Things NOT TO DO when restoring your Model A...

Steve Plucker

Steve Plucker

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Back in my younger neophyte days of restoring my 1929 Standard Coupe, (1967) I thought it would be great if I had my 5 21" wheels "chemical dipped".

WOW...they came back great, nice and shiney, absolutly clean. I then painted them to a nice Black Enamel color. Once dried I was eager to put my tires on so I did. About 10 years later after I returned home I noticed some type of crystal wet material (acid) ozzing between the tire bead and the metal rim...what the heck here?????

Took a tire off the wheel and found that it was wet inside and that material (acid) had ozzed out of the bead found on both sides of the wheel. As a matter of fact another wheel was starting to show the same symptoms.

Man did I have a mess. I noticed that there were also "holes" every so many inches within the curvature of the bead inside the rim.

Now what...Removed all the tires and found an old useable oven and baked each wheel for some time to dry up whatever was within the beads of my wheels. That was about 1979.

Have had no problems since.

BOTTOM LINE...Never chemically dip 1928-1929 wheels! You will be sorry you ever did.

Pluck
 
I would include fenders in that list of things not to chemically dip. Unless the chemical is properly and thoroughly neutralized it will continue to attack the metal.
 
How about don't chemically dip at all. Ever hear of sand, bead, walnut shell, soda, blasting etc??????? I prefer to wirewheel then sandblast rusted parts before repairing and repainting.-Weeks
 
I have had a number of disasters, worse than just wheels, earlier in my 37 years of professional restoration, and some with 'blasting. I can post you barners some bad war stories and some do's and dont's if you ask.
 
Jim, That is the whole idea of this post. I sure do not want the newcomers to think they know everything like I did. Just call it educating the neophytes.

Pluck
 
I for one like to hear about these story's, I have frame up many cars and still like to hear this, My opinion your never to old or too young to learn from someones else heart ache thank you for posting this i will read them every time AL
 
The biggest and most time consuming mistake I made when doing a ground up restoration was never to put in the cotter pins until you are sure that you are finished! I'll bet that every pin was taken out and replaced at least three times....
 
In 1981 i had my 1930 complete roadster body dipped by Redi Strip in Jersey [since then the epa boys closed them up]..The day i got it back i sprayed it down with paint thinner thru the paint gun. That neutralized the dipping chemical. In 1988 i showed the car at a MAFCA national meet ,Then in 1990 MARC meet . Sold the car and new owner showed the car at MAFCA meet in Mass. a few years ago AND no sign's of any liching from under.Car looks as good as 1988 . Scored the same 25 year later.
 
Post away Jim I am in the beginning stages and hoping for some good info like that!
 

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I had the same thing happen to some hubs and brake drums (assemblies). I had them chemically dipped to remove any paint and rust. Like was said earlier, they looked great when I got them back. However, I to, had white crystals that looked like battery acid seeping out between the hub and drum. It did that for many years. Lesson learned, don't have any thing dipped that can't be neutralized on exposed surfaces. I think most dipping places are out of business now, mainly due to EPA and environmental regulations.
 
Hello Steve ,I had the same problem on my Delivery. Bought it 1971 in original condition. Drove it for a couple of years. Then decided to restore it . Frame up restoration including new woodwork done. Body work wasn't to bad. But when it came time strip the metal it was chemical cleaned. Bad idea but that is all we knew then. The truck was painted black and look great. But a couple years later the paint started to crack and peel.I never got a chance to have sign painted on it until I could figure what to do next. The truck sat for 30 years in storage{ Got Married had childern you now the rest] Had to run a family business so the truck got put on Hold. Now I'am in the process of doing another frame up restoration and is all most done and done right.Time to stop typing. Lesson learned .DON'T USE CHEMICALS.
 
Powder coating doesn't like kroil. I used some to loosen rusty lug nuts. Powder coater said they would cook it off before powder coating. Had some bubbles show on the outside of some 16 inch wires. Probably not noticable, but I know they are there. Guess you get what you pay for.
 
I have found some of the chemical dips and preparations that use alkali instead of acid work pretty good. I have used a product called Evapo-Rust with good results on metal. I have also used electrolytic rust removal in a 55 gallon drum, with tap water, washing soda, and a battery charger. It works!
 
I had a problem when I chrome plated a windshield on my '29 Hot Rod years ago. Looked good for a number of years before it started to blister from the inside. Found out to late that if you shoot some oil into the frame before assembling it that it will keep the dipping chemicals at bay and prevent moisture from attacking later. Just my experience. Yours my very?
 
TK in LA said:
I had a problem when I chrome plated a windshield on my '29 Hot Rod years ago. Looked good for a number of years before it started to blister from the inside. Found out to late that if you shoot some oil into the frame before assembling it that it will keep the dipping chemicals at bay and prevent moisture from attacking later. Just my experience. Yours my very?
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I had the exact same thing happen to a 32 windshield.Better neutralize the inside of anything that gets plated or it will be trouble down the road.
 
If you are going to sandblast body panels be sure the guy doing the blasting knows how to do it. Panels can be warped with too much pressure or by not moving around enough. Here is an example of what happened to the sides of the hood on my 1931 Coupe. You can see the change in the flat panel by looking at the distorted reflections.
 

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please post away im right in the middle of things , all the sheet metal is off and im slowly going through the process of replacing the rusted out bits and straightening the bent bits and sanding the rough bits and.......
 
You guys should go on the hamb ad try to save this pretty blue 28 or 30 from the sawzall. Maybe one of you could trade him a chopped car for the one he wants to cut up.
 
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