PRO TIPS / March 2009

Have a question for the custom rig builders out there or a tip or trick to share with CR readers? Send it to us and we’ll slip it into Pro Tips: crtechtips@rrpub.com. Also, go to our web site, www.customrigsmag.com, to take advantage of special links we’ve added to these Q&As and others posted there. – The Editor

HIGH-TEMP PAINTS

I want to paint and detail my Cummins. What type of paint works best to withstand the high heat, as well as things such as salt spray, oil and diesel fuel likely to find its way onto the block from time to time? – Seth Dalton, New Haven, Connecticut

In terms of the engine block, Seth, all paint over time is going to wear off. The only thing you can really do to avoid the paint peeling is to constantly keep it clean. For parts that can be pulled off the block, powder coating works well, as it can handle temperatures up to 400 degrees. For the turbo, headers, and other exhaust components, ceramic coating is the best option. For the most intense heat a black ceramic coating on the inside and out can handle temperatures up to 2,000 degrees. Having a nicely painted engine can really add to a truck’s appearance. – Andy Gobel, Outlaw Customs; (303) 952-8109

WARP-FREE WELDS

There appears to be a lot of sheet-metal fab work requiring welding. What’s your secret to keeping the thin metal from warping, especially when working larger areas such as door skins or cab backs? – Melvin Little, Charlotte, North Carolina

We seldom have a need to weld on the skins on trucks, Melvin. If the instance arises we use a TIG welder, place wet towels around the area being welded to keep it cool and minimize warping, and weld in short bursts rather than lay a continuous bead to further minimize heat buildup. – Bryan Martin, Chrome Shop Mafia/4 State Trucks; (417) 624-2900

HEADLIGHT LOW DOWN

I saw a 379 Pete [“Kwitcherbitchin,” March ’08] with the headlights mounted in the bumper. How were the holes laid out, cut, and the lights mounted? The low-mount headlights look like they’d be great in fog and rain driving instead of mounting fog/driving lights. —Ed Smith, Eugene, Oregon

Ed, what we do in our shop is, once the customer decides on what style headlights they want mounted in the bumper, to make a paper template of the lights. Then we position each template on the bumper face and trace the outline. We then use a plasma cutter and follow the pattern, smooth up any rough edges with a small grinder, drill the mounting holes from the chrome side of the bumper and bolt ’em in. Now a word of caution: There are federal laws regarding how low headlights can be mounted. We understand there must be a minimum of 24 inches from headlight center to pavement. – Bryan Martin, Chrome Shop Mafia/4 State Trucks

Ed, there are a number of ways to put lights in the bumper, but none are easy! The least expensive way is to go to your local salvage yard and look for headlight guts that hold the headlights in the headlight assembly. Next you have to fabricate brackets to hold the headlight guts to your truck’s frame. After the headlights are mounted to the frame, measure out where they fall in relation to the bumper and transfer those precise measurements to the bumper. The openings in the bumper will then need to be cut out and the openings finished out. If you need help call; we would love to give you a hand. —Adam Martin, Colorado Custom Chrome; (970) 284-6552

SMOOTH AS GLASS

On many of today’s show trucks, even the working class rigs, the paint and finish looks like liquid glass. What is the trick to getting the casting marks and welds so smooth—especially on items like spring hanger brackets and driveshaft flanges/U-joints? The few sanders and small grinders I have in my toolbox just can’t do that kind of finish work. – Henry Ruggerio, Caldwell, New Jersey

Henry, it does take a small assortment of special sanders and grinders to achieve this look. To get the welds slick on steel, a glaze must be used to smooth out any imperfections and pinholes. At that point you can sand it smooth, or even build it up in places and sand it down to give the piece contours. Stick to a good body filler when doing bodywork or other sheet metal applications. – Jon Gill, Outlaw Customs

HOT-ROD PAINT

I’d like to repaint my old truck to give it the satin/primer hot-rod look. Does PPG make a paint in either automotive or heavy duty applications to give that effect? If so, what are my color choices? – Derek Szalai, Oakland, California

Derek, we teach that the best solution is to apply PPG’s Delfleet FDGH low gloss topcoats. FDGH is a high-solids, ultra-durable finish that exhibits very high mar resistance. This is contrary to most other low-gloss finishes in the marketplace. A typical low-gloss coating scuffs and scratches quite easily. With FDGH low-gloss, any color in the Delfleet line can be created. If multiple colors are being used on a vehicle, another option would be to use a low-gloss clear coat over Delfleet basecoat colors. The rig could be painted using either Delfleet FBCH or FBCS basecoat and then clear-coated with a Delfleet urethane clear with low-gloss binder added. Semi-gloss or eggshell gloss levels can be achieved by going this route. For color or technical questions, a call to your local PPG distributor or to PPG’s Customer Service Center, (800) 647-6050, will get you on your way. – Lynn Engmark, PPG Training, Fleet Coatings Specialist

SUICIDE SHORTCUT

Suicide doors are really sick and I’d like to try my hand changing over my ’89 Peterbilt’s stock doors to suicides. I’m on a very limited budget (my first truck), so what’s the best route? —Francisco Estrada, Dallas, Texas

Unfortunately, Francisco, there aren’t any shortcuts on a do-it-yourself suicide door job. Best case – it’s still a 40-hour job or better, and that doesn’t allow any time for prep and paint once the doors are done and “mocked up.” One thing you might do is purchase a set of old used doors from a salvage yard, then spend several weekends getting them pre-modified and ready. Then when you do shut the truck down all that’s left is to modify the aluminum door “frames” in the cab. This will get you back on the road quicker, and you can always use the original doors for spare parts – or give to your buddy for his suicide door project. – Bryan Martin, Chrome Shop Mafia/4 State Trucks

Francisco, suicide doors really are not something you can get away with using any shortcuts. This is a project where there are a lot of changes that need to occur. Having to re-engineer the latch setup is a pretty difficult task. What we found to be the easiest way was to eliminate the latches and use shaved door panels and Autoloc door poppers. We make a door skin kit that includes everything to do shaved doors. If you want to give your truck a unique look without dropping a ton of money, this is probably the best option for you. – Alex Gobel, Outlaw Customs

AUTO VS. TRUCK PAINT

I want to paint my 10-year-old Kenworth with a standout paint job. But when I went to a local auto body supply house the paint sales guy said a lot of those paints aren’t designed for use on trucks. Are there any issues I should be aware of if I use one of the hot colors you see on some of the Chrysler and Dodge cars?—Russ Detwiler, Sarasota, Florida

The guy at your paint supply shop is correct, Russ: You can use automotive paints on a truck, but they are not as durable and harder to lay. The best paint that we have found is PPG Delfleet, its very durable and lays easily. That’s actually the paint our friends at First Class Services used for their 2008 Build-Off wining truck First in Class and all the trucks that go out of their shop. They actually used some automotive basecoats to get the colors we wanted, but they always stay with the Delfleet primers, sealers, and clear coats to get a good long-lasting finish. From what we have heard PPG is actually releasing some of their Vibrance custom colors in the Delfleet form. – Nic Gillan, Outlaw Customs

We often use automotive colors/paints for the basecoat of the custom rigs we paint, Russ. The clincher – you need to use a high-quality polyurethane clear coat. Automotive clear coats chip and are far less durable than the truck-type polyurethanes in the high mileage and harsh elements working rigs see every year. DuPont, Sherwin William and PPG all make “truck quality” clears. Be sure to ask your paint rep if the poly clear you select is compatible with the automotive base color you are applying. Be aware polys spray a lot different than automotive paints; their overspray is extremely unhealthy; and the dry time is slower than your typical car paint. So read up on it before you begin. – Bryan Martin, Chrome Shop Mafia/4 State Trucks

WAIT ON WAX

I’m getting my Peterbilt done up with custom paint, flames and graphics. How long should I wait before giving my rig its first wax job–and what type of wax should I use? The paint is PPG Delfleet. – Warren Spears, Mobile, Alabama

Warren, you should wait 90 days before waxing a new paint job. After that, the best way to tell when to wax again is when water quits beading up on the surface when you wash your rig. Any well-known wax product is good. But I would use one that is easy to apply and buff off or you won’t be so willing to wax up that big rig! – Paul Stoll, PPG Training, Custom Painting Specialist