Aircooled VW South Africa

Saw on Campervan Crisis how they dipped an entire Splitty body in a chemical tank in the UK to take off all rust, paint and filler so that only the bare metal shell remains. Does anyone know if such a service is being offered by someone in South Africa, more specifically in the Gauteng area?

Scaw Metals does it Pine, but i doubt if the Car will come out aswell, he he he he

an acid bath that big is a rarity... I have access to a smaller one that might fir a door or a bonnet, but not a whole car...

Thanks Brian, any idea of the cost for a door or a bonnet to have it stripped?

Not sure, I have only paid in beers before for my scooters

Pine, a guy on the the other VW forum asked this same question a while back.

I have heard that in Pretoria West, there is a company that does it on other huge items (containers/mini silos etc) but not cars. However, after speaking to someone who used to work there, he reckoned that a car could be done in there if you ask them really nicely, but the cost would be very ridiculous, somewhere in the region of R15k - R20k for the whole car

What about soda blasting? I was supposed to experiment this year with DIY soda blasting for my '67 Fastback, but up until now I really cannot find the time to play around with it (read: studies and work ). I like the idea of soda blasting as it cannot damage a car's metal at all. The only drawback is that it cannot remove body filler or rust...

In the meanwhile, I'm reading and speaking to a few guys overseas for their advice so who knows. I'm trying to have something definite for my efforts by december as I would like to strip and do the Fastback's body then I do have some other interest from another guy on the other forum, he too would like to have his 2-door Golf soda blasted....

soda blast will be $$$ for a whole car.... Usually it is for smaller delicate items.

brianj wrote:soda blast will be $$$ for a whole car.... Usually it is for smaller delicate items.

My plan is to sodablast just the shell. All the doors will be chemically cleaned

Think its important that no chemicals remain in the seams or cavities after submersion. When i used automotive paint stripper,(brush applied), i stayed away from the seams, did that part with the wirebrush in small anglegrinder.

Read about the submersion process in an old US vw magazine. First day it was the paint removal chemical bath, next day the neutralising bath . Then rust removal bath, then neutralising bath. Then in chemical for rust protection, then dipped in undercoat. Between each bath it had to be rotated in various positions, while inside the bath, to remove air bubbles, and outside to drain excess chemicals.

Even if you DO find a place t odip the whole car in the acid bath, I recommend NOT to do it. Because you will NOT find a bath tp dip the car in and coat/protect all the nooks and crannies, where you just removed all of the protection/paint. But then again, this is only my two cents...

You're right.After it has been dipped you have to coat it straight away otherwise it will start rusting immediately.