Here's my take. Dipping costs but man does it save the arms,
fingers and lungs. The pro dip shops also claim to neutralize
everything - not completely true from personal and others'
experience. Always a rust stain coming out between some seams a
couple of years later - not heavy almost wipes off - but
something's going on. Blasting good alternative but messy and
never on large flat surfaces - it will warp. (Then there's soda
blast etc- ask the list).
Just started an MGA concours. Full prep went like this: Sent 4
fenders, tunnels, splash shields, front valance (about 15 pieces
THAT HAVE NO SEAMS) to the dipper for $550 CDN. Came back like new
metal - no bondo or grease or....., warts holes and all. The body
man loves this and it reduces his prep time, (therefore less T&M)
Main body shell has seams and would cost close to a $1000 CDN .
Soooo.....I go at the body shell paint with aviation stripper.
Gloves, masks, putty knife scrapers, 4 cases beer and as many true
friends as you can con into a Saturday afternoon strip party.
Finish with metal prep (phosphoric acid) to prevent rusting. If
undersides are tarred - propane torch and thin putty knife to the
remove bulk of it and if your elbows are still on scour with
lacquer thinner. Then pull out the sand blaster and lightly scour
those surfaces to bare metal. While the blaster is running
(between clogs) get all the convoluted tight contoured areas that
the paint stripper couldn't get at. And then go get a lifetime
supply of QTips.
The #1 son hasn't paid his rent by hand stripping the doors, hood
and trunk (aluminum) like he promised, so with my newly developed
tendonitis (see above) I may have to go at it myself. Just found a
cheaper stripper ......hmmmm, maybe I can tolerate some future
staining......
The frame is a no brainer, wire clean up and POR 15 or sand blast
and Eastwood's chassis paint or Rustoleum. Then drill and inject
antirust oil (Crown or Rust Check) and slosh. Would never dip a
frame or Etype sills- too worried about the insides.
Mike L
60A,67E,59Bug
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Thompson <ct@cthompson.com>
To: MG <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: January 29, 2001 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: paint?
> Barrie, a quick question on the dipping process. I have a 1973 B
roadster
> with no fewer than 5 coats of paint. I sanded a small area down
to metal and
> count ten separate color layers, so assuming every other one is
primer,
> that'd be five.
>
> My goal was to strip the whole thing down to metal. A friend of
a friend
> runs a large metal cleaning shop and I think I can work out a
good cheap
> "Hey man, can you dip my MG in that giant boiling vat of acid"
deal with
> him.
>
> But I've hesitated, because I worry if a complete dip is too
much. Having
> never had an MGB apart to that level, I wonder, is that going to
strip some
> hidden recess on the frame that wouldnt get re covered with new
primer? How
> do you ensure the whole body gets covered? I have this image in
my head of
> bare metal in places like the inside of the strengthening rib on
the
> bonnet. etc.
>
> Also, as long as I'm being crazy. Has anyone ever powder coated
a chassis?
>
> -Chris
>
> On Sat, 27 Jan 2001, Barrie Robinson wrote:
> > Phil/Doug
> > Seeing your thread I thought you might be interested in my
experience.
> > I am doing a proper resto job and I started with a 1970 MGB GT
shell. It
> > was stripped bare, then dipped so it went down to bare metal.
WOW what a
>
>
__________________________________________________________________
______
> | Chris Thompson
ct@cthompson.com |
> | 1973 MGB
http://cthompson.com/mg/ |
>
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