18 replies to this topic

[mattmiglia]

What's everyone's opinions on having a shell blared before starting restoring it? Don't have the budget for a fancy dip and coat so it would be a basic blast and then prime.
Is it worth it? If so what prices have people paid?

[mini93]

I have had mine blasted before.

 

I had mine blasted at the begining of my restoration in order to allow me to work and weld to bare metal, as well as see all the issues... the shell faired fairly well in a garage. The garage is joined to the house so probably stays at a fairly consistant temperature. 3 or so years later its scaled up with surface rust... nothing substantial and can be easily rubbed back without any issues.

I'll likely get mine blasted again before paint stage.

For me, I had my shell (without roof, doors, boot or front end) blasted for £200 including collection and delivery.

 

It would likely be less for a second blast as it wouldnt need an aggresive media or take as long as there's no paint or sealer to deal with.

[mattmiglia]

£200? Sounds good. I've been quoted £400 with priming aswell. Again no boot doors front end or roof.

The car is far from a basket case but like the idea of seeing it warts and all before pouring money into it

[ChopperHarris]

many many many problems associated with this. Warping of panels, heat build up, distortion due to stress relief of surface...correct medium ets etc. Google it. And leaving it unprotected for ANY period is folly, rust will attack immediately and will NOT be easy to remove....perhaps visually but it will come back through.

One of the fun things is when you respray, coming across a previously hidden pocket of sand that then deposits itself over the final coat!

[mattmiglia]

So are you saying in your opinion you wouldn't have it done?

[Daz1968]

If you do have it blasted, cut off sills and wings etc, then just have underside and seams blasted, you can remove paint from quarter panels and roof by sanding to reduce any chance of distortion. I took the opposite approach and decided as I am fitting a full floor, inner wings and boot floor etc, I only have the roof and pillars left so will be stripping those areas myself with a stripping disc on the grinder. You really need to coat freshly blasted steel as soon as you can.

[dean]

i had mine soda blasted after i did all the panel work , they can do they whole shell, inside and out, you have no problems of heat and distortion ,

 

its not cheap, but it has a excellent finish, and you can do the whole shell, and not just the door and window shuts. 

 

it then was covered in a zinc sulphate coating, that you can weld through. and they say its good for upto 6 months with out paint, but i think mine was more like 14 months and its was still good,

 

this is the company:  http://www.blast-cleaning.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by dean, 27 December 2015 - 09:51 PM.

[ChopperHarris]

I would say if you feel it needs blasting go with a professional classic car company who will use the right medium, nutshells/plastic beads etc. They will also avoid distortion with correct pressure/nozzles. And if they offer a post blast primer coating, take them up on it.

[Almond-1]

As mentioned above, good company, right beads & pressure, Cut off as many corroded parts as possible ( not to many to distort ) & zinc coat afterwards. I've had many done & it's always been worth it.

[peter-b]

As said, get someone who knows what they're doing. Get it done after you've done the obvious repairs, no use paying them to blast bits that are going into trash.

[Tupers]

It's definitely worth having it blasted before you start metal work, in my experience no matter how good a shell looks there's always something hiding. 

 

I put all the shells I have blasted on a rotisserie to make it easier for the baster to get at. It's also handy as you can spin the shell around to get any hidden blasting media out from all the box sections. Once they're bare I spray them with Davids Zinc182 to stop them furring up. 

 

 

 

 

[Turbo Nick]

Give the chaps at the Soda Blasting place in Bilston a shout as you're in the midlands, had loads of bits done there, decent prices and sound blokes.

[dyshipfakta]

It's definitely worth having it blasted before you start metal work, in my experience no matter how good a shell looks there's always something hiding. 
 
I put all the shells I have blasted on a rotisserie to make it easier for the baster to get at. It's also handy as you can spin the shell around to get any hidden blasting media out from all the box sections. Once they're bare I spray them with Davids Zinc182 to stop them furring up. 

 

 
 
 

But look at what you have left after it's been blasted. Hasn't even got any roof left!!!

[Tupers]

But look at what you have left after it's been blasted. Hasn't even got any roof left!!!

 

 

 

Yeah that one need a lot of metal putting back into it. It's good now though. 

[dyshipfakta]

Yeah fair shout does look good lol