Hey all,

Matt you're absolutely right- i am due for an update.

Over the past few months life and work took priority. I'm an engineer working on Melbourne's largest current rolling stock project and deadlines started popping up and consuming my time.

So, the car - or Harrison as he is known to my mates.
I have now stripped the car to a bare shell. All mechanicals including the engine, fuel, complete driveline and front and rear suspension was sold off over a 2 month period.
There is no turning back.

I have mounted the shell on a rotisserie acquired from Rolloverjigs in the UK (i have my own thoughts on some elementary design flaws, which required chopping, welding and redrilling on my behalf to simply make it work. Feel free to probe me on that one).

Next step: Removal of paint. Here is where im hoping some experienced folks can chime in.

I'm trying to decide on either media/soda blasting or acid dipping.
What experience have people had?

I will then get it etch primed, then begin addressing the rust, followed by the rest of my welding/seam brazing.

This is a 3-4 year project, and hence im really trying to spend the time to do it all right.

Though my updates to work done may be sporadic, i do read posts on this forum very regularly. So your comments, questions and suggestions are noticed :)

Cheers,
Siggy

If I had to restore another shell I'd go with dustless blasting. You could either take the shell to them, or get a mobile unit to come to you & blast it at your house.
 
Chuff

My Car was inert media blasted, very messy, took hours to finally get all all the grit out of little nooks and crannies, so if dustless blasting available I would go for it. We didn't have a soda blasting franchise in town at the time or I would have used that. Cost $250 an hour for 4 hours. Didn't do bonnet and boot under skins , was afraid heat would warp panels, ended up using paint stripper and scraper. Len
 

I had my Capri blasted last year using a combination of garnet and glass beads.
The glass beads were used for the outside body panels and garnet every where else. Garnet is quite abrasive so worked well on the rusty and contaminated surfaces. The blaster has to be carful on flat panels to avoid warping them.
Yes it takes time to clean up the left over grit.
I am happy with the result. See Capri projects rough "69 Capri for a picture.
Dustless blasting was an option however it will still leave residue where ever the runoff goes, inside sills and cavities etc.

I do mine with paint stripper and a wire wheel in a cordless drill .
Takes longer than blasting but there is no clean up and its free - well apart from my labour.
It also learns you every imperfection in an area which needs sorting.
I prefer the paint stripper in an aerosol can or pressure pack as you Aussies call them , gets into all the nooks and crannies.
Also find it a little more gentle on the old steel than blasting.
Bruce
 

Hey folks,

Thanks for the very quick and thorough responses from everyone! Im leaning toward using paint stripper for the large panels as Bruce has suggested and then garnet/bead blasting the tighter spots as im really concerned about soda blasting leaving an alkaline residue in hard to reach places that i wont be able to neutralize.
If it takes me 10 hours with a shop vac and airconpressor to get all the media out, that is a-okay. Id rather be safe than sorry :)

Cheers,
Siggy