jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

Hi all,

I've finally got the plans for my project car sort and the funds set aside. The car has been striped to a bare shell, every single nut and bolt is off and a fresh coat of paint with a little bit of metal work awaits.

But I've already come up my first problem, one of many I'm sure.

I want a concours, show winning, best of the best paint jobs. With that in mind do I get the car acid dipped to strip all the paint and rust away? or do I go down the line of media blasting.

I've taken advice from different paint shops and everone seems to disagree.

"Get it dipped, all the paint and rust will go and you will be left with a blank sheet for the best possible paint job, media blasting will leave you with loads of dust and residue to clean out"

"Get it media blasted, you will be left with a well etched finish giving the best possible grab on the body and allowing a really deep shine. Dipping will adversely affect the metal and weaken it"

Whats the right answer?

jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

Bump

ZEN Performance

I don't know, but is this really a project?

Chavsrus

I'm not sure that venting your frustration on an innocent poster is the best piece of PR you've ever resorted to Paul

Still, if you can afford to alienate potential customers. . . .

As ever, the caring sharing face of Scoobynet

But in answer to the OP's question.

I had the same quandary with my shell.
I got the costs for stripping and E coating my shell and thought they were somewhat expensive compared with the sandblasting option.

The company I'd intended using for the dipping and E coat seemed somewhat inflexible (the fact that their inflexibility only served to increase their profit margin didn't go un-noticed either. . . . . . )

I thus had mine sandblasted. It had at least eight coats of primer/paint and filler on it.
The end result has proven the perfect basis for the planned refurbishment.

Click on the images for full size versions : -







The rear bulkhead has been left untouched as it's of lightweight honeycomb construction that wouldn't take kindly to the rigours of blasting.
The O/S door is attached for fitment purposes only.

jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

Yep this really is a project. I didn't meantion the car I'm doing it on before, as I constitanly get abuse for the make and model.

But the car is already to go, just need to pick the stripped process.

I'm not too bothered about the price, as this is going to be the bases of the paint work, and if I use the "wrong" method I'm always going to regrete it.

jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

[QUOTE=Chavsrus;7752811].

I had the same quandary with my shell.
I got the costs for stripping and E coating my shell and thought they were somewhat expensive compared with the sandblasting option.

The company I'd intended using for the dipping and E coat seemed somewhat inflexible (the fact that their inflexibility only served to increase their profit margin didn't go un-noticed either. . . . . . )

I thus had mine sandblasted. It had at least eight coats of primer/paint and filler on it.
The end result has proven perfect basis for the planned refurbishmentQUOTE]

Did you find that there was alot of residue left in the car after the blasting?

Chavsrus

Nothing that couldn't be blown or vaccumed out.

jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

Any more opinions?

rob4620

Off topic and sorry for hijak but great looking project you have there chavsrus, what are you planning to do with the car?

Hope you get the info you need jiff and make sure you post up pics for us when it's done whatever route you take.

Chavsrus

Hi Rob, I plan to double drive the car in its standard WRC form in some sprint events with a mate (who's done some sprinting previously) this year.

Depending on how we fare with the car we may do the odd hillclimb later in the season just to establish what times it's capable of.

If everything pans out as intended we'll uprate the car over the winter and concentrate on the hillclimbs next year, but this will only be on the basis that time and finances permit ! (my mates wife is due to have their second baby later on in the year . . . . )

Neil..

iTrader: (35)

Jiff, my view is this....

I have had cars blasted before, and whilst it is a very good and cost effective way, the main problem I have is that the blaster can only get so far into certain areas, and then once blasted, the metal work is already starting to corrode, so needs priming almost straight away.
This then is also pretty hard to get into every nook and cranny..

I have never had a car dipped/e-coated, but to me it would seem to be the better option if you can afford it, but I would await some feedback off anybody who has a car dipped/coated before parting with your hard earned...

Wonder Wagon

A friend of mine had his MGB done here Paint, Rust and Underseal Removal for Cars and Industry by Surface Processing Limited

HTH

johnfelstead

We acid dip and then e-coat our racecars, as do many of our competitors who are building high value competition cars, blasting doesnt do anything like as good a job, especially in areas you cant get to. Get the shell e-coated straight after it's dipped and you will have a shell as good as new both in the areas you can see and those you cant.

jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

I know I'm going to replce the two front wings and a bit of welding on the arcehs, I'm hoping that will be it.

Is it worth doing the welding on the arcehs before or after? The wings I was going to remove, before dipping and then welding the new ones on after.

jiffthejiffmanjaffa

iTrader: (10)

Thanks for that buddy, exaclt what I needed. I think that convinced me to get it dipped and e-coated. Also I'm now thinking I should get the wings put on first and get them dipped as well, along with any other metal work I know that needs to get done.

That way the new metal will be protected to. I'm going to contact SP to see what they recommend on that front.

There not too far away I guess, but it would be nice if I could find a similar company locally.

Wonder Wagon

You want to wait and see how much they charge first

Chavsrus

Seconded

22B Bulletin Board: Acid Dipping 2 Door Shell

You'll not find many other people that can do it either . . . . .