full media blast?

[roller]

i'm getting ready to put new springs/shox/bushings in my '69 gtv, but am
rethinking something:

- there's a local media blasting shop that will blast the undercarriage fairly inexpensively, but he wants the exhaust and drive line taken off.
- i'm eventually going to repaint the entire car, and he will do the whole car inside and out for not much more.
- i can take out the dash & headliner (seats, carpet, insulation already gone) and let him do the inside as well.

> doing the whole car appeals to me as there will be no mystery spots and i'm envious of the guys who are doing their cars from the ground up.
> my question: do i need to remove the engine/trans. as well, or should/could i do the engine bay later & just have him blast the exterior & passenger cabin? originally, i didn't want to have to redo all the wires from the engine to the dash. i thought i could tape up the wires, cover the pedals, and let him blast away.
what do you think? i want to get this right.

john

[GTD]

John
Understand that media blasting, with ANY media, is incredibly dirty! Unless every component beneath the dash was to be removed and refitted, you will:a) not reach ALL the old painted surfaces and b) Media grit will FOREVER work it's way out of pockets and from wiring harnesses much to your displeasure.

You could probably keep the engine bay protected but you WILL have media in every nook and cranny of the rest of the vehicle, if you shoot the undercarriage and interior.

Of couse, this is just my experience/opinion - your results may vary!

[ossodiseppia]

It sounds like you want to do a "frame-off" restoration. So, you might as well go all of the way. Go ahead and pull the engine, tranny and wire harness, etc, etc.

Media blasting is a great way of stripping the car. But, the stuff gets everywhere.

Do you have a place that can put sealer on it almost immediately after it gets blasted?

[roller]

the media blast guy said there was no real hurry. in the northwest, he says we could wait up to a week before needing to paint. i figure i could schedule the blasting a day or two before the paint and be okay. what do you think?

> also, a frame-off sounds great, but would that need to include *all* suspension and brake lines etc.?

john

[PSk]

I'm not 100% familiar with media blasting. Is this the plastic particles instead of sand?

Anyway just ensure they do not blast any large flat panels as it may stretch the metal. I had my car sand blasted and some of the side panels have been stretched.

Pete

[sprintgtc]

John,
Where are you in the NW? What shop are you using? I'm looking into this also.
Thanks,

[roller]

i think he said he was going to use a combination of crushed walnut shells
and something like aluminum. i hope he knows what he's doing...

john

[roller]

tony at media blasters, portland oregon 503-772-5278.
you might ask about the warping concern noted above.

john

[jimcheney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSk I'm not 100% familiar with media blasting. Is this the plastic particles instead of sand? Pete

[papajam]

Yer killin me, Jim!!

[PSk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimcheney Oh no, this is a process where we Americans point several televisions tuned to FOX News with the volume turned up at the car. After about 24 hours of exposure, the paint becomes so aggravated that it just falls off. Stubborn parts get extra exposure to Bill O'Reily.

[ossodiseppia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roller i think he said he was going to use a combination of crushed walnut shells and something like aluminum. i hope he knows what he's doing... john

[Jr. Z]

John: We here in Portland have one of the best full dip strip facilities in the US, American Metal Cleaning up by the airport. They are used by all the guys doing concour restorations on everything from Porsches to Pontiacs to Packards. They come very highly recomended from everybody who's used them. When I've been up there picking up or dropping off parts, I've seen every kind of vehicle or part you can imagine. Your car or parts can get ruined by media blasting or chemical immersion if done improperly, the most important thing is to get the right person to do the job right. Come to the local meetings & pick our collective brains, we've BTDT & can steer you in the right direction. Bruce

[ossodiseppia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jr. Z John: We here in Portland have one of the best full dip strip facilities in the US, American Metal Cleaning up by the airport. They are used by all the guys doing concour restorations on everything from Porsches to Pontiacs to Packards. They come very highly recomended from everybody who's used them. When I've been up there picking up or dropping off parts, I've seen every kind of vehicle or part you can imagine. Your car or parts can get ruined by media blasting or chemical immersion if done improperly, the most important thing is to get the right person to do the job right. Come to the local meetings & pick our collective brains, we've BTDT & can steer you in the right direction. Bruce

[tom baker]

There is a 'new' method that is being used to clean boat hulls - and other projects - that uses soda / borax - and may not create the heat or pressure that warps the metal, is non toxic. Will search around my desktop and find a reference name and number for information. Know they have been using on fiberglass boat bottoms as well as metal.