I was wondering what some other people used for stripping the frame. I am currently using xylene, nylon brush, wire brush, and sandpaper. This seems to work ok for the exterior of the frame but am wondering what to do with the interior of the frame. It was a southern car so the frame is in very good condition. Any ideas or suggestions would be great. Thanks

Derrick

Pics (no order) http://derrick.hill.home.mindspring.com/pics

 

Sandblasting. My 68 frame is going to be professionally sandblasted. That job is a real b**ch. It's real hard to get in all those little crevices any other way.

 

Hi Derrick
I blasted mine with a hand-held blaster in my driveway, it took about 10 hrs total. you can see some of the pics of the process on my site. The only reason I did is because I could not haul it to a blaster, and it was caked with red clay. The labor bill from a blaster would have killed me, so I did it myself.

Greg
http://www2.bitstream.net/~blu/vette.html

 

I blasted mine at home with a small unit and took a long time but the price was right, only about $20 dollars worth of sand.
I flushed the inside with a pressure washer and then 80 lbs of air, let it dry for a few weeks and then sprayed paint inside it with a cheap garden sprayer from Walmart, stick it in all the holes and work it back and forth.

probably got too much paint in there but figured it was better than missing spots. will probably not drive it in the rain much

 

Sand blasted. $100 for a professional. Not worth the aggrivation.

 

Hi
Looks like everybody thinks that sand blasting is the key .
Still can't see how to sand blast the inside of the frame ?
Most frame rust comes from the inside, doesn't it ?
What type of anti rust treatment can be done to eliminate existing surface rust on the inside, also in areas not visible ?
My 68 Vette frame is like perfect on the outside, but the inside sure has surface rust, even shows rust flakes at some drain holes, so I need to do some cleaning and reprotection and like to do this this winter without dismantelling the body.
Gunther.

 

I'm not sure where Elgin, IL is but there is a plant in Evansville, Indiana that Nolan Adams uses in some of his video's on restoration. I guess a lot of people send there frame there from all over the country. They dip the frames in a caustic solution and other baths that cleans it inside and out and preserves it. I am not sure of all their services but they probably do a check for straightness as well as complete restoration. I'm thinking about doing it this winter.

 

WESCH & Strike3 have it right. I am a prolific sandblaster (and a seasoned salt-belt warrior) and know that sandblasting is only good for the outside of the frame. The frame does indeed rot from the inside out... and there is just no way to sandblast the inside of a frame effectively. Heck, I even have trouble sandblasting the inside of exhaust manifolds, let alone a frame. Dipping is the only way to get at the rust on the inside, and then it needs to be dipped again for an inside coating. Having said that, a true southern car (one that has not seen any salt-belt weather whatsoever, and minimal ocean beach exposure) probably does not need this treatment. The flip side is, if you really want any paint to stick to your frame for any length of time, it will have to be cleaned to bare metal first (sandblasting works good here, but with the body off). Rust forms underneath paint. So you cannot tell from the outward appearance of a workpiece whether it is rusty or not. All old paint must be removed. (This is one of my "****" areas... can you tell?) Anyhow... if you just want a "good enough" job, then wire wheel, sandpaper etc. is good enough unless the frame is already rotting. One more fly in the ointment- you really cannot assess the condition of the top of the frame unless you remove the body.

 

I was in pretty much the same situation with my LT-1. The car spent all of its life in northern Ohio and the frame, while structurally sound, definitely had a rust problem. I contracted Redi-Strip in Allentown, PA to chemically remove the paint and rust. The frame was alternately dipped and rinsed in various chemical solutions to remove any paint and rust. The rust removal also involves a cathodic process that uses an electrical charge to draw the rust away from the frame while it's in the tank. This is the first time that I have used this process and I was VERY pleased at how well things turned out. Cost for the frame alone was in the neighborhood of $400; not cheap, but well worth the cost in my opinion.

The exterior of the frame will still be sandblasted before it is painted, but the inside is sufficiently cleaned (and the rust neutralized) that a good rust proofer should prevent any additional problems.

Regards,

 

have it acid dipped. this is the only way to go. it will remove any trace of rust from the inside out. after it is dipped immediatly have it rust proofed on the inside. bare metal starts to rust faster than most people realize.
there is also a process called E-COTE, it is located in Novi, Mi. they dip the frame in some type of electro charged coating. similar to the process used to chrome parts. i guess the process is bullet proof.

 

I wouldn´t say it´s impossible to sandblast the innerside of the frame...
Here in Austria we use a lance. This does the rough job.
Then use a rust stopper after cleaning the frame.
Other things are too complicated, IMO

 

I do say it is impossible to sandblast the inside of the frame "effectively". Here is my reason- even while sandblasting items such as engine blocks and suspension parts, it is very common to come across areas or spots where you have to spend an extra amount of time just hitting the area repeatedly to get ALL of the rust off. The depth of rust is not uniform. When it is particularly thick, it takes a longer amount of abrasion to remove it entirely. If you do not remove the rust entirely, then you are wasting your time. You cannot see inside the frame rails, so you cannot tell if sandblasting has been effective on the entire inside surface of the frame. Plus, there are pockets and corners where the sand will not get to at all. Corners are difficult even when you can see them, because the sand tends to stay out of a corner- it bounces back, without removing the rust unless you hit the corner from different angles repeatedly. In a frame, there are also areas where the sand simply cannot get to the rust... boxed in areas. A chemical dip will penetrate these areas. Finally, if you've ever seen a frame that is rotted from the salt of the northeastern US, you know that the rust is not surface rust... it is very thick, to the point where "sheets" of metal are falling off, and large chunks of frame have disintegrated and are laying loose. Sandblasting will not remove this debris from the nooks & crannies inside the frame. I sandblasted a 305 Chevy block this week and there were spots that I had to hit repeatedly at 100 PSI in order to get a clean surface. A block is an "easy" sandblasting job, it still took me 4 hours to get it right with a new 7.5 HP compressor. So- that is why it is my opinion that sandblasting cannot effectively cleanse the inside of a frame from rust. I tried it myself, and even with a lance/wand, it is still impossible to get ALL of the rust off the inside of a frame.... in my opinion based on personal experience. It's like trying to sandblast the inside of a soup can without taking the lid off.

 

Derrick,
If you want to get at any rust on the inside of the frame you will have to dip it, I blasted mine first because around here they charge by the amount of time the frame is in the vat. I saved $300 by blasting it first then taking it to the shop. Small savings I know, but I was really able to go over the entire frame and know what I had.
What are you thinking about coating/painting it with? Just curious, I'm thinking of powdercoating mine but am unsure.

Greg

 

For my 71 I used OSPHO on the inside sprayed in with a spray dock before sending it to a pro blaster which blasted it to a perfect finish and then red oxide primered it all for about $120.00 :seeya

 

Rowdy:

Do you have a number for Redi Strip in Allentown? I'd like to give them a call.
Thanks.

 

I have been considering e-cote or just painting, still need to do a little more research and price checking before I decide.