Dipping and E-coating?

Is there any place in the NY tri-state area that dip strips and E-coats parts? I need to have a pair of fenders and the decklid done from my '71 GTX... If not, what company is recommended?

there was a place in Illinois,haven't heard of one in NY

there is one here in Romulus (metro Detroit) right near the airport but the price to dip & e-coat just a shell was $2,700 they wanted $700 just for strip. kinda hard to believe that the 2 or so gallons of e-coat that would be used would be worth $2000. I would gladly pay the $700 for the strip but can't afford the rest. I haven't asked if they would do just the bottom 20" or so like the factory did

last time I looked into alkaline stripping and e-coating,it would cost close to $5k to do a 55 Porsche 356 ,so $2700 is way too good to be true, you need to understand that they actually submerge the shell into a tub to coat it,not spray, none of the inaccessible areas would be treated and will rot in a hurry if someone stripped by dipping the car and just spraying primer ,Also there is a big difference between acid dip and alkaline dip to strip and that's probably where you got your $2700

Stefan, you may be right on the acid vs. alkaline.... I didn't ask. As for the e-coat, I know it's dipped but the total amount of product that winds up attached to the entire body can't be more than 2-3 gallons. so what does that amount of product cost ? looking at a labor standpoint, I would think the strip to be much more labor intensive (and hazardous) requiring at least 2 dips, one for strip and one for neutralize, then a wash of sorts (this is the process they told me over the phone). plus then there are the rumors of seepage for years. what's a guy to think ?

There are quite a few "restorers" that chemical dip/strip the bodies without a final treatment of some kind and in my opinion, like yours, without a dip treatment the car will rot from the inside out. that's why my 'Cuda is still sitting in the garage in 1,000's of pieces awaiting it's turn in the checkbook line-up where it's been since '91

I figured a 20" deep e-coat (like the primer dip at the factory) would at least get all the floors, frame rails, rockers, etc. the rest could be sprayed with a decent primer/sealer. I've also heard most paint guys recommend removing the e-coat on all panels that will receive paint.

What's your stance on all this ?? 'cause some day, my shell and other parts will be on the trailer heading to a stripper of some kind.

Todd

I have provided an ecoat service for 3 of my customers(all B-Bodies) and they have spent 5-6000 for an alkaline dip and ecoat on the entire body. The ecoat process is about 12 steps including a 45 minute bake at 390 degrees and takes 3.5 hours. There are multiple clean and rinse steps. It is not a perfect product(the ecoat itself), but is the best way(IMO) to coat inside and out for maximum corosion prevention. Along with a rust inhibitor after the body is painted.

Brad

Just think about the cost in shop utilities to preform that process.....nat. gas to heat a hot alkaline tank the size of a small swimming pool ,for day. The gallons of water it takes to do a clean rinse....twice. Gas again to bake( dry out)in a oven the size of one stall garage. Run a air compressor to blow out all of bad spots.....also sometimes the shell needs to be plastic media blasted cleaned first before it goes into hot alkaline tank .....cuts down on contaminats going into tank .....I could go on and on

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there is one here in Romulus (metro Detroit) right near the airport but the price to dip & e-coat just a shell was $2,700 they wanted $700 just for strip. kinda hard to believe that the 2 or so gallons of e-coat that would be used would be worth $2000. I would gladly pay the $700 for the strip but can't afford the rest. I haven't asked if they would do just the bottom 20" or so like the factory did

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That is dirt cheap when you really look into it. International paint stripping (in Romulus) Uses heat along with various chemicals to strip (not really what you want for sheetmetal) The best way is an alkaline strip (which there is a place in Toledo "american metal cleaning") the alkaline strip is much nicer but costs about 3-4 times what romulus charges (i think a shell is in the area of 3k just to strip) then there are only a few places that have a tank big enough to dip a shell. Ive had every bolt on part for my 65 as well as my challenger stripped and dipped and really its the best money spent. I would google redi-strip and see if there is one in your area. as far as e-coaters see if there is a meta-kote in your area that "will" do piece work and can accept a shell.