I own a 1958 Ford 1801(industrial 801) that I bought 20 yrs ago, freshly rebuilt and with a fair repaint job. A few weeks ago
we had several inches of snow, and while pushing it around, my fan belt broke and I overheated it badly. I then realized that,
because the hydraulic pump for my loader is driven by an output shaft beneath the radiator, I have to remove the big cast iron
grill, etc and remove said pump just to replace the fan belt. This meant taking all the sheet metal off except the fenders, so
I decided to replace all the renewable stuff while I had it torn down, and that this would be an oportune time to repaint the
hood and grille. When I went to my local parts house to get a gallon of paint, I almost fainted when I was quoted
$335(including all the goodies). This is a work tractor, not a show piece, and I just want some durable protection. I've read
a lot of disparaging remarks about Tractor Supply's paint on this forum, and even though I don't need red paint(my tractor's
Yellow over blue), I would like the job to last a while. I've shot lots of lacquer and conversion varnish on wood, but this
will be my first paint on metal , aside from the occasional spray can. Is there some middle ground that will be user friendly
for a newbie, hold up well, and not break the bank? Will adding a clear coat help? Thanks for any advice you can offer.
we had several inches of snow, and while pushing it around, my fan belt broke and I overheated it badly. I then realized that,
because the hydraulic pump for my loader is driven by an output shaft beneath the radiator, I have to remove the big cast iron
grill, etc and remove said pump just to replace the fan belt. This meant taking all the sheet metal off except the fenders, so
I decided to replace all the renewable stuff while I had it torn down, and that this would be an oportune time to repaint the
hood and grille. When I went to my local parts house to get a gallon of paint, I almost fainted when I was quoted
$335(including all the goodies). This is a work tractor, not a show piece, and I just want some durable protection. I've read
a lot of disparaging remarks about Tractor Supply's paint on this forum, and even though I don't need red paint(my tractor's
Yellow over blue), I would like the job to last a while. I've shot lots of lacquer and conversion varnish on wood, but this
will be my first paint on metal , aside from the occasional spray can. Is there some middle ground that will be user friendly
for a newbie, hold up well, and not break the bank? Will adding a clear coat help? Thanks for any advice you can offer.