coating the Aluminum Panels Question

[stevenburgess]

Ok, I have started my build and would like to ask when did you coat your panels with lizard skin or whatever you used. Was it before you installed them or later in the build? What are your thoughts or ideas. I plan on covering the exposed panels in the engine bay area with an insulation, more on that later, but I do intend to wipe lizard skin on the panels.

[carlewms]

Steven,

I was not sure if your talking of insulating or panel treatment ... Here is what I did. EdwardB has an excellent tutorial of using LizardSkin on his build thread, which I found was an excellent explanation on using the LizardSkin products.

I used SharkHideon all the visible parts inside the engine compartment. I used Dynamat Extreme on the cockpit side of the panels; I used professional undercoating on the "road" side of the panels. Here are a couple of tips from my experience:

1. Cleanliness is vital; wear rubber gloves and use clean rags when applying the SharkHideon
2. I wanted a directional grain, so I first cleaned the panel with water and spray cleaner; then used WD-40 with a scotch pad to creat the directional grain. I cleaned the panels again and made sure they were completely dry;
3. I coated after making any modifications or rivet holes on the panel;
4. When applying the SH, make sure you have the rag completely soaked...not dripping but without any dry spots. This avoids streaking on the aluminum;
5. Make no more than two passes all in the same direction when applying; most times one coat will do fine if you use 1/2 overlap on each pass;
6. Don't stop in the middle of a panel; and,
7. You can apply to a mounted panel but it's harder to avoid the streaking.

I am going to run a SBF stroked to 347 so I don't think I will have the heat load of a BBF. I mention this only because I would recommend avoiding insulation on the engine side ... It will be harder to keep clean and I believe the inside insulation will be more than enough to minimize the heat transfer.

Just my two cents and an alternative to LizardSkin.

[christenfreedman]

Steven,

I was not sure if your talking of insulating or panel treatment ... Here is what I did. EdwardB has an excellent tutorial of using LizardSkin on his build thread, which I found was an excellent explanation on using the LizardSkin products.

I used SharkHideon all the visible parts inside the engine compartment. I used Dynamat Extreme on the cockpit side of the panels; I used professional undercoating on the "road" side of the panels. Here are a couple of tips from my experience:

1. Cleanliness is vital; wear rubber gloves and use clean rags when applying the SharkHideon
2. I wanted a directional grain, so I first cleaned the panel with water and spray cleaner; then used WD-40 with a scotch pad to creat the directional grain. I cleaned the panels again and made sure they were completely dry;
3. I coated after making any modifications or rivet holes on the panel;
4. When applying the SH, make sure you have the rag completely soaked...not dripping but without any dry spots. This avoids streaking on the aluminum;
5. Make no more than two passes all in the same direction when applying; most times one coat will do fine if you use 1/2 overlap on each pass;
6. Don't stop in the middle of a panel; and,
7. You can apply to a mounted panel but it's harder to avoid the streaking.

I am going to run a SBF stroked to 347 so I don't think I will have the heat load of a BBF. I mention this only because I would recommend avoiding insulation on the engine side ... It will be harder to keep clean and I believe the inside insulation will be more than enough to minimize the heat transfer.

Just my two cents and an alternative to LizardSkin.

There you have it! Sounds about right...

[edwardb]

Ok, I have started my build and would like to ask when did you coat your panels with lizard skin or whatever you used. Was it before you installed them or later in the build? What are your thoughts or ideas. I plan on covering the exposed panels in the engine bay area with an insulation, more on that later, but I do intend to wipe lizard skin on the panels.

Lizard Skin is intended to be sprayed onto a completed assembly. I've heard of some guys brushing or rolling it on, and that would probably work. But not wiping. It's way too thick and heavy to be applied that way. Maybe, as Carl described, you're thinking of a wipe-on product like Sharkhide. There you would apply it to the individual panels before installation.

I've used Lizard Skin on both of my builds, and will again on another upcoming build. It's described in my recent Mk4 build thread. Link in my sig line. I did a separate thread with more detail here: http://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-factory-five-roadsters/342954-lizard-skin-application-experience.html

I also agree with Carl's comments that heat insulation on the inside of the cockpit is adequate, and the engine bay just looks better without it there. But that's strictly a personal opinion. I've seen hundreds of builds, and some guys just feel better putting something on the engine side. But I can tell you from practical experience with two builds and 4+ seasons of active cruising, properly applied insulation on the cockpit side completely removes heat as an issue.

[2bking]

I did a sand and buff on my panels and applied a clear coat of Rustoleum before I installed them. I experimented with the process until I found a way to make it repeatable so the panels would look similar. I used a Random Orbital sander with 120 grit to scuff the surface and then rubbed them with a green Scott Brite pad. Its very easy and doesn't take much elbow grease. I washed them with soap and water and applied the Rustoleum clear after they dried. The marking on the panels needs to be removed with acetone or MEK before sanding. If you try to sand it off, it will leave a faint water mark that can be seen through the clear coat with the light at a certain angle. Using this method allows me to rework the scrapes and restore the original finish.

I purchased the Eastwood Powder Coat gun and powder and use it to coat most of the other parts. I made a powder coating booth out of one of the FFR boxes and use an old electric oven to bake it. It takes about 30 minutes to coat a part and have it ready to assemble and the finish is amazing. I recommend it for all the FFR steel brackets. I use mostly black color powder but have other colors as well. The black is the most durable of the colors I have used. It takes about 15 psi of air flow to get a good coating so any air compressor can be used or even an air tank.

Lizard Skin is what I used for sound deadening and insulation and it needs to be applied after the panels are attached and before any wiring. The hardest part is the masking and figuring out where to apply it. Check out Edward's thread; he does an excellent explanation.

[stevenburgess]

Thank you for the replies, now I will have to think things over. I'm waiting for a few samples to look at and compare.

Thanks again.

[4.6 litre]

Steven,

.........I used SharkHideon all the visible parts inside the engine compartment. I used Dynamat Extreme on the cockpit side of the panels; I used professional undercoating on the "road" side of the panels......

Just my two cents and an alternative to LizardSkin."

Carl,

1. What did you use for your undercoating and how did you apply it? If you sprayed it on with a compressor do you think a 3 gallon HF pancake compressor would be adequate for the task?

2. Does the Dynamat Extreme provide both sound and heat insulation? How much Dynamat Extreme did you use for the cockpit area and what and how much insulation did you use for the other interior panel surfaces?

Comments from other Posters would also be appreciated?

Thanks,

Damien