Avanti Frame paint

[swvalcon]

Where the 63-64 Avanti frames painted black from the factory or just bare steel? Reason I ask is the R-2 I'm working on what I thought was rust scale was caked on dirt and mud and when I stated to wire brush it off the frame under it is all painted black. I mean everything. Frame rails, Rear springs, Rear end . Pretty much everything. I find it hard to believe the paint could still be on it even on the west coast after 60 years. But to be painted the way it looks like it was the body would have almost had to have been off.

[64studeavanti]

I have removed bodies and worked on frames for 3 Studebaker Avantis. All were painted black. There is some debate whether semi or gloss paint. I went with gloss as the picture on page 1 of the "propeller shaft and universal joint" section of the workshop manual shows a lot of shine.

[swvalcon]

64 Studeavanti. If you have worked on three maybe you know what color of primer did studebaker use on the Avanti. This car had three paint jobs on it before I stripped it. The last was a bright white super thin what I call a wiz coat. They must have painted the whole car on one qt of cheap enamel. The second paint job had a heavy coat of red oxide primer and a good coat of what seemed to be maybe Acrylic enamel. The first paint job had red oxide primer and what sanded like it was maybe Acrylic Lacquer. Did Studebaker use red oxide on these or was the car stripped once already and someone put lacquer on it?

[bezhawk]

Stude painted the frames and most of the accessories without any primer so the gloss soaked in and became "semi-gloss" after a few heat cycles. The bodies were red oxide lacquer primed mostly on the outside. The jambs and under hood just got sprayed without primer or sanding and so the fibers show through.

[64studeavanti]

As Brad said, Studebaker used good old red oxide lacquer primer. The top coat was acrylic lacquer.

[swvalcon]

Than I would guess this was factory and two repaints. Both primer coats you could tell where lacquer by how they sanded off as was the first coat of white. The second coat of white I could tell was acrylic enamel from how it sanded and the smell. You get good at that after doing body and paint work for over 50 years. The final paint was just cheap straight enamel. About like a Maaco or good old Earl Scheib. The paint was thick enough to start getting the cracking that happens when that is the case. All gone now and will get a base clear job with a twist. will explain that as I do it. but will be either normal base with a activator or single stage with a block sand before clear coated and buffed. Plus all primers are 2-k or epoxy so should last as long as I'm alive and then some and if it fails after that they can look me up.

[Skip Lackie]

Agree with Bez. I got a tour of Avanti Motors in 1976, when they were still using the OEM frames from Budd. They were all painted with cheap gloss black with no primer. They didn't stay glossy for long.