PowderCoating Special through December 31

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CudaChick1968

CudaChick1968

Leanna ~ The Mistress of Metal
FABO Vendor
Joined
Jan 17, 2005
Messages
11,204
Reaction score
4,751
Location
Greenfield, Tennessee
Redfish commented in another thread that powder coating is the "ultimate," but mentioned that it's too cost prohibitive. I'm copying my response here just to get some more coverage.

Why people think powder coating is so expensive is beyond me. Maybe you guys just use the wrong shop?? :sad10:

A half pound of powder costs about the same as three rattle cans of spray paint, and goes quite a bit further. It also lasts longer, is highly resistant to chipping and won't peel (if it's cured right), and is now available in every color and texture you can imagine -- some even look like leather. I can custom match it to your paint job for an extra fee. One of the biggest benefits is that you don't have to polish anymore; it just wipes clean with a damp rag.

The only problem I've got with it is that I need more business so I can upgrade to a larger oven that'll hold dashboards, k-frames, bumpers, rear end housings, etc.
C'mon guys -- please help me out!!! :clock: To offer a little more inspiration, I'll even toss in a 20% discount through December 31, 2007 to every FABO member. Just be sure to let me know you saw this post when you call or write for a quote.

Thanks in advance for the opportunity to earn your business!!!
 
Leanna what happened to that awesome avatar you had? The new one promotes your company but the old one rocks. Wish you were closer I could definately use some powdercoating on my project. I agree much better quality and durability than spray bombs especially on suspension parts. I heard there is a new color of powder coat very similar to chrome is this true? If so how close is it to an actual chrome finish? A finish like this on Valvecovers would sure beat replacing chipped and heat damaged paint! Lets give this girl some business guys check out her work it rocks!
 
yeah...come on guys... i'm waiting on getting my UCAs and LCAs done until i can get the k member done with it :)
 
70dart said:
Leanna what happened to that awesome avatar you had? The new one promotes your company but the old one rocks.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement 70Dart ... you're a sweetheart.

I've never b.s.'d you guys before and I'm not going to start now. You've probably already guessed that I'm not 'most women,' so being honest on this forum shouldn't surprise any of you either. Pardon me for a long post and a bit of soapboxing but this needs to be said.

I'm glad you like my photo, but it's been mentioned more than once that despite doing top-notch powder coating work, I can't possibly be taken seriously looking like that in a male-oriented business ... so I'm experimenting with different things right now from an advertising perspective. Don't be surprised to see a new avatar of me all suited up in cover-alls with my goggles, mask and a towel over my hair media blasting an intake. And don't be surprised if you see me at a car show and discover the avatar photo looks kinda familiar.

You can believe it: I really do all this myself from start to finish and I know what I'm doing. What I look like has no bearing whatsoever on the kind of work I turn out, but yet I'm not nearly as busy as I need to be in order to keep my doors open and survive. So if this is what it takes to get you guys to pick up the phone and send me some parts, then so be it. Come to my shop. Check out my work on my website or in person if you happen to be in the area. I'm every bit as qualified as those ugly fat guys down your street or across town ... I just don't look like them.

I WANT to do this work. I WANT you to finish your car. (Heck, I want to finish my own car :-D) I WANT you to be able to afford to make your car look the way you want and still pay for the gas to show it off. I'm not doing this to get rich. My pricing reflects that before any discounts are thrown in, and I throw discounts in all the time. I'm doing this because I love it, I'm good at it, and I really reallllllly don't wanna go back to working for lawyers like I've done most of my life. It's cliche but it's true: Help me help you. And if I have to get down and beg, then send me some damn kneepads. (Hmmmm that sounds a bit sexual ... LOL)

70dart said:
I heard there is a new color of powder coat very similar to chrome is this true? If so how close is it to an actual chrome finish? A finish like this on Valvecovers would sure beat replacing chipped and heat damaged paint!
Click to expand...

Yes, chrome looking powder is now available. There are several suppliers out there but my personal favorite is one called "Super Chrome." Now I won't pull your lariat and tell you it looks exactly like chrome because it doesn't. It is very chrome-like and does look fantastic on valve covers, intakes (especially high-visual impact tunnel rams), rims, brackets, pulleys, etc., as long as it's not sitting right next to real chrome. You can tell the difference when they're right next to each other, believe me. It looks great on its own but you probably wouldn't want it on your bumperettes where they're right on top of your real chrome bumper.

There's lots of examples of the Super Chrome on my website in the main Gallery and in the "Before & After" subfolder. (Check out those old Ansen slots and the Hemi DeSoto valve covers here http://phoenixspecialtycoatings.com/Gallery/Before-and-After-Pics?page=3.) There's another one on there too called "Reflective Chrome," but I prefer the Super ... it's just more chrome-like in my opinion.

Guys and gals, thanks for letting me be me ... thanks to my prior customers for displaying confidence in my abilities ... and thanks to all of you for understanding where I'm coming from and why I decided to take the honest approach and post all of this. I certainly appreciate the opportunity.
 
Leanna, so this chrome coating would you say it is more similar to a polished stainless? It looks pretty awesome in the pics. A really nice way to dress up the engine without the expense of chrome. Can powder coating only be done on metal components or can plastics be done as well such as heater, radio and dash bezels and instrument panels?
 
Leanna, what you or anybody else looks like has no bearing whatsoever on the quality of work that you or they do in my book. The one thing that I look for when I have work done for me is, I don't want to feel like I got ripped off. That is the worst feeling any customer can have because word of mouth can really hurt a business.

By the way, keep your pic in your sig line. Your gorgeous!!!!!!

Jack
 
Leanna don't worry about your looks we have seen your work on your site and it's awesome. With your looks youu could sell ice to an eskimo. Trust me once some members from here get you to do some coating for them and word gets out you will have all the business you can handle. By the way the company name and story behind is cool, obviously some thought went into that, just like your work obviously.
 
70dart said:
Leanna, so this chrome coating would you say it is more similar to a polished stainless? It looks pretty awesome in the pics. A really nice way to dress up the engine without the expense of chrome.quote]


Thank you! It DOES look awesome and is very cost-effective compared to getting things chromed nowadays. The EPA is really cracking down on chrome shops the last few years and it's getting harder and harder to find one. The feds don't mess with me at all since what I do is environmentally friendly and releases minimal VOCs, if any.

I'd say the Super Chrome is more of a burnished stainless look rather than polished. It has a reflective quality like chrome, but it doesn't capture the total mirror-like detail of real chrome. For lack of a better description, you can see yourself in it, but you couldn't tell if you have a blackhead. How's that??? (So I'm a chick ... what can I say??? :-D) Once it's been clear coated, it retains that look and gives it a deeper shine without the anodization you always find later in chrome and polished aluminum. Plus you don't have to polish it anymore, just wipe it off once in a while. You can even buff it if you want to but it's not necessary.

70dart said:
Can powder coating only be done on metal components or can plastics be done as well such as heater, radio and dash bezels and instrument panels?
Click to expand...

There are innovations in the industry the last few years where other people are powder coating wood but, as far as I know, no one has yet been able to successfully powder coat plastic.

Regardless of what part you want to have coated, IT HAS TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND A MINIMUM OF 400 DEGREES for at least 20 minutes (and sometimes longer) to be successfully cured. All plastic components, rubber, seals, o-rings, etc., must be removed ahead of time because they won't survive the process. In other words, I can coat your blower or supercharger after disassembly but couldn't do your power steering pump. (Wait, it can be done, but it probably wouldn't work very well afterwards unless you sent it back to the factory for reassembly. And then they'll just strip off my work and paint it black like they always do anyway.)

I cleared a brand new Edelbrock RPM Performer last week. I had some concerns about the factory red, white and blue "Made in USA" sticker they use now and figured it would turn black or lift in the oven. I was delighted to see that it survived completely intact; the glue didn't release or leak and the colors remained true. That sticker'll last a long time now since it's been encapsulated in clear coat.

Thanks for the well thought out intelligent questions. Keep them coming!!!
Click to expand...
 
Coyote Jack said:
Leanna, what you or anybody else looks like has no bearing whatsoever on the quality of work that you or they do in my book. The one thing that I look for when I have work done for me is, I don't want to feel like I got ripped off. That is the worst feeling any customer can have because word of mouth can really hurt a business.

By the way, keep your pic in your sig line. Your gorgeous!!!!!!

Jack
Click to expand...


I'm glad to hear you feel that way Jack!

I've owned my 68 Barracuda Fastback for over 16 years. I bought it for $250 as a total POS basketcase in 1991 and have put my heart, soul, blood, and tons of money into it to make it what it is today. It's still not done (working on the interior now). Because I do what all of you guys do, I know exactly what you're going through. Restoring anything in this day and age of televised car auctions and fly-by-night parts houses is expensive, time consuming and frequently frustrating.

I have no intentions of giving anyone less than high quality work and a bargain for their money because I would want the same if the tables were turned. If I wouldn't put it on my car, I'd NEVER ask you to put it on yours. Getting ripped off is the worst feeling in the world. I also know that word of mouth is the best advertising that money can't buy.

After my long-a$$ post yesterday I had four p.m.'s and two telephone calls for quotes from the FABO membership. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and gave me confidence that you're listening and willing to respond. Rest assured that I'll never do any less on this end. You guys are TERRIFIC!!!! :-D
 
Ok!! now I can see it will be ok to say, Wow!! you have been blessed with beauty and brain's mam. I like your site, and there is some great work going on there. I am hoping to find a two barrel aluminum intake for my slant build and send it your way.
You are not far from me here in Northeast Ar.
I enjoyed seeing your mascot!!
Hope all goes good Leanna, hope I did not get out of line here:thumblef:.
 
Leanna,

Good for you! You seem to be working incredibly hard to get your business on track. My wife to be has been a BMW master tech for 7 years running and her work is impeccable. I know, I've seen it. Knowing this, there is no reason why a woman can't do powdercoating as well as a man.

I just thought I would let you know that some power steering pumps can be stripped down so they can be powder coated. The Saginaw pump on my Ramcharger would be one example. The rebuild kit was even availible at the local Checker Auto.

Good luck in your endeavors!
 
Thanks for the answers to my questions Leanna, wish I was at the powder coating stage now! Hopefully will have the money when the time comes. I would rather pay a little more to have it done thean to paint components and repaint and detail in a couple of years. I too started with a super chaep POS basket case with a lot of holes in the basket as you will see once I start a resto thread hopefully in the near future. Thanks again!
 
Hi Leanna,

Quick question on pricing/shipping policies ... I see on your website that it's approximately $75 to do a 4-barrel intake ... I'm trying to get a ballpark idea of cost if I sent my stock intake to you in it's present painted condition ? I will probably keep it when I pull the engine over the Winter and powder coating sounds much better than spray can street-hemi orange ...

Thanks,

Kenny
ps .. good luck on keeping your business running, I know how hard that is. I'm planning on totally re-doing my Duster so hopefully we'll have parts criss-crossing from CT to TN all Winter
 
siegenthaler.16 said:
how does powder coating hold up to high heat for like manifiolds/headders
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Though I hate to refuse a job and send any business elsewhere, the absolute best advice I can give everyone on headers and exhaust manifolds is to use JetHot's ceramic coating. Though it's expensive, it's worth the money in my opinion, and it lasts for a very long time. (My own headers on my 340 were done by JetHot.)

Even my high-temp powders are only good to 1000 or 1200 degrees depending on the color you choose. This just isn't high enough for exhaust applications. Though some powder coaters will take your money and do their best on high temp applications, you'll see color changes and peeling a short time later and eventually have to enlist a ceramic coater to fix it anyway.
 
'70_Duster_340 said:
Hi Leanna,

Quick question on pricing/shipping policies ... I see on your website that it's approximately $75 to do a 4-barrel intake ... I'm trying to get a ballpark idea of cost if I sent my stock intake to you in it's present painted condition ? I will probably keep it when I pull the engine over the Winter and powder coating sounds much better than spray can street-hemi orange ...

Thanks,

Kenny
ps .. good luck on keeping your business running, I know how hard that is. I'm planning on totally re-doing my Duster so hopefully we'll have parts criss-crossing from CT to TN all Winter
Click to expand...


Kenny, I'm getting ready to add some more information to the Pricing / Shipping tab in response to several questions and great suggestions I've had from FABO members the last couple days. Keep them coming! Everything you say and all the feedback help make my website better and more informative, and that's always appreciated.

In the meantime, keep in mind that basic media blasting and metal prep is ALWAYS included in the quoted price. The only exception to this is if you have brand new polished or chromed pieces that you want coated directly over the existing finish (see the samples on the website gallery of the Summit chromed valve covers and aftermarket gauge cup & retainer done in Wilder Red -- they look FANTASTIC and give the part a whole new look). They weren't blasted at all, just cleaned and coated, and the cost was pretty minimal.

Anyway, the cleaner the parts are -- and the closer to bare metal -- when they arrive, the cheaper your bill will be. If it's just a coat or two of paint, that's one thing -- it'll blast right off, and I have to blast it anyway as part of the process. But if you send me a box of filthy parts you just pulled straight off the motor to work on, I'll happily do everything necessary to get them ready but you'll get a bill for cleaning them too. I'm not at all opposed to scraping off inches of road grime, wire brushing, angle grinding, and getting the parts clean enough to blast -- I do it all the time -- but I'd honestly rather spend my day spraying powders.

Any necessary repairs -- usually undetected until the blasting has been done -- can also be taken care of here at a reasonable price. We never undertake any repairs without a customer's advance approval. The old Pontiac Torker intake on the website had a fairly large crack on the underside near the heat bypass. The customer elected to have us block off the bypasses and repair the crack. Billy made two cover plates and attached them with a special high temp metal filler, and fixed the crack. You can't even tell it was there now. All the extra work added a whopping $30 to the customer's bill.

So, in a nutshell, assuming your intake doesn't need any extra repairs and it's not covered in grease when it gets here, you can pretty much count on a $75.00 fee to coat it in Hemi Orange.

Thanks for the well wishes Kenny! I'll look forward to helping you turn that Duster into everything you ever wanted it to be.
 
ramcharger said:
Leanna,

Good for you! You seem to be working incredibly hard to get your business on track. My wife to be has been a BMW master tech for 7 years running and her work is impeccable. I know, I've seen it. Knowing this, there is no reason why a woman can't do powdercoating as well as a man.

I just thought I would let you know that some power steering pumps can be stripped down so they can be powder coated. The Saginaw pump on my Ramcharger would be one example. The rebuild kit was even availible at the local Checker Auto.

Good luck in your endeavors!
Click to expand...


Ramcharger, I've never had a problem with hard work and this business is no exception. Your fiance's truly a lady after my own heart ... a master tech!!!! Wowwwwww that's awesome. I'm sure she's fabulous at what she does ... us ladies have a lot of patience and don't mind paying extra attention to the small details. Give her a hug and a high five from me.

Thanks for the info on the P/S pumps too -- that's handy to know, and I'll be sure to ask more questions the next time I get a call for a quote to do one. That's one thing about this biz ... it's diverse and I rarely get to do the same thing twice. I love it!

Thanks again everybody! I appreciate all the feedback and ideas.
 
CudaChick1968 said:
Kenny, I'm getting ready to add some more information to the Pricing / Shipping tab in response to several questions and great suggestions I've had from FABO members the last couple days. Keep them coming! Everything you say and all the feedback help make my website better and more informative, and that's always appreciated.

In the meantime, keep in mind that basic media blasting and metal prep is ALWAYS included in the quoted price. The only exception to this is if you have brand new polished or chromed pieces that you want coated directly over the existing finish (see the samples on the website gallery of the Summit chromed valve covers and aftermarket gauge cup & retainer done in Wilder Red -- they look FANTASTIC and give the part a whole new look). They weren't blasted at all, just cleaned and coated, and the cost was pretty minimal.

Anyway, the cleaner the parts are -- and the closer to bare metal -- when they arrive, the cheaper your bill will be. If it's just a coat or two of paint, that's one thing -- it'll blast right off, and I have to blast it anyway as part of the process. But if you send me a box of filthy parts you just pulled straight off the motor to work on, I'll happily do everything necessary to get them ready but you'll get a bill for cleaning them too. I'm not at all opposed to scraping off inches of road grime, wire brushing, angle grinding, and getting the parts clean enough to blast -- I do it all the time -- but I'd honestly rather spend my day spraying powders.

Any necessary repairs -- usually undetected until the blasting has been done -- can also be taken care of here at a reasonable price. We never undertake any repairs without a customer's advance approval. The old Pontiac Torker intake on the website had a fairly large crack on the underside near the heat bypass. The customer elected to have us block off the bypasses and repair the crack. Billy made two cover plates and attached them with a special high temp metal filler, and fixed the crack. You can't even tell it was there now. All the extra work added a whopping $30 to the customer's bill.

So, in a nutshell, assuming your intake doesn't need any extra repairs and it's not covered in grease when it gets here, you can pretty much count on a $75.00 fee to coat it in Hemi Orange.

Thanks for the well wishes Kenny! I'll look forward to helping you turn that Duster into everything you ever wanted it to be.
Click to expand...

Wow!!! Just when I start to lose faith, it seems there are more than a few honest business persons in the world !!

I appreciate the quick response, and no, I would never ship a dirty part to you ... I just don't have a media blaster (yet) but I'd always ship clean parts, sans paint unless it comes off w/ my pressure washer... I'll be in touch soon... We're still "hunkering down" in anticipation of Winter here, but it'll be here soon and then it will be time to turn all attention to the Duster ...

Can you deal with pulleys, etc. that were chromed in a previous life and have faded into a mixture of dull chrome and rust ??

Kenny
 
'70_Duster_340 said:
Wow!!! Just when I start to lose faith, it seems there are more than a few honest business persons in the world !!

I appreciate the quick response, and no, I would never ship a dirty part to you ... I just don't have a media blaster (yet) but I'd always ship clean parts, sans paint unless it comes off w/ my pressure washer... I'll be in touch soon... We're still "hunkering down" in anticipation of Winter here, but it'll be here soon and then it will be time to turn all attention to the Duster ...

Can you deal with pulleys, etc. that were chromed in a previous life and have faded into a mixture of dull chrome and rust ??

Kenny
Click to expand...


I worked for lawyers for 19 years but none of that rubbed off on me. I'm probably too honest for my own good Kenny. LOL

Had to laugh at your "dull chrome and rust." I've seen it before my friend! It's not a problem at all.

I can deal with anything you throw at me with the exception of ancient pot metal. Though it can be coated (and sometimes repaired) with limited success, the variances in the metal are just too great and the results aren't always as satisfactory as I'd like them to be. (I spent three weeks fighting with a set of gauge bezels from a 1959 Impala that had been sitting in a field for over 40 years. If the customer had wanted them done in a flat color I'm sure they would have "passed" as far as what I consider to be good work, but he wanted them in Super Chrome. Despite using every trick in the book and tons of repairs, and coating and stripping them four times, I still say they looked like crap ... pitted, bumpy, and not at all up to my usual standards, but he was happy with them.)

You can even elect a two-stage coating on your pulleys where one color goes over top of another (Super Chrome on the bottom and Manhattan Blue on the top, for example, or Blasted Aluminum under Plum Cast). There's no limit to what can be accomplished. As long as you're not mixing hybrids or epoxies with acrylics or polyurethanes, it'll look great and you can invent your own individual custom color. There's several examples on the website ... just look for the ones that say "over" in the caption and you'll see what I'm talking about.
 
Leanna,
Thanks for spending the time on the phone with me and talking even after you had steered me in another direction (in reguards to hi-temp stuff). You have an obvious passion for what you do and that is reflected in your work! Best of luck and I will be calling again when I am ready!
Slanted66

P.S. As I mentioned over the phone...bring back the old avitar......PLEASE!!!
 
Well Leanna. I may have to move the suspension work up to get this deal before Dec 31. I still have to get the parts clean of course as they were just taken off the car this past weekend. I am getting the wheelwells scraped, patched and painted before I work suspension parts. I will send you PM here in a little bit.
Question I have is this. How long does it usually take to prep and coat K-member, UCA, LCA? I just may plan a B-B-Q at your place for that day while I'm at it.
 
Depending on the current workload (and absent a bunch of needed repairs), parts are usually in and out of the shop within a few days at most. One of the main advantages of powder coating is that parts can be back in service within a few hours ... you don't have to wait for them to dry, just cool off slowly.

Since you live close, getting them prepped and coated within a few hours wouldn't be a problem if we made advance arrangements for a day certain. The shop's technically open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, but since it's also a social visit -- and there's A Bodies to show off :-D -- we could easily set something up for a Saturday or Sunday if that works better for you. Just try to give me some advance heads'-up time so I can arrange my schedule.

I've addressed your other questions in response to your P.M. Don't hesitate to call if you need more info or clarification on anything.
 
Slanted66 said:
Leanna,
Thanks for spending the time on the phone with me and talking even after you had steered me in another direction (in reguards to hi-temp stuff). You have an obvious passion for what you do and that is reflected in your work! Best of luck and I will be calling again when I am ready!
Slanted66

P.S. As I mentioned over the phone...bring back the old avitar......PLEASE!!!
Click to expand...


Joel, you're very welcome! I enjoyed speaking with you too. I'll look forward to hearing back from you when you're ready to get the stuff done for your slanty.

As far as the avatar goes, I'm not sure if it was my heartfelt plea for more business or the change of logo, but the phone's ringing a lot more and the P.M.s have picked up considerably since I changed it. We'll see............. ;-)
 
Thanks for all the great comments and feedback on my website. Despite about 20 replies to lots of really good questions in this thread alone, I forgot to mention one important thing since the holidays are upon us and money is tight everywhere.

PSC has attractive Gift Certificates available for those hard-to-shop-for motorheads on your list in any amount you desire. There's more info on the home page of the website at http://phoenixspecialtycoatings.com/.

Merry Christmas and the best of holidays to all!!!
 
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