Metal protector?
 

We always see the pro-shop's cars in bare metal, sometimes for months at a time, and they never seem to have corrosion issues. I've always wondered what they do to protect them, is there a product put on the metal??

I plan on using this stuff from RadRides

http://radrides.com/index.php?option...ant&Itemid=579

Gibbs

That's what we use, but i learned after we bought it that it is Gibbs relabeled.

http://www.gibbsbrandlubricant.com/

Whichever is easiest to get!

Thanks for the input guys! I'm going to be stripping the Firebird soon, my first time!

I'm guessing it's a time/labor issue in a shop environment. Especially when you have other work being done on the car, not wanting to prep and spray it between jobs.
I have some metal work to do but it will be spread over some spare time for at least a few weeks. I'll probably put it in primer as soon as it's done.

Gibbs oil is great to use. It is also easy to remove for the painting process. I also use a thin coat of Phosphoric acid on the metal then wipe it off if the car won't be touched for a while. If someone touches the car with either product it will begin to rust. I offer a hand removal service to those who like to touch bare metal cars!

Did you really mean "with", or "without" either product?
Thanks for that tip, can you do sanding/welding/metalwork with these products on or do you wipe it off the area you are working with and recoat?

Gibbs Product will protect the surface the best for fabrication. The acid will protect from rust but will make it a pain in the ass to weld on.

The reason not to put the entire car in epoxy primer is that is your grinding off the primer to do metal work your breaking the seal. We have gotten to the point we don't blast the cars any more as it's just to rough on the metal and the rust faster after being blasted. We paint strip the panels and just blast the parts that paint stripper would work on.

Plus if the epoxy primer sits to long it will absorb moisture and start rusting in less then a year. There is no way to prevent steel from rusting unless you properly seal the metal and paint it a timely manner. Most painters will sand off any epoxy primer if it has been on there for any extended length of time so it then becomes wasted effort.

So get all your metal work done, Then proper prep the entire body for primer right before you start body work.

You chemically strip your projects? I've been looking around here locally for a stripping company (this Firebird has at least 3 layers of paint) with little luck. The one I knew of just absolutely destroyed some small pieces I had him strip last year so there's no way he's touching my car!

I have a guy from BARC ( Bakersfield Association for Retarded Citizens ) that cleans up around the shop 30 hours per week. I give him a tarp to lay on the ground and a couple gallons of paint stripper. It takes him a while, but I just try to cover his expenses. If he works for 5 hours I might bill for 1.5 hours. And he strips the paint by hand. There is a dipper down in the LA area but with the regulations in this state I doubt he will be around for much longer. Blasting is just too rough on the metal. If you go to the wrong dipper you will have more problems then it is worth.

Rodger

Thanks for the input, Rodger. After seeing your work in person I'd go with any recommendation you give!

The only recommendation from me I would trust is where to eat. We make mistakes all the time and we learn some thing new every single day.

But Thanks

Rosa's --- for dinner


Knotty Pine --- for breakfast


Champs BBQ --- for lunch



Then leave town and go someplace nice...... :bitchslap: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Yes even with the oil on the bare metal I have seen people touch a panel and their "fingerprints" are in rust on the panel the next day. Some people have the ability to make bare metal rust by looking at it. I will clean the panel if I am welding or sanding then re apply the product.

Eric, please stay off the this forum while my car is in your shop!:thankyou:

The local metal guru here said the closest dip-stripper is in Rockford, IL... Backyard stripping it is!!!

:lmao:
Thanks, Eric, I didn't mean to get you in trouble!!!!

There is something different about each persons oil content in their skin. I have an employee that makes stuff rust overnight and others that never rust month or years later.

As long as you sand them down regularly it really is not an issue. If you stay on top of it, its not a big deal.

I didn't know there was anyone in Rockford that did it. We use a guy in Milwaukee that takes good care of us. http://www.rsi-metal-cleaning.com/main.html

I will never blast a car again, sand, media, walnut shells, soda, whatever. Even if they do a good job at getting it clean, which seems rare, I hate sweeping up the junk off the floor for months.

No one likes e-coat? We acid dip, do the metal, then dip again and ecoat. I really don't care if it rusts in between dips. The body shop loves not having to metal prep an entire car.

The only thing I've ever heard about acid dip was if they don't neutralize all the acid -- it can get between pinch welded seams and come out "later"...


But I think that's what I'd do for a full on strip.... acid and E-coat....


I only ever had walnut shells on my Corvette restorations.


I have a 50lb box of them sitting in the shed now -- never loaded 'em into the machine.... I'm always in too much of a hurry to get "whatever" off of "whatever".... LOL

X2! :poke:

Don't forget you live in Bakersfield --- 'cause trust me --- it's a big deal in the Pacific NorthWET....

How do I say this....
THANK YOU!!!

You are more than welcome.