Undercoating

Well, I found that it basically comes down to work. A small propane torch and putty knife work really well except for the fumes. Gasoline, MEK, paint remover are all effective except for the obvious problems they create. Walnut shells through a pressure blaster work great except then you'll have walnut shells in every nook and crany, and there are LOTS of nooks and crannies in on a Pantera shell. Oven cleaner, dry ice, and probably magic have been cited as effective, but I did not try them. Oh yes, a rotisserie is really nice, especially for up under the fenders etc.

Good luck, the results will be worth the work!!

Steve

I used a heat gun and a putty knife to remove the bulk. The rest came of quickly with a wire wheel on a pneumatic drill. The latter is messy but fast and safe.

I had my body redistriped for two reasons one I had rust on my roof and could not see any other way to make sure I could get between the panels as they rust from inside out and to get rid of the undercoat and I think it was $ well spent it makes a nice base to start with and seam welding was a breeze

mine was sand blasted but everything, motor, glass, tranny etc. was out of the car

Gary

IMHO, the biggest danger in such a project is, most peoples attention span is less than 3 months. So if you decide to do something like this by yourself, theres a very real chance you will NEVER complete the work. Or, you'll have to drag the half-finished hulk to someone to finish for you. No one likes clean-up work, so it may well cost you more than simply calling a specialist in the beginning. Also, blasting can destroy your car, because the impact of sand or certain grits on large body panels will heat the outside of the body panels, producing ripples and waves that can take a skilled bodyman mucho time & money to remove. Chemical strippers can creep into panel joints to bleed out later after the car is repainted. Sand or grit from the blasting blows out from hiding places during the paint spraying process. This causes extra expense, as many of the catalyzed metallic paints cannot be touched up as you go, but must be removed and you must start over on bare metal..

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Originally posted by Robert Marconi:
After a two week period, I just completed a total stripping of my 72 Pantera. I know many of you have successfully completed a bare metal restoration. Your advise please. What are your recommendations for removing the undercoating and paint to bare metal?

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Sorry for the 2 earlier posts w/ blank messages. I didn't realize how this thing works.

I went to the local day labor site and hired someone to do it. It's cheap and he did good work. He used a heat gun and a scraper. I had mine media blasted afterwards.

Jeff
6559

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Also, blasting can destroy your car, because the impact of sand or certain grits on large body panels will heat the outside of the body panels, producing ripples and waves that can take a skilled bodyman mucho time & money to remove. B]

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Has this happened to anyone you know? I am about to have my engine bay sandblasted and need to know what to look out for.

Also do you have any idea how much it would cost to replace the driver side quarter panel?

Thanks

Madguy, I have known several people with nightmare stories about having had panels such as doors, hoods, fenders and 1/4 panels completely ruined by blasting. I was not too concerned about the floor boards because of the bracing and thicker gauge steel. I wouldn't do the engine compartment, I think you would be asking for big trouble. I would suggest that when you do get the undercoat out of the engine bay, have your body guy fill in all of the spotwelds and weld in the DZUS fastener holes if you don't use them. The smooth look in the engine compartment is really cool. I also had the hoses for the A/C routed in behind the fender and eliminated the brackets that secure them and the rear wire harness. I had my body guy enlarge the hole by the access hole for the bumper arm mounting bolt and ran the hoses & wire harness thru there. If I had to do this over, I would have used one of the A/C bulkhead fittings rather than enlarging the hole.


Good luck

Gary #06984

[This message has been edited by fordgt (edited 10-01-2003).]

OK

If you are going to do the project yourself and, as Jack pointed out, are really going to see it through, then no matter how you slice it, IMHO, it's a lotta work. If you don't fundamentally enjoy doing these things, then look for a good shop and hire the job out.

I bought a pressure blaster last summer, built a rotisserie, and jumped in. Yeah, keep the sand off the body panels. If the pressure is low and you move quickly, you can't screw things up too much, but I used walnut shells on the inside panels undercoating AFTER removing most with heat and a putty knife (once again, watch the heat, or you'll be learning sheet metal skills later on). Walnut shells are pretty sharp and light weight and remove the coating effictivly without hitting the steel very hard.

I did most of the inside engine bay and fenders by hand and with chemical strippers, carefully, and that was fine (for me).

I think that IF you have the time and interest, doing most or all of the work your self is cool. Oh yeah, invest in or build a rotisserie.

Good Luck

Steve

Advice please. As I move along and remove the undercoating, paint, etc., bare metal will be present. How do I keep the newly exposed metal from starting to rust in my garage until the entire car is ready for paint?