Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

Does anyone know how Morris body shells were treated after being fabricated? Were they dipped in a bath or something before painting?

The reason I ask is that I am looking at getting my shell acid dipped by Surface Processing (http://surfaceprocessing.co.uk/for-cars.html), the dipping process is £700+vat but the e-coating process following this is £1450+vat - quite expensive.

So, I was wondering how the shells were prepped before painting back in the day. I want to do the acid dipping but obviously need to treat / paint any box section and 'hidden' areas before painting so as not to leave them as bare metal.

The other option is to get the shell shot blasted (I'm aware of the hazards of distortion here) but I don't like the fact that all the box section etc will be untouched.

Cheers
George

Had mine blasted. ZERO distortion. The cost was £600. Looked into SPL but didn't like some of the reviews and the cost kept changing. JLH have used SPL in the past. Might be worth getting a second opinion from Jonathan but you might need to go over to 'the happy side' to get through to him.

[frame][/frame]

Soda blasting is another option and it leaves a residue stopping moisture ingress . have seen pictures of minors put on a roto dip cleaned then primed and painted

Thanks for the input guys.

I'm really after knowing how the insides of the chassis rails and A & B pillars etc were painted in the factory though.

I've found a few other places that offer similar services to S.P., so am going to check prices with them.

Cheers

Before handing the car over to SPL, I suggest you read this:-
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.c ... 93&page=18

Then go back to page 1 of this thread and prepare to be amazed by this guy's fabrication skills!

GeorgeHurst wrote:Thanks for the input guys.

I'm really after knowing how the insides of the chassis rails and A & B pillars etc were painted in the factory though.

I've found a few other places that offer similar services to S.P., so am going to check prices with them.

Cheers

Every original Minor chassis rail or A pillar I've opened in my restoration work has been finished in the same thin black paint on the inside of the box section cavities. So if you want factory finish, a coat of chassis black, perhaps applied by a schutz gun with lance attachment would be close to factory original.

BTW, it is possible to access every cavity on the Minor. I would top up the chassis black paint with a good cavity wax, Dinitrol or Dynax, etc they are all pretty much the same.

I've also read about a few problems of distortion and damage caused by SPL to cars during the dipping processes. An early Porsche 911 had to be straightened on a pulling jig after it's visit to SPL just to get the doors to shut again!

http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewto ... ight=sepia

Be carefull if you get your shell dipped, I had a Hillman Imp shell dipped there (it was going to be a race car) and when it came back the roof was distorted. I think they just lift it in and out with strops through the window openings meaning that when the shell is lifted out it is still full of water etc so is very heavy.
Why they don't dip them on a supporting lift I really don't know.

Thanks for that link twincamman... the experience of that chap has confirmed pretty much everything else I've read about SPL. Avoid like the plague!!!

Thanks also John and Martin, seems like SPL really are a bunch of cowboys!

I'm going to have a chat to Paint Strip (http://www.paint-strip.co.uk/strip_auto.html) who according to that thread are very good. I'm going to ask them about their dipping process - it seems like the risk of acid getting drawn into seams is less likely as their main clean is done by heat not acid.

I've also come across this blasting company who seem to be very good and give a good argument against acid dipping here: http://www.blast-cleaning.co.uk/index.p ... ticleid=13

If Paint Strip doesn't look like a route to go down, then I think I will open up some of the box section and then have the whole shell blasted and then just squirt Dinitrol etc into all the box.

I also read that a guy by the name of 'Belair Lugosi' had bad experiences with the dipping process. Years after having it done, the chemical crept out of the seams, wrecking the top quality paintjob that he'd done on the car in the mean time.

Belair Lugosi is the guy with the huge mohican that had to do the hill start for Richard Wilson in the Minor in 'Britain's Best Drives'