I just got these frames back from the acid dippers. Thought you might like to see how it turns out when done.




This frame needs some repairs. This frame was also like this before it went in, not after!!




We left the rubber bumpers on when it went in and they are still good. They even look new!


Now they will be put in jigs to make sure they are straight. The one frame that needs a new sections will be fixed and than they go to the powder coaters.


[Modified by Van Steel, 4:00 PM 2/26/2004]

 

Thanks for sharing!!!

Can I ask what the acid dip cost? I've never considered dipping before.

 

Can I ask what the acid dip cost? I've never considered dipping before.
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Sure, it cost $650. I think it does a more thorough job than sand blasting b/c it gets everything inside the frame as well.

 

what your pics also clearly show is the diff. between an early and a later frame, the rear braces and the height difference of the body mount points.

 

It looks the same as when I got mine acid dipped. It looks so nice to have a clean frame ready for paint.

Your cost seems high though, I might try searching around for a better price. Here they do them for $2CA per pound clean weight which makes it around $600CA Give or take a few pounds.

 

:iagree:

 

:cool: :thumbs: :seeya

 

Very nice, :thumbs:

 

MikeC
I charge the extra $50 b/c I have to wake up at 4 in the morning to bring the frame 2 hours south of me and make it back to work by 8. And I have to do this twice. It's more than fair in my eyes.

 

What's the acid dipping process consist of? I've heard of acid-dipping a frame to lose weight to gain speed for racing but if you have a good 'southern', low rust frame to begin with, isn't acid dipping overkill? Also, how do you ensure there is no acid left to eat away at the metal/welds? Just asking...

 

All the chemicals are biodegradeable so it will not eat your frame. The acid dipping process is not what it used to be years ago. Back in the day they used different types of chemicals. It will not eat your frame. You can come down and look at it if you'de like. You can take a frame thats never been touched and mic out the thickness of it and you can mic out the thickness of this frame they will be the same. Do i think it's overkill for "southern" cars...No. I think it's a more thorough way of ensuring you have a rust free frame. I've seen some pretty ruff southern cars.

 

Nice looking frames. There aren't many places up here that dip frames that I'm aware of. Like plating, the EPA rules make it hard to make a buck in that business.
Do you have a full frame jig that picks up the reference points in the frame?

Gary

 

I just finished treating (outside only) my frame with a phosphoric acid solution.

I used a spray-on treatment, then promptly wrapped the entire frame with
heavy duty stretch wrap (for wrapping pallet stacks). I let it soak for about
45 minutes and then power washed it. The rust gets converted to a black
oxide and the clean metal gets a chemical etch and surface conversion to
? Iron Phosphate ? - giving the blueish gray coloring. I did it to prep the clean
steel for a coating of POR-15.

Those frames look nice and clean - but $650 is an ouch for me.

I did the outside of mine for about $6 - after wire brushing for a couple weeks. :lol:

... also I like the shot of the two different #3 mount heights. What year is the
one with the high mount ? 78-79 ?


Hey Gary ... There is a place in Worcester that does it. I'm not sure of the name, but I could get it for you.

:seeya


[Modified by NHvette, 10:34 AM 2/27/2004]

 

Is one of those a C2 frame????

That acid dipping looks like the real deal to me. I used to work closely with all of the local plating companies and knew 2 of them that did this. I saw the process many times and it is the ultimate way to clean a frame up for restoration.


-Justin

 

Yes one of those frames is from 67 Vert

 

How is the inside of the frame finished to prevent the raw steel from rusting?
Is a passivating coating used on the raw steel.

 

Dan,

Stop teasing us with those pictures.

I just finished painting mine. After hours of sandblasting and painting I will send you my next frame and you can acid dip and powdercoat it for me.

Thanks for sharing.
:cheers:

 

There's a place here in the Detroit area that has a similar process. They charge $150. I had my frame done there. Their process is different in the respect that they heat the frame first to a temperature that will burn off all the paint and grime then they dip it over night in a mild acid solution. I've seen truck cabs, frames, all sorts of stuff waiting to be dipped. I even saw a whole Triumph body in there once. Since I found them, I don't even bother sandblasting stuff anymore. Just don't tell them that other places are getting $650 a frame.

My buddy brings stuff up here from Ohio for stripping all the time. It's worth it for him to drive 3 hours each way because of the $ he saves over the places local to him.

I agree that acid dipping is the only way to go. It cleans inside the frame as well as outside. Sandblasting just can't do as thorough of a job.

 

Dipping is the way to go in my book. Found a few spots i didnt know about until i did it. I took mine to Burlington NC. I took the frame and every metal piece i could find, had them all dipped for 350.00. I had the frame painted then had an undercoating place spray undercoating inside the frame. I expect it to last another 30 years....or so

 

I had mine done about 6+ years ago during the first time I had body off. I found a local place that could do it. They also did entire car bodies etc.

What was interesting was how it seemed to "eat" until it found clean metal. There was some rust flakes where the front bumper brackets attacked on the frame horns. A couple of the bolt holes looked fine before dipping, but were pretty large afterwards. I had stuck the steering box mounting bolts back through the holes and theaded nuts on them. When I got it back the rusty looking bolts were almost ate completely in two, but the threads under the nuts were perfect. Weird!

Anyway, I think it's a great way to clean a frame. No doubt that the inside is done as well as the outside. If you find a "weak" spot, rest assured it was there before the dipping process and you just did yourself a favor by finding it now instead of later! My frame was dipped in a neutralizing solution for another 24 hours that left a sort of dull transparent coating on it. I then took it to the powdercoater. He had to sandblast the outside anyway to make sure it was ready to coat. I had body off frame again this year doing Dana IRS install and it still looks perfect. No signs of any "continued eating" etc.

I think I paid $150 also to do mine, but again that was 6+ years ago. Plus I had to load it on a trailer, take it there, help unload it, go back by there a couple of times to check on it, load it up again, take it home, get it ready to take to powercoater, take it to him, pick it back up etc etc etc.

Van Steele's price includes HIM doing all the delivery, pickup, preparation, wheeling dealing and providing professional guidance for the process of doing a valuable Vette frame. He has located someone who has proven to him they will treat it as a valuable commodity and not just a chunk of steel. There is a cost/value associated with all of this. I'm cheap, but I also know what a PITA it is to get stuff like this done while you're trying to work and have a family life too. He is also going to have to mess with unloading it and doing all the repair work, loading it up again and taking it to powdercoaters too. I've seen some horror stories when folks got taken by some "less than scrupolous" vendors and screwed up there stuff.

When you add up the time, it can get expensive. If you can find the time to do it yourself, it's great, but otherwise you have to trust and pay someone else to do it for you.


JIM