is the way to go. thats the way the factory did it.Spend the money for the correct paint I think any other method of painting would not look as good.

[Dale O.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Dan,

I used a primer spray gun to apply the Quanta product over Eastwood Rust Converter and it worked very well. I doubt that you could roll or brush the material and have it flow out very well. One option would be to try the brush/roller method on a small area of the frame and see what happens. It should be easy to remove if it does not look good.

Dale

[Joe L.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Dan, Spraying is the way to go. thats the way the factory did it.Spend the money for the correct paint I think any other method of painting would not look as good.

Edward-----


I'm not so sure that the factory did spray the coating on. Once-upon-a-time I was told my someone that I believed was "in-the-know" that the A. O. Smith plant in Milwaukee used a process where the frames were moved into a "tub" of some sort and coating from hoses was flowed over the frame. The tub captured all the coating that was not actually applied to the frame and it was re-circulated. Obviously, if such a process was actually used, it would not be practical to use in a restoration so spraying might be the best substitute process available today for a restoration.

[John H.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Edward-----


I'm not so sure that the factory did spray the coating on. Once-upon-a-time I was told my someone that I believed was "in-the-know" that the A. O. Smith plant in Milwaukee used a process where the frames were moved into a "tub" of some sort and coating from hoses was flowed over the frame. The tub captured all the coating that was not actually applied to the frame and it was re-circulated. Obviously, if such a process was actually used, it would not be practical to use in a restoration so spraying might be the best substitute process available today for a restoration.

Joe -

That's what the A.O. Smith frame plant in Granite City did on midyear frames too; I only saw it once, but it was essentially the same process as the "flow-coat" prime system used in the St. Louis main plant where all incoming raw steel parts were primed, except the booth in the frame plant was much larger. Think booth with lots of showerheads spraying black paint from all directions, with a grate floor and a sump below it to catch and recirculate the excess.

[Michael H.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Joe -

That's what the A.O. Smith frame plant in Granite City did on midyear frames too; I only saw it once, but it was essentially the same process as the "flow-coat" prime system used in the St. Louis main plant where all incoming raw steel parts were primed, except the booth in the frame plant was much larger. Think booth with lots of showerheads spraying black paint from all directions, with a grate floor and a sump below it to catch and recirculate the excess.

John,

I've heard that the frame coating process changed when it was moved from Granite City to Milwaukee for the C3 era but I don't know what the change was. Have you ever seen this in Milwaukee?

I know frames in Granite City were sprayed, just as you mentioned.

[John H.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

John,

I've heard that the frame coating process changed when it was moved from Granite City to Milwaukee for the C3 era but I don't know what the change was. Have you ever seen this in Milwaukee?

I know frames in Granite City were sprayed, just as you mentioned.

Michael -

Nope, I've never been in the AOS Milwaukee plant; I was transferred to another assignment in early '68, and was only briefly involved with the Corvette after that.

[Ron G.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Guys,

Many years ago I did extensive research with personnel that worked on the line at A.O. Smith. Frames were not sprayed and not dipped. The painting process is called the "flo - coat system". This consisted of 2 men at each end of the frame which at the time was right side up and just came out of a heat oven to dry out the frame after it was manufactured. It was baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. The 2 men at each end of the frame each held a hose that was 2" in diameter and the paint was pumped out of the hoses onto the very warm frame. Asphalt paint was used from 1953 thru March of 1968. After this time A.O. Smith used the same method of application, but the paint was Dupont 640 black primer which was nothing more than a cheap enamel base. The frames with the asphalt paint had a propensity to run more than the 640 black primer as the latter possessed superior properties than the asphalt. Was this means is that an early 1968 Corvette could have asphalt paint and the later build car would have teh Dupont 640 black primer. Again, this really is not a primer, but just an enamel based paint. I could write here all night about frame finishes, not because I know everything, because I don't. It is just that I went the extra mile as I was and still am in pursuit of assembly line accuracy. If you want to talk about the control arms I could even tell you who the vendor was that GM purchased the paint from. My only recommendation if you are going the asphalt route would be to prime the frame with a black epoxy so the asphalt would have something better than the bare metal to bite into. If you have runs on the frame, they should be going in the upwawrd direction when the frame is sitting as normal.

[Michael H.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Guys,

Many years ago I did extensive research with personnel that worked on the line at A.O. Smith. Frames were not sprayed and not dipped. The painting process is called the "flo - coat system". This consisted of 2 men at each end of the frame which at the time was right side up and just came out of a heat oven to dry out the frame after it was manufactured. It was baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. The 2 men at each end of the frame each held a hose that was 2" in diameter and the paint was pumped out of the hoses onto the very warm frame. Asphalt paint was used from 1953 thru March of 1968. After this time A.O. Smith used the same method of application, but the paint was Dupont 640 black primer which was nothing more than a cheap enamel base. The frames with the asphalt paint had a propensity to run more than the 640 black primer as the latter possessed superior properties than the asphalt. Was this means is that an early 1968 Corvette could have asphalt paint and the later build car would have teh Dupont 640 black primer. Again, this really is not a primer, but just an enamel based paint. I could write here all night about frame finishes, not because I know everything, because I don't. It is just that I went the extra mile as I was and still am in pursuit of assembly line accuracy. If you want to talk about the control arms I could even tell you who the vendor was that GM purchased the paint from. My only recommendation if you are going the asphalt route would be to prime the frame with a black epoxy so the asphalt would have something better than the bare metal to bite into. If you have runs on the frame, they should be going in the upwawrd direction when the frame is sitting as normal.

Ron,

It sounds like the frame painting process changed quite a bit when the operation was moved to Milwaukee for the C3 cars. The operation was a lot different for 63-67.

I still have some GM paperwork that describes the change from asphalt base frame coating to paraffin base coating. That change occurred in about 1973 or 74.

[Ron G.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Mike,

As I understand it, parafin started in 1976 production. The thing that confirms it for me is that like yourself and my 70-72 counter parts, I must have judged and just looked at literary hundreds of untouched frames and they all seem to follow the way of my research. I am not saying your wrong or I am absolutely correct, but I have to go with my personal observations. Don't get me wrong, I know you have been doing this probably longer than me and I respect what you say. Thanks.

[Joe L.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Guys,

Many years ago I did extensive research with personnel that worked on the line at A.O. Smith. Frames were not sprayed and not dipped. The painting process is called the "flo - coat system". This consisted of 2 men at each end of the frame which at the time was right side up and just came out of a heat oven to dry out the frame after it was manufactured. It was baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. The 2 men at each end of the frame each held a hose that was 2" in diameter and the paint was pumped out of the hoses onto the very warm frame. Asphalt paint was used from 1953 thru March of 1968. After this time A.O. Smith used the same method of application, but the paint was Dupont 640 black primer which was nothing more than a cheap enamel base. The frames with the asphalt paint had a propensity to run more than the 640 black primer as the latter possessed superior properties than the asphalt. Was this means is that an early 1968 Corvette could have asphalt paint and the later build car would have teh Dupont 640 black primer. Again, this really is not a primer, but just an enamel based paint. I could write here all night about frame finishes, not because I know everything, because I don't. It is just that I went the extra mile as I was and still am in pursuit of assembly line accuracy. If you want to talk about the control arms I could even tell you who the vendor was that GM purchased the paint from. My only recommendation if you are going the asphalt route would be to prime the frame with a black epoxy so the asphalt would have something better than the bare metal to bite into. If you have runs on the frame, they should be going in the upwawrd direction when the frame is sitting as normal.

Ron-----


I can tell you this, for sure: the frame coating on my September, 1969 built car wiped off with petroleum solvent and left a very dark brown color on the rags.

[Michael H.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Thanks Ron. Very possible it was the 75 or even the 76 model year. I still remember reading the new GM "Service News" that described the change. It could also have been "New Product Information" for the yet to be released 1976 model.

I still have most of the "Service News" from that era, 68-76.

[Ron G.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Joe & Mike,

What can I say. Never say never, but again my own research supports my observations, but I do believe what you say. As for Mike, is it possible that one day you can make me copies of that paper work at my expense? Thank you both.

[Terry M.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

I went through the CSN for 1968-69 for the new 1968-69 manual, and will get to the 1970-72 for that manual as time goes on. Nothing sticks in my memory from the previous reads, but I tend to stop at 1972 and I know that is my loss.

FWIW: I can still remember visiting the quarter car wash -- when it was still quarter -- to clean the engine compartment. Don't all groan at once; these were just used cars back then and all NCRS was interested in was the 1953-55. The coating on the front cross member of my 1970 lifted off in a sheet from the pressure of the water blast. I can't imagine the asphalt based coating doing that, but at the time I didn't too much care. The dirt went with that coating and that was the goal. That may have even been before NCRS, I can't remember when I did it but the 1973 "oil crisis" put the Corvette in storage for a long time..

[Tim E.]

Re: Applying Quanta asphaltic frame coating

Dan - I sprayed the Quanta coating when I did the frame on my '66. It sprayed no different than shooting a coat of primer, so it was easy enough to do. The asphaltic coating overspray creates a sticky mess on your shop floor so put down some painters plastic first! Also keep in mind that any solvent will disolve this coating...gas, bug/tar remover, practically anything but water! To get the best of both worlds, spray your frame first with an semi gloss black epoxy primer (like the PPG DP90LF) to get a good durable finish over the frame. Then top the epoxy primer with the Quanta coating for judging. That way, the frame is still protected in places where the Quanta coating gets damaged. Tim