chemical dipping whole car anyone try?

[charger2fast4u]

i been thinking about getting my charger dipped to strip off everything down to bare metal and then have it dipped to have it completely covered in a primer sealer. anyone have this done? any cons for having it done i'd like to hear what everyone has to say on it and if you had it done how was your results? also i live in PA does anyone know any places in this area that do this i couldn't find any when i did a online search would like to get some quotes

[Old Moparz]

I had a pair of fenders done by Kwik Strip in Allentown, PA. The facility can do a whole car, but they don't dip to do the e-coat.

Here's what I posted a while back on it.....

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,60027.0.html

There are other places that can e-coat, an old time member here did it, but I don't have the link on this computer to his site where he posted his resto on his Hemi Charger.  



EDIT:  I found the website.... http://www.69hemi.com/history.html

[charge69]

Well,  I would guess moreso because of EPA regs. than anything else, getting your entire body dipped to start off is a problem.  Just finding a person to do it is hard and I was lucky to find one here just about 20 miles from me. His price was high and getting higher every day and I had to assemble a custom-made harness to get it in and out of the tank as I was afraid they might bend the top without it as there had been problems in the past. It did eat all the rust off the car and left it still needing some of the paint (very little) and other misc.debris on the car. By the way, mine went to and from the dipper tank on a rotisserie and trailer too so it would be protected. Still a little work left though but it got almost all the paint off and all the rust. It was coated with acid, can't remember the name, after the dip to neutralize the rust removing acid and that worked fine too.  Get ready to do a lot of work to ready it for the tank though.

As far as dipping it in primer afterward, don't think you will find anyone doing this now. You would have to wait quite a while anyway as the rust-removing acid gets into every nook and cranny and would have to thoroughly dry or the paint would not adhere to the old metal that is left if there is any acid left on it anywhere! Mine was sprayed with primer well over a year after the dip so no problem there.

Carl

[charger2fast4u]

how did you keep the body from rusting in that year leading up to the primer? yes it was dipped to neutralize the acid and coated to help prevent rust but that should wear off in that year and some surface rust would start forming i would imagine from touching it with your fingers, moisure or any kind of accidental wetness on it. i'd like to go this route but if i cant get it dipped after to accept a primer then i may not go this route as the body will have alot of hidden areaas where you cant get to  to paint over the bare metal which would mean it would start rusting out in them areas and eventually make them show up on the body. anyone have any sources for e coating around PA i'd travel around the surrounding states depending on what the cost of it all is i know this is an exoensive process but if done right you can't get much better

[gtx6970]

Finding someone to dip the body is not a problem , these are all over the country http://www.americanmetalcleaning.us/

finding some who can do both the dipping AND the E-coating is a problem. I'm working a couple of leads now .

[charge69]

Gotta work now. I will answer you tonight about the surface rusting. Around 8pm.

[charger2fast4u]

thanks gtx6970 let me know what you come up with

[Old Moparz]

You could call the guy I recommended in the link in my first post to see what he says about coating the car after he dips it. They neutralize the acid dip when they pull it out in a second tank.

Kwik Strip Inc.
610-437-7878
1 W. Allen St. Unit #5
Allentown, PA 18102

How much closer than Pennsylvania do you need to be? 

[charge69]

Home now,   The Charger was kept inside an enclosed garage at all times since the dipping and we still had to use a lot of care touching the body and welding on it. The back part of the car was almost completely replaced except for the wheelwell housings, trunk rails and frame rails with the bracing and trunklid and all accessories. I guess I should've said we replaced both quarters, trunk floor (one-piece from AMD),all trunk accessories including the complete rear of the car as it was originally too rusted to keep after we dipped it. The front floors just required a small patch in the front and nothing on the rears and all the rest of the Charger, including the roof, doors and everything forward is original now and it is just about painted and ready for final assembly.

Been a long journey and I am glad I had it dipped to remove the rust first and completely coated it in primer afterward, probably within a few months of dipping it. Had to re-primer all areas that got attention but you should and will see pics soon! The R6 Red looks a foot deep and is amazingly shiny. Looks like a 6 or 7 coat basecoat/clearcoat paint job but it is acrylic enamel throughout! What a fine job my friend did painting it and I knew he would. I could explain better but my d$^n residuals make typing this a chore and much slower than before. Hope to have an update with pics on here soon and I would only recommend dipping if you have lots of time and money!  HaHa.

[charger2fast4u]

thanks for the reply this is a long term build and want to do it right the first time so i dont get any hidden rust show pop ups down the road. i'll give him a call and see what he has to say and also check out the price for the full car when doing the chemical dipping after i get it back i'm assuming i would need to tear down any panel that has the gasket between the mating surfaces so i don't get rattles? i also like the dipping, e coating because it will get inside the frame rails. and any other place you might not reach

[charge69]

Just remember,  if you choose to have it dipped, be sure to completely disassemble the Charger first. Leave nothing in the car that dipping might harm. The car done around here (SE Texas) spent around 2 days in the tank as it is a milder acid but, acid to be sure and will get everywhere. It was completely disassembled and on a rotisserie by then!

[maxwellwedge]

I went for Redi-Strip a few years ago on my 'Cuda. No acid - they use an alkaline solution....does not change the metals thickness - only attacks the rust. Not sure how many are still around and if they still use the alkaline system. None of those guys are me......Notice the doors inside the car?

[charger2fast4u]

interesting maxwell i haven't thought of the acid being harmful to the metal does the acid really thin the good metal? iff so how bad are wea talking about

[maxwellwedge]

From an article a few years ago....

A lot of chemical stripping shops use a heated muriatic (also known as hydrochloric) acid solution to strip metal. While this does indeed strip rust it also attacks the "good" metal and reduces the thickness of the metal as well. To further aggravate this situation the proper neutralization of the above process is nearly impossible to achieve leading to further "eating" of the metal long after the work was performed! This is why many a factory "Lightweight" car rusted out badly years after they were built.

Redi-Strip uses a non-acid alkaline solution that is electrically charged. This procedure "attracts" the chemical make-up of rust off the part. It will not cause metal loss, dimensional changes, work hardening, hydrogen embrittlement or stress cracking.
After this procedure the component is thoroughly rinsed and cleaned and treated with a phosphate coating to stop any surface rusting that occurs on the now exposed bare metal. The Redi-Strip process is patented. Other shops may use a similar process. The bottom line? – Ask questions! Ask what their solution is made up of and how do they neutralize it? Ask for references as well.