GM Futurliner Progress Photos
GM Futurliner Restoration Project
National Automotive and Truck Museum of the United States

HOME
Status

Schedule
Photos:
2012 - 2011

2010 - 2009
2008 - 2007
2006 - 2005
2004 - 2003
2002 - 2001
2000 - 1999

GM LETTERS
    Mounted on the front of the Futurliner are very large "GM" letters. When the Futurliners were refurbished by GM in 1952 they changed the color of these letters from natural aluminum to "gold". Originally these were thought to be anodized but after some inquiry Fred Carpenter is was discovered that local people here in West Michigan could not anodize aluminum castings. However, he did find out that they could be powder coated with gold paint. He then contacted Reliance Finishing Co. in Grand Rapids and then paid them a visit them. They immediately stated that they could powder coat the "GM" letters and that they would do the job as a contribution to the project.
    Later that day Fred, Al, Del and Don visited Mary Mosey at Reliance Finishing and picked out the correct gold color.
    We thank Fred for doing all the "selling" as well as the foot work to not only find someone that could do the job but get the job done as a donation. We also thank Mary at Reliance for their generous contribution.


Parts are placed in basket and are now ready to undergo pretreatment to prep the parts to accept powder coating.

Parts have been successfully pretreated and are now heading into a small oven to be dried off.

Pretreatment operator (Ovet Leija) dips basket in various chemicals (soaps, acids, etc) to achieve desired pretreatment finish.

Ed Niles places a silver basecoat onto each of the letters.  A translucent gold topcoat will be applied in the same manner before parts are finished.

A successfully basecoated letter.

Letters are placed into a batch oven to gel the powder.

A close-up example of the gas-out experienced by both parts.
 
Finished parts after gold topcoat has been applied. 

Copyright 1999-2018. All rights reserved.