Mark, Jay,
I had my 60 Bugeye dipped this past year. I had heard the horror stories
about the seems and joints rusting out right through the paint in a few years.
I even had visual proof of it on a famous Bugeye restoration that was done in
1992. By 1995 you could see the red stuff coming through the paint at all the
seems and even some flat surfaces.
When I took my body to the restoration shop that specialized in Sunbeam
Tigers, the owner assured me he dips all his Tigers and he has never seen rust
many years later. The trick to the dipping process was his stripper baked the
tubs after dipping and neutralizing. This high temperature baking step would
turn any chemical stripper left in the seams into a fine powder that could be
blown out with an air compressor. It has not been even 6 months yet since the
car was dipped twice(once initially to do the body work and leading, and the
second time to remove the surface rust that had developed in the interim) so I
don't think I would see any rust yet. I have seen a Tiger in the restorer's
shop that had been dipped about 5 years ago and there was no trace of rust.
Granted, a Tiger body is different than a Bugeye, but the Tiger was clean. The
kind of dipping that Jay is talking about is probably still being done today.
Just before the big speculation bust of the late 80's when almost any foreign
sports car was being restored for enormous profits, this dipping was very
popular because it was quick. Many one of a kind Ferraris were dipped and due
to
the fact of the dissimilar metals (aluminium skin wrapped around tube steel
frame) these cars are now rust buckets.
Yes, I did my homework before I dipped this car. I agonized over which
method would be better. I talked to media stippers that would blast the car
with everything from plastic pellets to walnut shells to baking soda. No kind
of
blasting is going to get everything off. (There was more bondo than we
suspected, and the acid DID NOT destroy it.)
In short, you can have it dipped if it is done right with a baking
procedure after. Mine cost me $800 to do it twice. I could have had it media
blasted for $400., but the labor to remove the rest might have cost as much or
more
than dipping after and been less satisfactory. I'm sorry, it's ultimately your
decision.
Mike-60 Sprite
TYPE79@ix.netcom.com wrote:
> On 02/05/99 00:41:36 you wrote:
> I am going to strip the shell down and get it dipped, then painted...
> >Mark Snowdon
> >Greensboro NC
>
> Mark,
> I would recommend that you do some research before dipping your car. Years
>ago, owners and restorers reported problems with the process.
>
> Since the chemical invades literally every cavity and seam, those chemicals
>must be neutralized and purged 100% before anything else is done, i.e. paint
>and bodywork.
>
> The chassis rails for example will be completly filled with the chemical and
>will need to be drained. Also, if your tub is severely rotted, you may be
>disappointed with how little of it comes out of the tank.
>
> Despite many people's best efforts, the neutraliziing, cleaning and purging
>wasn't always effective and the paint on some cars lifted in sheets after many
>years.
>
> The process may be different today. I haven't heard of, nor do I know of
>anyone who has used the process in recent years, so my comments could be
>out-of-date.
>
> For the last ground-up that I did, we carefully sandblasted the "interior",
>the bottom and the engine bay of the tub, and then chemcally stripped the
>exterior of the body panels by hand. Messy for sure, but the result was worth
>it.
>
> Just my thoughts. Hope it is of help. Does anyone else have any experience or
>knowledge on today's chemical dipping processes?
>
> Jay Fishbein, CT
> AN-5
> HAN-6
> Innocenti-S
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