View Full Version : What's the best way to strip dirt, paint and rust?
As above,
I've stripped the front end of my car down and want to strip all the dirt, paint and rust off the subframe, wishbones, steering rack.....
What the best way to do this?
I bought a spot blaster and although it works, it will take me forever and cost a fortune in media and make an awful mess in my garage.
What else can I do? Other than paint stripper and a wire wheel?
I assume the subframe and rack etc aren't actually off the car? If they are id have them powder coated.
If not the first thing I would do is clean all the dirt off. Spray it with something like Gunk then hose off. You can use a stuff brush in the worst areas and repeat. After its all dry you can use an angle grinder with a wire wheel attachment to get rid of the rust. You can use sand paper in the more awkward areas. Use some sort of rust stopper then paint with Hammerite or Por15 seems popular.
Yes they are all off the car.
From the windscreen forwards its a bare shell.
I think I'm just going to use a wire wheel on a grinder. I started tonight and it's easy enough, just very time consuming. So wondered if anyone knew any quicker/easier ways lol.
I've got a compressor and a gun so I'm going to be painting everything before refitting it all.
It will be a bit of a boring long process, that's why I'd rather just get them powder coated - quicker, easier and more durable than paint :)
I get that but I'm going to be spraying the engine bay and a few other things too so i can do them all in one go.
Can you get a mobile steam cleaner to come to your place and blast the muck and loose stuff off? At least you'll be able to see what you have to work on yourself in terms of paint/rust.
Don't paint the wishbones. I did. It came off and the nuts / bolts that held the ball joints then moved around and ovalised the holes meaning new wishbones are needed.
Paint is too soft and weak. Apart perhaps from the POR stuff but I have no personal experience of it. Hammerite, really that is rubbish. It is brittle and has no adhesion; both the opposite of what paint should be. That stuff is probably for paining on rust, not clean metal. I used it all over the place and it would chip off if I dropped a nut onto it, etc. And it was what I had on the wishbones.
Perhaps the powder coating people will shot / bead / grit blast the subframe first. I forget what people did who got their subframe powder coated.
I've used the POR metal ready rust remover which can be very good but you have to soak the rusty metal in it until the rust as gone. Hammerite doesn't stick to it though.
I've already stripped the parts, they have no dirt/oil on them.
I've contacted some metal finishers for prices.
But at the moment I started to wire wheel them with a grinder, it's just going to take a long time and it's not s nice job.
I will be painting them properly with a gun. Not hammerite.
I will take advice on what way to paint them, ie acid etch primer and 2k paint?
I've not been told not to paint them by anyone else????
Hammerite, really that is rubbish. It is brittle and has no adhesion; both the opposite of what paint should be. That stuff is probably for paining on rust, not clean metal. I used it all over the place and it would chip off if I dropped a nut onto it, etc. And it was what I had on the wishbones.
From personal experience I can't agree with that Ian. I painted my subframe with it and brake calipers in 2009 and it hasn't chipped off. Prep is important.
If you're going to paint it I would get rid off all the rust and treat with nutraliser. Then acid etch the bare parts, prime and paint with whatever is the most durable paint.
I've never heard anything about not painting the wishbones. I can't see why painting them would cause trouble? They're painted/powdercoated from the factory.
I've not been told not to paint them by anyone else????I obviously meant get them powder coated, like the originals, unless they're stoving enameled, etc. Not leave them bare metal which will rust in a few minutes. :)
From personal experienceHow long ago? Mine was about 2002. The quality of it varied, the red paint aerosols went on well and some white ones frothed.
All the parts were clean, some zinc plated by POR metal ready. The block was cleaned, done with wired brush in the drill, cleaned again with Hammerite metal prep. Painted directly with Hammerite smooth, brushed on in several coats as prescribed on the can.
I got the impression from the side of the can and their website, that the point of Hammerite was to bond directly with rust.
Edit, just seen: 2009.
Sorry Ian I thought you meant don't paint them myself but get another process like powder coating done.
The reason for spraying them is Im going to spray the engine bay and other parts I don't want to take to someone else like the steering rack...
Obviously I wouldn't leave them bare.
Mine was about 2002. The quality of it varied, the red paint aerosols went on well and some white ones frothed.
All the parts were clean, some zinc plated by POR metal ready. The block was cleaned, done with wired brush in the drill, cleaned again with Hammerite metal prep. Painted directly with Hammerite smooth, brushed on in several coats as prescribed on the can.
I got the impression from the side of the can and their website, that the point of Hammerite was to bond directly with rust.
Edit, just seen: 2009.
Weird. Perhaps the recipe has improved since? Just remembered I painted my block with it as well and various other bits. I must say I didn't use the spray, I just brushed it on. I figured this wouldn't leave the best finish but will likely be more durable.
Theres a few pics on my profile of the engine and subframe actually :)
Re painting the wishbones, I now get what happened to you Ian - you had everything stripped and powdercoated then reassembled the wishbones without removing the coating from around the holes? Yeah that's not good!
No, I used Hammerite on the wishbones. That was red aerosol. Bushed it onto the block. They didn't really need painting, I did it as I was painting other parts. Still had the original Renault coating on the wishbones and they would have been OK I presume if I'd not put Hammerite around the holes or under the plates at the ends, etc. I can no longer recall if there was any rust on them. I also Hammerite'd the plates.
Still had the original Renault coating on the wishbones and they would have been OK I presume if I'd not put Hammerite around the holes or under the plates at the ends, etc.
I think that was probably your issue.
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