Bare Steel Parts

[JeepFlyer]

After opening 15 of my 18 boxes I started to become overwhelmed by the number of bare steel parts I saw. In just the pedal box alone I counted close to a dozen. Does anyone really worry about these parts rusting and causing problems beyond the obvious eyesore that would create? Granted, at the moment I live in a severly hot and dry climate, but chances are good I may be moving to coastal Florida in the coming years, and salt spray is no bueno. I guess the thread about the pool chemicals just made me a little more paranoid than before. What is your policy? For simplicity, I'm thinking rattle can primer and paint for the little unseen pieces. Thoughts?

[michael everson]

I would gather them all up and send them out for powdercoating. Very durable and will last forever.
Mike

[SCFFR]

Definitely agree with Mike to have the parts powdercoated but would add to separate those that might need some adjustment/trimming/fitting and set them aside. Send them to the coater after you have test fitted them. For example, if you pedal arm needs to be trimmed or bent or you want to add different pedals, get that done first before coating. I lived in Florida for 20+ years so know that you can get rust as you look at the parts.

[Jeff Kleiner]

After you clean the raw steel with acetone or lacquer thinner to remove oils and contaminants a few coats of black Rustoleum works wonders. If Mommy is not home pop the parts in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes or so to bake it hard ;)

Jeff

[Bob Cowan]

Buy an oven, powder coating kit, and the colors you want. Do your own powder coating at home. You'll save money in the long run, and you'll save time. Usually from prep to installation is less than an hour.

[Gumball]

I used a combination of rattlecan paint and powdercoat. Anything visible was powdercoated, unless it wasn't something that would be a rust problem later; e.g., the aluminum and brass parts that are visible in the engine bay that I wanted black were just treated to a spray from the rattlecan. For the pedal box, all I painted was the lower portion of the lever arms that are visible hanging below the dash, as it appears that the stock Ford part has a thin plating on it to prevent corrosion. There are also lots of bare steel parts that go under the car and are subjected to severe environmental conditions, so those were powdercoated, too. I found it was much cheaper to take a large box full of small parts as the incremental cost was very low compared to taking just a few at a time - I think my largest order was something like 72 small bits and pieces (including the FFR hood hinge - something like 20 parts alone).

[Pierre B]

I too agree with Mike. I would add a reminder that, as good as rattle can paint may be, those products will not hold up as well as professional automotive finish products. Now a confession: I too used Rustoleum and the like on my FFR, and have seen few bad results. What concerns me about your situation is your plan to move to Florida. That would prompt me to take a few extra precautions. As good as powder coating is, it appears to chip easily. At least, that's what I have found on my chassis in certain places, but the underside of one of these wonderfully low-slung buggies is a harsh place for paintwork of any kind.
Professional priming and painting of certain critical parts would provide you better protection against the elements.

[SStrong]

I live near the Gulf coast in Tx. I discovered real soon that a lot of my parts were prone to rust. Rustoleum works real well. Some I put the clear rustoleum on. My nephew has a large powdercoating business, but he is 8 1/2 hours away (Tx is a big state) so taking small parts to him isn't real feasible. My upper steering shaft was where I first noticed it. Paint or powdercoat anything that might rust, plus do the same thing to all your aluminum pieces as they will oxidize also.