Powder Coating FD Plenum ???

[shaunwil]

After a bit of a 2 day disaster with trying to polish my UIM im seriously thinking of just getting it podercoated white. Most of it is smooth and i don\'t think i\'ll get it much better. Has anybody got any pictures of the plenum in any colour

I\'m looking at getting my greddy bend done in white too, but the throttle body for the time being will still be stock alloy. Looking at making the whole intake track in alloy pipe and then also getting it powder coated white too.

Cheers

Shaun

[rx7veilside]

ross sells them ready polished 50.00quid not worth ag od diy

[shaunwil]

I really wanted to get it sorted my self to be honest. Touched up a polished greedy elbow from ross in the past. It was nice, i just wanted to attack some of the hard to reach areas. After spending alot of time on it i think i like the idea of having it powdercoated now, just to be different. Plus it should cost less too !

Im probably too self critical, but i think i\'m going to get it done in white and it should look really good. If i can get it ceramic coated too then that will be the way to go !

Sanded all the easy to reach areas to 1200 grit but the areas around the UIM and LIM are really nasty. I just don\'t have a big enough wheel to attack the whole thing. Plus my plenum is pretty well pitted and the powder coat will cover this up nicely !

I\'ll post some photos of how it looks when i get it back !

Shaun

[interloper393]

Hope u dont ever leave the oil cap off n start the engine if your painting it all white :yes

[shaunwil]

lol, had to completly strip the plenum of its bits and then it went in an acid bath, got powder coated on the outside and then baked ! Got it back on the car, but i disconnected the pressure sensor. So after an hour of re-stripping looking for the fault i found the pipe loose. Will take some photo\'s tommorrow. I think it looks alot cleaner and the throttle body and alternator case will get the same treatment next !

Shaun

[interloper393]

Im guna scrub mine n have it steam cleaned n go fae there..

[shaunwil]

its not an easy job to get them polished up. Just too much many nooks and crannies. I\'d spent 2 days smoothing it to no avail !

Shaun

[shaunwil]

Got the bits back on now, not taken it out for a spin yet, so not sure if all is fine ! Just thought i\'d post a couple of pictures. next job is the throttle body and the alternator. Then i\'ll make my 70mm pipes in aluminium and powder coat them too !





Shaun

[Ada7]

Didnt think i would like this when you first mentioned it but i think it looks cool Gonna be  a bugger to keep clean though ha ha
I was recently thinking of getting a few bits a pieces polished up(plenum, alternator, pipes etc) but looking at the finish you got there it might be nicer to have them powder coated.
How much did you have to pay?, if you dont mind me asking

Adam

[shaunwil]

I think it should be way easier to keep clean compared to polishing, its been laquered as well, so should just wipe clean with a damp soft cloth. Polished stuff re-oxidises. For the plenum and the greddy bend powder coated in white with a clean laquer was 50quid. Its was 40 without the laquer. I had smoothed most of the plenum first though and completely stripped the plenum down, removing all the sensors and butterflies. They did all the masking. Only real concearn is get them to plug the hole in the middle, not mask, the bolt doesn\'t cover over the mask completly !

The alternator will need to be completly stripped of its innerds to get powder coated and its a bar steward to put back together !

Shaun

[iiyama]

I think it should be way easier to keep clean compared to polishing, its been laquered as well, so should just wipe clean with a damp soft cloth. Polished stuff re-oxidises.
Shaun

This is exactly why mine is going to be carbon...... Much easier to keep clean!

Oh and its super sexy!!!  

[interloper393]

Looking very smart bud, i was the same, didnt think id like it but im impressed :yes

[shaunwil]

Cheers, its only really the start. lol. Im a bit worried about taking the throttle body to bits. It has so many parts connected to it. Just need a 2nd hand one ! It\'s just something a bit different, plus you can have it in any colour you want.

Shaun

[interloper393]

I know that u spent ages smoothing it all but where i got my wheel powder coated, they have a process called bead shot?? dunno if u heard of it but they blast it with small bearings and it smooths it all off i.e takes all the pitting away...

Well its something i wreckon i cud consider looking at yours, at leat u can colour code the whole bay now lol.. gunna look great when its finished, only prob is the more complete the part your gunna have coated the more likely they are to miss masking a hole n blocking it up

[shaunwil]

Bead blasting only takes the surface crap off. I\'ve done some of it when i was a machinist. It is great for removing rust and crud but nothing else. It takes an even amount off when used. Plus it takes and an absolute age to do.

You have to remove all the bits because aluminium needs to be washed in an acid solution before it is coated. Plus when they coat the bits if it was a full unit everything would be covered. If they miss masking something then you would just run a tap or drill down the hole. The guy i went to did a good job !

Shaun