I wanted to capture all the preparation that went into this trip, loading a shell on a trailer and the drive (about 500 miles) Things I would have done differently. DO NOT put a chassis on wood on a trailer. It won't stay in place.. the wood will vibrate out. Use old tires on each corner and strap it. I should have also used a folded moving blanket under the hood because I removed all the hinges.
The car will be at 3S Chemical in Nanty Glo PA for 5 weeks. Their process is different than some other places. This is a dying "art" there are only 4 or so places in the US that do this. 3S uses a two stage process. One, a solution to remove the paint by debonding it from the shell, the next a proprietary acid to neutralize rust. When the car is done it is coated with a temporary solution that lasts for a month or so. The solution can be removed with paint thinner, or acetone, or even soapy water prior to priming.
After much research on media blasting versus chemical dipping I concluded both that 3S was the right place for me to go and that media blasting can't come close to chemical stripping to get nooks and all the body sealer out. The shell should lose about 40lbs after this and the next step will be to prepare for epoxy priming right away when it's home and then sheet metal work in all the areas that were covered in body sealer, undercoating and paint. If you want to follow 3s on instagram Trevor, the guy who does the dipping's account is @minuteofdangle . I'm a paying customer. There is no promotion happening here. I hope it comes out as planned. Stay tuned.
