Lancia Motor Club

It's time I got around to the body of my '73 Fulvia and as a new member I was wondering what the general consensus was regarding the best way to strip the body - media blasting verses chemical stripping. There seem to be pros and cons to both methods and at the moment I'm leaning towards media blasting, but all advice and opinions welcomed.

I would also appreciate any recommendations members may have regarding an outfit to undertake the body work (usual area- floor, rear valance and  rather nasty hole in the C pillar of all places!). My preference would be someone on the South Coast, but I'm not adverse to trailing her to the right person/company with obvious candidates in Norfolk and North Wales.

As an aside if you are in the Chichester area I highly recommend Penfold Metallising (www.penmet.co.uk) if you want any blasting/powder coating done. Justin is a Lancia fan (just sold his Delta as not being used enough) and has been so helpful in cleaning up my subframe and other suspension parts at very reasonable rates.

Cheers
Chris

I have always stripped a body by hand and so have no direct experience of either blasting or chemical stripping. However, I have researched both and should I be stupid enough (and live long enough) to buy another project I have decided that body stripping would be done using an experienced, recommended blasting company. I have read of too many instances of traces of chemicals being left in seams etc. that eventually bleed out and ruin the paint. One thing is for sure, I would never recommend hand stripping a body shell!!

Good luck with the task whichever method you choose!!

                                        Andy

I only have experience of one method ie sand/media blasting, a bit like taking a taking a truth drug as all will be revealed. I am assuming the whole body is being restored. It can seem a bit extreme but frequently you uncover more issues than you thought, but worthwhile in the long run. There are photos of same on my Portuguese Aurelia thread.


P

Have had experience with both media and immersion. A few cautions here, as early versions of both were flawed. Sand (used as a media) resulted in too much loss and was forever dribbling out of the corners. The better vendors shifted to softer media - such as walnut shells,  a nice technique. No bad experience with that - done on a car about 15 years ago.

Early users of acid dipping took off too much metal - but now its done with thickness readings, and a matrix map of the car to assure that  negligible measured loss only. Used this on the B20 restoration, and then had the body dipped in epoxy primer. The results were  wonderful: clean fresh metal everywhere, good epoxy paint in the wee cracks, and no mess. Recommended if you have good vendors.  

Thanks for advice/comments. I do expect to find absolute horrors which ever way I go!

GG can you let me know the company you used for the immersion - the idea of a complete clean and coating in epoxy has a lot of appeal, although a lot will then need to be cut out I'm sure.

Still hoping to get some recommendations about who can do the major bodywork repairs as I do not have the time nor skills to do this before I face the inevitable divorce!

Cheers
Chris

There is also a process called soda blasting.

Sodablasting is a process in which sodium bicarbonate is applied against a surface using compressed air. An early use was to restore the Statue of Liberty in the 1980s.[1] It is a very mild form of abrasive blasting, much milder than sandblasting.
Sodablasting is a non-destructive method for many applications in cleaning, paint & varnish stripping, automotive restoration, industrial equipment maintenance, rust removal, graffiti removal, molecular steel passivation against rust, oil removal by saponification and translocation, masonry cleaning and restoration, soot remediation, boat hull cleaning and for food processing facilities and equipment and teeth cleaning at the dental office.

I don't know if anyone has experience of it.

Soda blasting also has a good reputation here in the states.

As to where dipping: the Aurelia went from Chicago up to Milwaukee to get acid dipped, and then to Detroit to get epoxy immersion. It was some time ago, about 2006.

....don't mind moving the Fulvia around the UK, but I think the US might just be a little too far! Has any one a recommendation for a "local" immersion specialist who they rate?

I have had some experience with soda blasting at home - you need plenty of CFM  (a small compressor won't cut it), the air needs to be very dry (soda can be very sensitive to moisture) and you need forgiving neighbours (you'll generate lots of dust). But that aside it is a very gentle media and produces a nice finish.

Chris

My Augusta shell was grit blasted in the 1980s which did show up masses of pinholes. I then had the whole thing soaked in what I remember as being called phosphates (chemistry is not my strong point). This very effectively stopped the superficial rusting whilst I dealt with said holes. I then had to wire brush inside and out to remove the flaky bits. Not a nice job. I then put 2 coats of Hammerite inside all the sections I could reach and Waxoyl in the bits I could not.
30 years on still very solid despite my amateur welding/brazing/painting.
Brian

In this series there's a build of a compressor system using many small ones and a sequential start, also a home made air drier and a discussion on blasting media.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvVyo1HSU4WrZxQPgnKJKhg/videos

Hi Chris,

Our trials and tribulations rebuilding our Fulvia Fanalone might hopefully encourage you in your restoration project.

Paint stripping on page 1!

http://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5820.0

Good luck and please do keep the Forum updated on your progress. The Forum members were of huge encouragement to us particularly when the going got tough.

All I can say is that the end product was worth the effort!

Good luck.

Robin.

When restoring a customer Mercedes I used "Surface Processing Ltd" in Dudley. Tel. 01384 242010. They chemically dipped the body to rid it of grease, underseal, paint, etc and then Electrophoretically primered it. Luckily the main body was sound so needed no repairs although it`s a 1953 car ( German not Italian metal) Normally after dipping you can have it back, repair it then return it to them for redipping and primering if you wish.
It`s not cheap but a great job. Look at their website and view the videos. There are a few Lancias on there gallery. I think a Fulvia is about £2000.