As Seen in The Reading Eagle Drive Time 7-26-2009:

Automotive parts revitalized or protected with variety of processes

By Amelia A. Lowe
Reading Eagle correspondent

Metal finishers spruce up the metal on many different types of objects, from antiques to lawn furniture. But for many, a great deal of their work comes from finishing auto parts, breathing new life into an otherwise less-than-perfect metal piece on an automobile.

Many finishers specialize in coating the metal - using chrome, nickel or cadmium plating. Others focus on powder coating, a popular process that involves coating parts with an environmentally friendly dry powder that is sprayed on then baked to flow and cure, said Neil Fisher, owner of Fisher's Metal Finishing, located on Rose Street in Reading.

Fisher, whose business offers powder coating and some welding repairs, as well as sandblasting and glass etching, said powder coating is available at his business in more than 600 colors and textures, including mattes, high glosses, metallics, iron-glimmer effects (which look like different shades of cast iron), transparents (transparent and candy colors), granite finishes, glossy finishes, wrinkle finishes, metal flake and more.

The process begins with sandblasting and making sure the surface of the material is very clean and has a coarse finish on it. Then, the powder coat is applied with a special gun using an electrostatic process, explained Fisher.

Samantha Barton, bookkeeper at Ray Barton Racing Engines Inc. in Robesonia, said their company utilizes Fisher's powder coating services every couple of months for their customers, for various engine parts, including blocks, manifolds and valve covers.

Most people give parts special treatment for cosmetic reasons, but it serves a longevity purpose, as well, explained Barton.

Not only does it look great, powder coating is very durable, said Fisher.

Rather than coating them with a coating such as chrome, some metal finishers take the original metal parts on a vehicle and polish them.

Jeff Goodhart, owner of Polish This Inc., Leesport, online at www.polish-this.com, said this option is ideal for those who have irreplaceable or damaged parts that they want brought back to life. Goodhart's business specializes in metal polishing and refinishing and dent removal and straightening.

Goodhart said he also polishes pieces that come from the factory with dings, dents or scratches, removing any imperfections.

While he does a lot of work on tractor trailers and motorcycles, the majority of his customer base comes from antique and classic car trim restoration, said Goodhart.

Also, he is seeing a lot of customers come to him for polishing of engine components, such as the intake manifold, throttle bodies or carburetors, valve covers, alternators, water pumps, superchargers and turbochargers and even some radiators.

Goodhart can polish just about any type of metal, including stainless steel, aluminum, brass and copper. He even can polish plastic vehicle lenses, which will haze over from chemicals and ultraviolet light from sun over time, said Goodhart.

While he doesn't do any coatings like chrome, he will remove the coatings for customers. He also contracts out for services like powder coating and anodizing, a clear coating applied to the top of aluminum trim to prevent oxidizing.

In many cases, especially a classic or antique car that has been restored or rebuilt, a combination of finishes is chosen.

For instance, Tim Lerch of Cumru Township's 1967 candy apple burgundy Chevy Nova SS has parts that have been polished and powder coated.

Lerch owned his Chevy when he was 18, later sold it to his brother, who also later sold it. Then, in the '90s, Lerch was on the lookout for another Chevy, when he came across his old car.

After he bought the car back, Lerch, who owns an excavating business but is also a skilled welder, tore the car apart and rebuilt it. He fabricated almost every piece of the car himself. It is now race-ready with 1,000 horsepower.

Lerch has had around $3,000 to $4,000 worth of work done on his car by Goodhart, having practically every piece of metal on the vehicle polished, from brackets to nuts and bolts to motor and chassis parts. Goodhart also got the dents and scratches out of the window moldings Lerch purchased from the factory, he said.

"Everything on the car that can be polished, he did it," said Lerch, adding he's had powder coating done on the vehicle, as well. For instance, his intake is powder coated black.

Goodhart also said combining polishing with powder coating can create an interesting effect on vehicle parts. For instance, he said polishing the metal and then using a semi-translucent powder coating will cause light to reflect off of the metal give the finish that "candy" color that so many people desire.

Prices of these services vary dramatically, depending on what is being done, how many pieces are involved and many other factors.

For example, Fisher explained, to powder coat a Camaro subframe, it usually starts around $275 plus sandblasting. Metal polishing can range widely, as well. For example, an alternator might be around $60 and having an all-trim restoration can be around $2,200.

Contact Amelia A. Lowe: 610-371-5048 or drivetime@readingeagle.com.