Automotive Powder Coating For Beginners

When it comes to building your dream ride, appearance is everything. You want it to look its best, and to have its own special appeal that nobody else has. Longevity and toughness, too, are paramount. The finishes you choose have to last. Then there is value and economy to consider. Everybody is on a build budget. All those things have to make sense.

If you haven’t used powder coating yet, this article will give you some solid information on its benefits over other custom finishes, what components it is ideally suited for, and the many choices you have in colors and textures.

Think Tough

Wheels take a lot of abuse. Rocks get thrown at them from the road, toxic brake dust eats at them, and heat from braking bakes them. All that takes its toll, yet we expect our wheels to look their best, year after year. Paint just doesn’t hold up well to any of that.
The same goes with suspension components. They are constantly bombarded by road debris, oil drips and vehicle fumes, yet rarely, if ever, get cleaned and shined.
All those components are ideal candidates for powder coating, the toughest coating available. Not a paint, the dry powder is electrically charged to form a molecular bond to freshly cleaned and sandblasted metal surfaces, then baked at 400 degrees in an industrial oven. The heat melts, smooths and forms the powder coating into the hardest adhering, toughest and longest lasting finish you can get. No paint system can give you all that.

Think Heat

Brake calipers get extremely hot, hot enough to ruin even high temperature paint. But not powder coating. Calipers do extremely well with powder coating, as do engine parts. Almost anything that is made of metal, even if it gets hot, is a candidate for powder coating.

Think Beauty

Many colors and textures are available with powder coating, giving you an almost unlimited variety of appearances to choose from. Achieve your unique vision. Powder coat finishes include satin, gloss, flat, high gloss, clear, fluorescent, candy, metallic, hammer, glitter, wrinkle and more. We can powder coat a variety of textures too. And our textured finishes can help hide surface imperfections. Because it’s tough, colors will remain bright and vibrant longer than with any other finish.

Think Clear

Clear powder coating serves the same purpose as the clear coat on paint does, only it’s tougher and lasts longer. It protects the underlying finish, and adds depth, luster, and gloss to the surface as well.

We apply the clear powder top coat while the part is still hot. It bonds better like that, and protects against color fading. That makes it a great option for any part that will have exposure to the elements like acid rain, exhaust fumes, sunlight or road debris. Wheels do great with a clear coat.

Think Economy

Do it once then forget it. No need to periodically strip and refinish your parts. In the long run, powder coating can be your overall lowest cost finish, when all things are considered. Let our staff talk with you about all these aspects. You will be pleased at what you learn, and you’ll get some good ideas for your build too. For example, several colors can be applied before curing them all together. That allows color blending, bleeding in special effects, and can give your build a truly unique look that nobody else has.

Yes, It Is Environmentally Friendly

Unlike paint, powder coating does not need a solvent to carry its pigment. So, the overspray can be easily collected, protecting the environment. And because there is no solvent, powder coats are typically applied much thicker than paint, giving you a more durable, stronger finish.

When Not to Use Powder Coating

Remember the oven we bake the finish in at 400 degrees? That means that your plastic grill, spoiler, air dam and ground effects can’t be powder coated. The heat would ruin those parts. Likewise, rubber parts can’t be powder coated either.
But you can get a custom, brilliant and long lasting finish applied to those items too. For that, we use a different process called hydro-dipping. It offers you a great alternative to paint for plastic and rubber materials, and we can even finish them in a special pattern or unique finish.

Powder Coating vs. Plasti Dip, Liquid Vinyl & Vinyl Wrap

Powder coating is a permanent color change. Other paint alternatives, though, like Vinyl Wrap and Liquid Vinylor PlastiDip, don’t require that the factory finish be sanded down to create a lasting bond on the plastic. For example, Plasti Dip can simply be sprayed on, then later easily peeled off when you want to change colors or do repairs.

We offer Liquid Vinyl HaloEfx as a good solution for coloring automotive rubber and plastic parts, emblems, lights and the like. It’s durable, removable, yet affordable.
Since our shop offers all these finish options, we can give you an unbiased opinion on which finish you would be happiest with for different parts.

Apex Customs

We are not a huge industrial factory, but are a small shop, which makes you are very important customer to us. We pride ourselves on being able to give you (and your build) the individual attention that bigger shops just can’t offer.

Call or email us and get a conversation started. You will be glad you did. Our sales staff will help you through the entire selection process, and help you choose the best powder coating, or other finishes, for your application.

We’ll gladly work on your budget too, on your time frame, and in the order of things that you want to get accomplished. Your pride of ownership will be solidly founded with the best finishes available.

Powder Coating