Media blasting is done!, Look what we found! Options

[mightyohm]

So why do they prime the body before doing body work?

[seanery]

bare metal rusts very quickly, it's for protection

[balljoint]

These pictures are reminding me of Gints thread from a few months ago. Any progress there?

I love to see these nekkid 914s and what the sheetmetal would look like on my car if there was actually anything there.

[curtis]

I haven't quite used to that look. Kinda looks like a new car, but a couple of weeks from now, the 2004 Lapis Blue is gonna be sprayed!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) I love that color!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[ChrisFoley]

The rotisserie was supposed to get primered at the same time, lol!
The last total restoration I was involved in took just over a year start to finish, so you're right on schedule.
If you have the entire exterior color sprayed now, plan on some touch-up work after the car is reassembled.

[IronHillRestorations]

If you have the entire exterior color sprayed now, plan on some touch-up work after the car is reassembled.

I've done it both ways, but my preference now is to paint everything except the exterior, install the drivetrain and interior, and then do the finish paint on the exterior panels.

I've done very well doing the entire car, and then re-assembling everything without scratching, but it's hell on the nerves!

[guywan914]

William, glad to see your teener naked. Was wondering how the media blast was going. Would love to come up and take a look, will give a call to the number listed to set up a time and get info on the blast company. My car was in to see Chris right after yours left so I'm a little behind your schedule but very interested in your progress. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[914forme]

"So why do they prime the body before doing body work?"

Rust abatement - but you can also apply filler over primer and then seal it into primer if you use the proper base primers. That zinc based primer that is shot onto this car will need several more coats, and you don't want to scratch it down to bare metal and shot normal primer in its place.

That epoxy based primer sticks to everything car, floor, walls, doors, flies, clothes, hands, and wedding bands! Finally got it of the wedding band after three months of picking at it.

[joea9146]

Looks great.... Good job

[URY914]

Its as if you've taken a worn out road warrior and turned her back to a sweet virgin.
(kinda profound don't ya think?)

You should be commened. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Paul

[nein14-6]

So the media blasting removed all of the undercoating off of the bottom and wheel wells?

[Steve Thacker]

Quick honey come look!...a nekid teener! Ohhh Baby! Hubba Hubba...
I just got wood........

[Gint]

These pictures are reminding me of Gints thread from a few months ago. Any progress there?

Updated with pics last night. Check out my sig for the link.

[william harris]

Thanks for all the kind words. When a totally f***ed up jury can't get it right (just spent four days on trial and the jury felt sorry for the defendant - disbarred lawyer who stole his client's money)(remember I am in Kerry Land) it helps to know that I can forget all about being a lawyer and dealing with the corrupt and incompetent system we call the trial courts (if shes a witch she will float, if she drowns she is innocent comes to mind) and just occupy my mind with the 914 project. Believe me - the teener has got me through a lot of tough days! I feel pretty comfortable reassembling after paint because it will be the long, slow process - no body on the clock but me and the 914 community. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[Eric_Shea]

Gang,

This is (in my opinion) the BEST way to strip a chassis. PERIOD. Way to go William (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

I just spent about an hour looking over a friends chassis that was acid dipped. I had a 911 chassis acid dipped about 15 years ago. Here's what I've seen and experienced (real world gang):

1. You can't neutrilize or get rid of all of the acid. Period. There are areas on any Karman style uni-body tub that will retain the acid. Two years "after" the dipping my 911 tub was weeping acid. The tub I just went and looked at is doing the "exact" same thing. (careful in your critique Norcals... it was done there). Nothing against the firm doing it, they did an excellent job and the primer work was stunning... it's just a simple fact. There is acid weeping from almost all the seams. The bolt hole where you bolt on the front bumper? There's a couple of layers of metal sandwiched together there... weeping. There's a piece spot-welded in the passengers foot-well area before the bulkhead is welded in (meaning there's no way to access it)... weeping. What happens when acid weeps? It rusts the metal around it. Can you clean it up? Most of it by... BLASTING (can you imagine getting some sandpaper on that 1/16th of an inch of overlay on a seam?) You'll never get all of it.

2. What do you have to do if you dip a tub? Get the heater tubes out... right? How do you get the heater tubes out? Cut open the longitudinals. What is the "backbone" of a 914 chassis? The longitudinal. Are you willing to have MAJOR back surgery so you can get a facelift? "If" your longitudinals are toast and you don't mind acid weeping out of your car (and you've got the extra dough... see my next point) then maybe acid dipping is right for you. You're going to slice the bottom of you long. right under the door. You're going to slice up the sides. You're going to peel up your long. like a tuna can to get to the tubes (remember, this is the backbone of your 914). Are you going to weld it back in when you're done? Let me give you a clue. No. It's pretty much toast after that (why? considering the task ahead of you... bent metal, cuts, but welds on major structural components etc. It's cheaper and better to get new ones and properly weld them in). Add a couple of outer rocker and door sill kits to the price of your project.

3. Price. My friend paid $3,500 or more of his hard earned buck-a-roos to have the car acid dipped (not counting the metal work needed to repair the longs. after the back surgery). I paid $900 back in the late 80's (they didn't give a shit about tar paper and seam sealer back then). I think I remember William stating $1,000.00 Well worth it in the grand scheme of a proper restoration. It's worth 3x that.

Media blasting when done right will get you the desired results. Yes, sand blasting can warp panels if done at the wrong pressure etc. Walnut and plastic media are awesome. Soda can be hard to find do to the nature of the machinery needed (soda needs to be fed into the machine, not gravity feed) but if you can find one in your area, it's awesome. I'd rather spill a little sand around turn 4 at the autocross for a couple of years than have acid weeping on to my new paint for a couple of years.

If you're not doing a ground up restoration don't worry about it. If you are... please (for the sake of these cars and your wallet) consider those facts.

My $0.02 now donning my baking soda flame suit (baking soda is good at putting out fires isn't it?) for the acid heads out there.

[william harris]

Well thanks to this site, we will all know this turns out. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) After a great deal of investigation I was satisfied that the baking soda was the way to go. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[Series9]

I had my car dipped at a place in Ft. Worth that does a new, non-acid process. After a long debate with myself about the pros and cons of dipping I chose this specifically for the non-acid nature of the process.

It took a month, but whatever comes out of the seams in the future is harmless, and I can prove it by my experiences after paint was on the car.

Visit: www.metalrehab.com

Mine was the first 914 they had ever done. Cost $1300 and came out like this:

[Eric_Shea]

I see they acid dipped the vent on the building though... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[william harris]

Well, I was able to take advantage of the holiday and relatively good weather (they are talking about snow tomorrow!!!) and run down to Bellingham, MA and pick up the car. Here she is back in my driveway this afternoon.

[william harris]

Unfortunately, the media blasting did reveal another couple of small areas of rust penetration. These pictures are macros (very small area) and show the area of the door seal immediately under the bottom latch. These areas will be repaired before the paint.