Painting radiator fan

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Wiscosh

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I just obtained a new 9 blade fan but it is black, instead of the pinkish red like the original 5 blade. Has anyone had any experience in painting the blades? I am guessing that notwithstanding that the blades are plastic they should take paint well if they are deglossed and primed first.
 
I just had mine painted with flexible vinyl paint. The car has only gone 200 miles since then, so it's too soon to say how it will hold up. Restorer says he does it all the time.
 
lsquaredb said:
I just had mine painted with flexible vinyl paint. The car has only gone 200 miles since then, so it's too soon to say how it will hold up. Restorer says he does it all the time.
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Thanks. Just a guess on my part, but I imagine heat would not be as much an issue as dealing with flex. The engine compartment gets hot, but not anything like the engine surfaces themselves. I imagine that there is some flex to the blades but I am counting on it to be small and not enough to shed the paint. I will give it a try and report back every now and then.
 
Wiscosh said:
I just obtained a new 9 blade fan but it is black, instead of the pinkish red like the original 5 blade. Has anyone had any experience in painting the blades? I am guessing that notwithstanding that the blades are plastic they should take paint well if they are deglossed and primed first.
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Hi;
Wheneve I had paintwok done on my Corvettes I used a paint called Emron which was used on airplanes. Not sure if it is still available.
Koopman
 
I used Dupont Imron back in the '80s. Yes, great stuff and very expensive. But apparently the formulas have been changed and while still good, it isn't the same stuff and isn't as killer as it was. There are paints specifically formulated for plastic, though I'm at a loss to actually point you to any of them.

Ian
 
Any hardware store has paint specifically for plastic parts.

Key is the prep. And also if they have the shade/tint of red you want.
 
teahead said:
Any hardware store has paint specifically for plastic parts.

Key is the prep. And also if they have the shade/tint of red you want.
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As Teahead said... Prep is key, add plastic PRIMER and then use regular acrylic or acrylic enamel paint. Acrylic is fine to withstand engine bay temperatures. I give this advise having done a number of project cars that I have kept as daily driven vehicles for years that did not suffer any degradation due to heat.
 
Thanks for everybody's input. I like the idea of using plastic primer and then a regular acrylic paint, as I think I will have a broader range of paints to choose from and hopefully find something close to the original.
 
Wiscosh,

When you find the proper paint color, please post the brand and the color. That will be helpful for others who might want to do this (of which I might be one!).

Gary
 
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Wiscosh said:
I imagine heat would not be as much an issue as dealing with flex.
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Agree that heat shouldn't be an issue. And most paints should be able to handle the flex. I would think the greatest risk would be abrasion from grit in the airflow. But hey, give it a try - unless you regularly drive on dirt roads, the paint should hold up for some time.

mulberryworks said:
I used Dupont Imron back in the '80s. Yes, great stuff and very expensive. But apparently the formulas have been changed and while still good, it isn't the same stuff and isn't as killer as it was.
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Imron paint would be perfect for this application - the stuff is bullet-proof. The original formulation contained cyanide - there are stories of people killing themselves by spraying it without wearing a respirator. I don't know if the current formulation is gentler. I have a can of the stuff that's about 10 years old, and it contains a strongly-worded safety warning.
 
jmackro said:
Agree that heat shouldn't be an issue. And most paints should be able to handle the flex. I would think the greatest risk would be abrasion from grit in the airflow. But hey, give it a try - unless you regularly drive on dirt roads, the paint should hold up for some time.



Imron paint would be perfect for this application - the stuff is bullet-proof. The original formulation contained cyanide - there are stories of people killing themselves by spraying it without wearing a respirator. I don't know if the current formulation is gentler. I have a can of the stuff that's about 10 years old, and it contains a strongly-worded safety warning.
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Yes, I used the work 'killer' deliberately there but decided not to make too much of it since you should always wear appropriate gear when painting, you know.
 
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