The one thing every collector car owner would like to discover is a way to prohibit rust from nibbling away at his investment. But Mark Kalish of Eau Claire, Wisconsin may have proved he has the answer. When he built his 1931 Ford Powder-Coated Hot Rod, he not only powder-coated the frame and chassis parts, he powder-coated the whole car. That has never been done before. And the results are amazing.
Kalish owns Enviro Tech, a powder-coating shop in Eau Claire. Mark had been building cars with his father since he was “four years old,” he says. His business does powder-coating for industrial clients. So he thought it would be interesting to build an entire 1931 Ford Powder-Coated Hot Rod using the techniques of his trade. His staff at Enviro Tech was very knowledgable about different techniques in power-coating for industrial purposes. But their expertise was challenged when they had to complete an entire restoration.
The 1931 Ford Roadster is a one-of-a-kind, completely hand built, completely powder-coated (except for numerous pieces of stainless, chrome and polished aluminum) from the ground-up. Kalish used an all steel Brookville Roadster body and combined it with a ’31 Ford from the junkyard. The frame is from Pete and Jake’s with the finest chassis parts available, including a Ford 9-inch rear end with 4:11 gears, a 700R4 transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, and a dyno-tested 400 hp Chevy 350 with Dart aluminum heads, electric water pump, gear drive, and custom headers. Mark knew how to make his car compliant with NHRA racing standards up to 11.5 seconds in the quarter-mile, and NSRA safety rules. It is fully licensed and ready to be street driven.
After prepping the metal, workers applied three to four coats of a powder primer with sanding in between coating applications to eliminate any high or low spots. “You could see the orange peel disappear,” Kalish said. The engine block and roll bar were powder-coated with TIGER Drylac Mirror Silver and a candy red topcoat. The finishing topcoat for the sheet metal on the car was done in DuPont Black Magic. It has a unique patina’d look that really fits the style of this old school roadster.
The engine block and roll bar are powder-coated with TIGER Drylac Mirror Silver with candy red topcoat. The black centers on the wheels are powder-coated in black wrinkle. The differential housings and brake calipers were also finished in TIGER Drylac USA Mirror Silver with a clear topcoat, and coil springs, brake rotors, and four-link bars in TIGER Mirror Silver with candy-red topcoat. The TIGER Drylac mirror silver has a “near chrome” look.
This roadster has powder-coated pieces throughout, including the carburetor and starter. The 350 Chevy engine block features a candy red over a Mirror Silver powder supplied by TIGER Drylac USA. Workers also applied this finish to suspension parts and the roll bar. Years ago there were issues with powder-coats not liking high temperatures. But the black stack, silicone-based powder used on the exhaust system resists temperatures up to 1200°F. EnviroTech also applied the Mirror Silver to the transmission and the differential pumkin.
So far, the car has been featured on the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour, and on the cover of Powder Coating Magazine.
Mark Kalish’s 1931 Ford Powder-Coated Roadster has been featured in the Cars On Line.com newsletter this week. Click here to see the featured story.
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