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All:

I've seen a few references to powder coating, spray painting, etc.

Can I get a few opinions on the preferred method of painting a pump? And what should I expect to pay?

Thanks!

I think they look best done in base/clear paint, then wetsanded and buffed to get out the "orange peel". Dont be suprised to pay over 1k for body work, primer, paint, and buffing. Just my opinion.

Ryan

My opinion exactly Ryan ! $1200 for wayne 60's tutone or tritone. 50's pumps straight and clean, 1/3 less. My coater will pcoat a short pump set of sheetmetal including blasting for $150, base $20, frames $55. Bodywork and material cost are the main drivers. People "in heat" to score a pump have a tendency to overlook how rough or incomplete it really is.
Larry

I agree with Larry and Ryan. I use PPG basecoat/clearcoat. Powder coating is very durable but you'd better have a very, very straight pump, which I've never seen. No body filler can be used, so any little ding will show up.

Thanks, guys. I'm restoring my first pump -a short 39. Looks complete, and I hope won't require too much body work. One door is pretty rough and probably needs replacement. Just weighing my options...

Ryan is pretty close on his price...pumps are running around a grand to do all the body work, paint, materials, etc. Most pumps have some rust-out that needs to be welded in and ground down, they need sand blasting, etc. The big difference here, and it sounds like a lot of money to spend, is man oh man do they look great compared to a cheap job that looks like dog doo-doo. You will get your money back in the long run if you sell, and they look a lot more inviting at a sale. You are better off spending good money up front for a professional level job, believe me.

Definitely go with the base-clear coat.

PremoPetrol, you are right on. I saw a couple guys 'in heat' to own a visible a couple months ago at a farm sale. The pump had an excellent cylinder and that was the only good thing you could say about it. The rest of the pump was basically junk, what was there (It was missing the dome top and the pump handle, skins were pitted beyond a reasonable doubt)I believe the pump was an American. It went home with a new owner for $1200. I suppose ten years from now that will have been a good buy, but it is wiser to pay good money for good stuff not junk.....

Depending on what you want your pump for, you can always make a sacrifice out of the look rather than the pocket. I spent under $50 on my Gilbarco 96C (still fabbing up a door) by using spray paint. This sounds like a horrid alternative, and perhaps hick-like. But if you saw the pump, you wouldn't guess that it is spray paint. Granted, it's no show pump. I want it for me, in my garage. It's not a show piece. It's mine. But the Valspar paint I got at Farm & Fleet looks really decent.

As was brought up in the paint post, the one problem with spray paint is that you don't get much thickness out of it. Dings and dents show up a little more, but it's not $20 a pint.

Thanks to everyone.

Chris, good point - this pump will be a keeper - probably will go in my son's room. Doesn't need to be show-quality, but I do want it to look good...

Rules of gas pump painting:
1) Bodyshops = Insurance Companies = $$$$$

2) Good Custom P&B = has lots of work = $$$$ = long wait or flat out no
3) $250 quote = inexperience = wants more $$$ = may not finish = last one they will ever do. Metal working 18 gauge 60 year old metal is not easy.
4) Do it yourself stripping, bodywork, paint = savings = lots of hard nasty work = satisfaction with pump
5) $1000 paint on $250 pump is not reasonable
6) $25 paint on $2500 pump is not reasonable
7) Powdercoat Finish and a few blems may be easiest and most satisfying ????


Larry :

On average, how much could you expect to save by doing all the diassembly, stripping, and body work yourself, and then having someone else do the paint work? That is assuming that you could get a painter to spray over someone elses body work. I think some painters are a little touchy about this, and that is understandable, after all the finished paint job is only as good as what is underneath it.

Since all the young kids on the board think we're the good OLD boys and destined to die anytime, I'll pass along some money saving tips that are strictly my opinion on cutting costs and doing a budget job on a pump.

1) There are alternatives to having a media blaster or Redi-strip do your panels. I use a plater who cleans his strip tanks on Fridays so he puts my panels in on the am before. Does a good job and can easily clean up with some 80 grit. Radiator shops also have caustic tanks for stripping large radiators. As a last resort, use aircraft stripper and hand strip ONLY IN FRESH AIR ENVIRONMENT

2)Dont blast the frame, wash it down and wire brush it. Buy a quart of Hammerite $12.00 Silver at Home Depot, thin it with anything except diesel, and shoot it on with a bug sprayer, brush it, or use a cheapo gun. Or splurge and buy it in spray cans... use a $ .99 can of aluminum first and then spray on the hammerite $5.99. Also looks good on outside parts and bases.

3)Farm out your body work and tell them to finish it to 80 grit and prime. You can get the rest of the pump done while they are doing the bodywork. After they prime do not go back to 80, go gradually finer all the way to 360-400. Use sandable spray primer to reprime. You should be able to hide 400 scratch with spray paint (krylon). Apply good heavy coats. Allow to dry several days and wet sand with 600 grit. Apply one last light coat strictly for cover and gloss. How good it looks will be directly commensurate with the amount of sanding and prep you do. Doing the body work yourself requires tools, sanders, paper, primer surfacer, filler, glaze, etc. so it is more expensive than buying a $30 gun and painting your pump yourself with some simple enamel.

4)Polish your cranks, hose guards, stainless etc with a buffer or a drill attachment from Sears. Stainless can also be brushed using a fine scotchbrite and WD 40 sanding in one direction. Hammerite silver also looks good on these parts. Pot metal will shine if buffed. Faces can be painted white and decals applied.

5)rubber can sometime be saved by soaking in Simple Green and then scrubbing with hot water and brillo pad. Paint can be lightly wet sanded off rubber after the Simple Green loosens or removes most of it. Simple Green will also clean up computer numbers with a small brush and hot soapy water.

6)Common items like nozzle reducers, light sockets, switches, wire, and hardware can be purchased from hardware stores/ home depot much cheaper than the parts providers. common rubber is available at most auto body supply/paint stores.

Basically when everything is clean, shiney, with new glass and paint,its going to look good even if isnt perfectly restored.

Everyone else chime in on some money saving tips to finish a pump.

Larry

Hey Petro, i restore pumps for a living for the last 12 years and i agree with the guys about powder coat..it takes a very good pump to coat..i use PPG base - clear and just to give you an idea i charge $1200.00 to restored a 50s pump such as a 39...$1500.00 on 40s and $2000.00 for visibles..i will be at Dixie gas next week for the show with restored pumps and restoration parts

Mark Sconyers...Memories Restored
memories-restored.com (pictures on web site)

Premo

Why do you not blast the frame?? I have wire brushed my previous pumps frames but was going to blast my next one. Do they warp??

Right on pump master, you tell them, thats just the way I do it. exept I shake that can.
big oh , whine bunch of bogger pickers , ha ha ha , are we haven fun yet or what. calm down ol paint, you been in the heat to long, ha.

You pretty much said it all Larry. Sometimes I even leave small dings in there if it aint that bad...adds Character. This comin from a Fatboy who has his 53 Bomb in flat black...cruise it like that and I like it.
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Hubba