Do I or don't I ???.

[maxi.man]

its going tommorrow 

[sid131]

sorry missed this i wouldnt do this, all the in accessable panels that are spot welded together have a sealer in between so how do you replace this? i have worked in coachbuilders for 5 years & dont recommend this option, i think it will create a rust problem rather than get rid, sorry if this is too late.

[mick131]

But surely if the sealer, in between the welds, is removed during the stripping process ( presuming the stripping fluid can penetrate that far ), then it will be replaced with the zinc coating ??.

Assuming that the zinc coating can get as far as the stripping fluid of course  .

[gerafiori]

whatever the process removes surely molten zinc will fill the cavity
left behind,
i would give it a try, think of that shiny silver shell when you go back to collect
it, then get your finger out and we can get a look at her in gaydon
best of luck
gerry

[sid131]

the sealer would be where the roof skin & quarters are spotted on , maybe a bit skeptic? it might be a good job keep us posted with lots of inside pics

[mick131]

Still think I'm gonna go down this route. It would take too much time to get rid of the surface rust any other way !!!.

Then there's the box sections to think about as well 

[mirafioriman]

In my experience Fiat rarely seam sealed anything, one of the reasons why these cars rusted so badly in the first place..... After the shell is dipped and primed simply seam seal everything before the paint is applied. You can get spray sealer now which comes in handy for hard to reach areas, brushable for the rest. I always apply two coats as it often sinks when it dries. I would personally then apply stonechip to the underside and wheel arches followed by the topcoats and then fill everywhere full of clear Waxoyl.

[sid131]

Hi i dont mean seam sealer, its a green colour that goes between the spotted metal it had to go on at fiat otherwise the water would run in wher the roof skin is spotted it has to go on with a special gun & is two pack its mighty stuff for sealing & bonding but the special gun to apply it is over a grand, very interested in the outcome of your 131 Mick, it needs lot of welding, before or after the process?

[mick131]

Nah not really mate, I decided to do all the welding before it went to be dipped. Apparently if the surface of the coating is broken you need to use 2 pack to repaint the area.

The plating in the boot for the IRS has been done, seat runners welded in etc. Scuttle panel, floor and inner wings are all sound with just surface rust. The front panel is being restored at the moment. So I think that's all that is needed  .

[kes131]

Hi Everyone
I have been following this one with interest like a lot of others have and there has been a lot of good points from you all. couple questions :? there?s? a lot of very clean 131s? out there that are in A1 condition, has no one who has restored there 131 down to a shell gone down this road before??? I am going down this road myself soon and I am having mine blasted and primed at the same time. I know this is going to cause a few repairs and some times you find out your shell is not worth repairing!! but does this road your going down,?? will it remove all the week points which we all know fiats are know to rust ? surely if I was thinking of going down this road which is a lot of money you would have your shell blasted first! then do all the repairs next and then you know when your chassis goes off to have this protection done, you know you have got a very strong solid chassis any repairs done after you have had this process done will not have the same protection and will cause problems down the road ? I am looking forward to the end result as well as many others I am sure. It will be good to see what this process can achieve and all so be good to follow what work you have to do after getting your chassis back !!? Sid said some very interesting? points that makes you think about making your chassis water type? again and we all know if? water and weather can get in,? what it can achieve and what it can do. Good luck!!!?

[maxi.man]

well this whats happenig acid dipped 2 stage all paint sealer removed. then take shell back in bare metal all repair work carried out in my case  new sill, rear of chassis repaired (its not a fiat)  minor rust holes repaired. then goes back to be redipped and electro coated and wait till other project is finished. should have shell back in a month     

[mick131]

...surely if I was thinking of going down this road which is a lot of money you would have your shell blasted first! then do all the repairs next and then you know when your chassis goes off to have this protection done, you know you have got a very strong solid chassis any repairs done after you have had this process done will not have the same protection and will cause problems down the road ?

I suppose it depends on how well you know your car/shell. Right now mine has no underseal on it whatsoever, the chassis/outriggers/floorpan/scuttle panel etc have been replaced so I know there are no areas ( except the ones previously mentioned ) that need repair  . Blasting the shell would would give an indication of rot, which could then be repaired but it can also deform panels if not done with care.

The process will remove areas of rust but to what extent I don't know  . However I would rather have this done than wait for the dreaded "bubbling"  .

Maxi.man - Could you take some pics of the areas that had rust on them so we can all see the extent of removal and how the dipping process has left the areas concerned ??.

Cheers
Mick.

[Kennedy of Sixmilebridge]

If they have such a backlog of work stacked up it sounds like a great business opportunity for someone. They should sell some franchises around the country.

In Ireland the EPA (assholes) have a BIG problem with byproducts of
metal coating businesses.

I think there is only 3 galvanisers in Southern Ireland.

[sid131]

well spoke to a few blokes in the trade about this process & the answer is NO dont do this to a fiat 131 or dont sand blast either the steel is too thin & weak & i saw a mk2 jag yesterday that was blasted & it does a fair amount of damage

[maxi.man]

shes back naked and sexxy ready for some plasic surgery dont know how to upload pics