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Chemical dipping/stripping

nfrntau

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
1,020
Location
Rosharon, Texas
Has any of you had any experiences or heard (through trusted sources) good/bad things regarding chemical dipping to remove all the rust from my car?
I am almost to the point where I will have to make the move. Chemical stripping verses blasting /sandpaper.
I haven't found anyplace locally (Houston, Texas) that offers this service and am trying to decide if it is worth the effort and cost to haul the car to a different state for this service.
My car was home to rodents for some time and appears to have rust in the leading edge of the roofline (not through the metal) and quite a bit up under the dash.
Either way I go I will have to have someone do the work.
Recommendations either way would be most welcome.
Thanks
Bill
 

x-codegtcs

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
549
Location
Kaysville, UT
I have never seen it done, but a guy I know had his done and he said it was great - removed all the tar, selants - everything.

On the otherhand, I have sand blasted two cars and am very happy with the results - except that I have to scrape all the other crap off.

Good luck.
 

68gt390

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
2,021
Location
Columbus, Ohio
I have heard that chemical dipping is the best if you want to get to all the problem areas. Removes everything and will show all problems with metal fatigue areas on the car.

Don
 

CobraMan

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2004
Messages
54
Location
Southlake, Texas (Dallas area)
I too have been investigating this. I have learned that when dipping it is important to rinse the parts very well. The solvents used can eat through the finish and damage your end results.

While visiting a show this past summer at Unique Performance, there was a company offering their services of refinishing using Soda Ash (Baking Soda). Apparently this the best media to use. If it's good enough for Carroll Shelby and his gang and for cars starting at $100k, I'm thinking hard about this.

Baking Soda is inexpensive. I'm not certain if you can load the Baking Soda in a sand blaster, but I don't see why not. The company as I recall was located outside of Dallas. If you visit www.uniqueperformance.com or perhaps call them, I bet they can give you the contact information.

Best of luck.
 
OP
OP
nfrntau

nfrntau

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
1,020
Location
Rosharon, Texas
I believe the surface rust on the interior portions of my car are too extensive to use media blasting. You just couldn't get behind all the pillers etc.

I have found a place in Arlington, Texas that does chemical stripping. I spoke to thier representative on the phone today and I am leaning towards taking my car up to them. It's about a 4 hour drive and I have family up there.

He told me that they offer (for an extra $900) to prime the complete car and parts stripped. He says they use a DP-90 epoxy primer. He told me that the stripping process leaves the metal pores open so a self etching primer is not neccessary.

Can anyone tell me if this DP-90 is good stuff?
It seems to me a much better idea to let them prime the car prior to my picking it up.
 

C160223

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
152
Location
Surrey, BC, Canada
I have had 1 car chemically dipped with no problems, and will have my GT/CS and 64 Fairlane dipped when the time comes. You must make sure the acid is completely rinsed and nuetralized before primering. DP-90 is an epoxy primer, and is an excellent primer to use over bare metal. I have worked on cars that have been medai blasted, and seeing how much of a mess it leaves, I am not a big fan of this type of stripping. No matter how well you clean, blow off, or vacuum the media, you can never get rid of the stuff. It's trapped in hard to reach areas, frame rails etc...
 

Sarge

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2002
Messages
333
Location
Folsom, CA
Bill,
I have been thinking of having my car painted, and this sounds like a solid solution. No guesswork, everything done! How much do you expect to pay in total for the dipping AND the epoxy coating? I would sure be interested to hear a figure and start preparing the car. Maybe this coming fall, when it starts raining.
Thanks, Robert
 

x-codegtcs

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
549
Location
Kaysville, UT
I would love to dip (no - not skinny dip... :eek:), but I cannot find a place close enough - within 8 hour drive (so far). Any suggestions on how to search for something like this?

Bryce
 
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OP
nfrntau

nfrntau

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
1,020
Location
Rosharon, Texas
The prices I have been quoted have varied depending on the process used.
The last process I have found, the most expensive and the closest to my house (so far), I was told you could drink this stuff and not be effected. I would have to see that to believe it. The web site for this outfit is www.metalrehab.com and this is the place I will be taking my car.
I was quoted $1100 for the frame/body and $135 for each piece after that, doors, fenders etc. I didn't think to ask about the smaller pieces like the headlight buckets. The price for priming was a straight $900 for all the pieces stripped. After looking at prices for new valances, rather than repair the ones I have, I will be replacing so I won't have to strip these pieces.
I expect to pay between $2700 and $3000 for stripping and priming.

The other places were within $300 for the complete car but didn't do any priming. They coated with phosphate and then you had to take it to your own shop for priming. I was told by one shop owner that you can't prime over the phosphate so you would have to sand off the phosphate prior to priming. He quoted me a price of about $1500 to sand off the phosphate and shoot two coats of primer.

The way I found this place was to start asking restoration shops in my vicinity. One gave me a lead for a place in Conroe. I e-mailed a gentleman in Conroe off the www.hubcapcafe.com website and he didn't know the place in Conroe but told me about this place in Arlington. All I can say is just start asking around. It appears that the individual shops don't have a good old boy network to help people find the closest shop.

Good luck finding a place. Before finding this place in Arlington the closest places I had found were in Indiana and California.
 
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