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Re: [TR] Paint prep

To: DLylis@aol.com, triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] Paint prep
From: Dave1massey@cs.com
Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2006 12:44:25 EST
In a message dated 12/24/2006 6:12:55 AM Central Standard Time, 
DLylis@aol.com writes: 
> I am preparing for the refinish of the body on my 3A and have determined  
> that I cannot respray the car.  It is now on it's third color and the paint  
> has 
> become so thick that the last finish has the "alligator" appearance from  
> cracking.  The paint needs to be removed.  Obviously the beauty of a  3A is 
> the 
> ability to remove the panels easily.  Does anyone on the list  have 
> experience 
> with "dip stripping", or is the recommended method the thankless  and 
> agonizing 
> task of chemical stripping?  Any input here is  appreciated.  
> Happy Holidays to all and thanks for the sanity you guys have imparted over  
> 
> the past year!
> 
I have had two cars chemically stripped and will do it again.  I've heard 
horror stories about how the chemical get's caught in recesses and will seep 
out 
after the car is finished and ruin the paint but I have not had any such 
experiences.  I had the TR3 dipped this past August and on the way back from 
the 
dipper I stopped off at a car wash and pressure washed the entire thing with 
the 
intent of flushing out any remaining solution.

I would recommend that before you go look for all the bondo and fibreglass 
and remove that with a propane torch and a putty knife.  The dipping won't take 
that off.  It would if they left it in there long enough but time in the tank 
is money so take it off before you go.  

An alternative is sand blasting.  A friend of mine had his big Healey 
sandblasted.  He then spend much time with an airgun blowing sand out of all 
the 
recesses and still got sand showers years after the car was finished.  That 
stuff 
goes everywhere.

I had my doors sandblased because I was afraid the wood frames would absorb 
the stripper (which is phosphoic acid to remove rust and a caustic bath to 
remove paint and aluminum).

BTW, I had the frame sandblasted, too.  Then I took it to Ziebart where they 
treated it with a rust arrestor and then coated the inside surfaces with their 
special goo.  The main intent is to trap any remaining sand so it doesn't 
rain out over time.



Dave Massey
57 TR3
71 TR6
80 TR8


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