Well my hatch has pushed me to the deep end. I tried reglueing just the top edge which has actually worked well and hasn't slipped apart yet, however I can see on the left side hinge where it glue has pulled away from the glass a bit on the inside edge.

So I have decided before summer is out it is time to fix this POS frame problem for the last time. I am going to remove the glass from the frame and I want this to look good, and not have to be done again in the future. Do you guys have any thoughts against or for having the frame of the hatch powder coated? Would this cause any structural problems since it is pretty thin? One area I thought might be a possible problem is if the powder coating is too thick, it may cause problems with getting the upper aluminum trim piece on at the top.

And would you have it done is semi-gloss black? This seems to be what the factory color was for it from what I can tell.

 

Good question. I want to do this and my frame paint has peeled off in some spots.

 

i would worry about the curing process. the metal has to be baked anywhere from 350-425,depending on the color and paint.im not sure if the heat would change the structure of the metal if its that thin.just a thought. what about spray paint and clear?

 

I wanted to do powder coating for the strength and longevity of it. The paint on my hatch hasn't peeled, but it has faded and gotten a little thin on the upper edge. With the powder coating I don't think I would have to worry about the glass glue pulling up the paint. Spray paint would surely peel off in time and weather pretty quick. I want to do a top notch job so I can forget about it.

 

I think if you heat something that thin it will warp...and you'll wind up not being able to get it to fit again. Why not just a real good paint job? If done properly I'd think it would last another 20 years!

 

i have just recently started powdercoating.the powder seems to be very thick when done.espically when primered,colored,then cleared.when i said "spray paint". i meant by a bodyshop,the newer enamels used will last about as long as the car its self.i still worry about the integrity of a thin piece of metal in that heat,like i said i just started powdercoating so im still learning.actually on an older mustang i had i sprayed all the window mlgds with a rattle can and cleared them with rattle can clear they never faded at all.are these hacthes as crappy as they sound?

 

I would just paint the hatch frame. I don't know that the 3m sealants that you should use for the glass will adhere to the powder coating. The paint will hold up just fine for many years.

 

Clean the area that the glue adheres to the glass down to the bare aluminum, prime it using the appropriate metal primer for the adhesive, set the glass and THEN spray bomb the remaining frame. You don't want paint on the surface the glass adheres to, or you WILL be doing this again shortly.

Regards,