To the bodyshop!!

[MarkYoungIW]

Well, I'm taking mine to the bodyshop next week to look for their suggestions. On the surface I think my car looks good, but where it has been in storage so many years there are lots of little surface rust spots. I can't help but feel that by the time each and every one of those has been done, the car might has well have undergone a complete respray.

Well, will have to see what they think, and what costs they are looking at.

I was intending to use/show the car next year in its current unrestored state, and then restore it next winter, but they do say there is no time like the present.

I almost think the strip down and bare metal respray might be the best option, as if there is any proper rust hiding (which I would be surprised if there isn't), then this will find it.

Decisions, decisions!!

[rizzo]

If your thinking of a bare metal respray and you want them to do it all, a decent body shop will charge you upto 2K, there are always hidden repairs once the paint is stripped back, if i was you (which i'm not) i would get a garage to look over the underside/lower body areas first for any potential problems and corrosion, if its structurally sound you wont need to upset the paintwork at a later date.

Bill

[hbpeter]

If you do go for a full strip and respray, do as much of the work your self to keep costs down, i.e. strip the car of all bright work/trim etc.

Peter

[MarkYoungIW]

I know everybodies Viva's are special to them, as mine is to me, and I feel responsible for it now. What I ultimately would like to see is as much of the original car preserved as possible (which is why the bare metal job seems like a good solution to making sure any rot is stopped!!)

Where the paintwork is so mottled at the moment, I find it hard to imagine its restorable, but I will see what the bodyshop says. She is going in on Tuesday/Wednesday.

I know someone that has just had a complete restoration (bare metel) of a Cavalier done by them, and the car looks like new, mechanics were done as well and that had a bill of just under £3k, which I think sounds reasonable.

Although I know restoration of anything normally stands you in at less money than you've spent, I do feel the Viva is a reasonable investment considering the joy it gives to drive it too!!

Roll on Tuesday to see what the shop says!!

Thanks for the comments, I will keep you posted!!

[MarkYoungIW]

Well, I'm off to pick the Viva up and talk to the shop further, but they are recommending dipping!!

Has anybody had this done?

I see SPL have done someones Firenza.

Off to talk to them in greater depth now, so will see what they have to say!!

Vauxhall Firenza before SPL Process

Vauxhall Firenza Paint, Rust and Underseal Removed

Vauxhall Firenza Paint, Rust and Underseal Removed, then Fully Primed

[rizzo]

There does seem to be discussions going on that I've picked up on which would suggest dipping is not the best option as the acid or whatever they use can get trapped in panel joins and spot welds causing corrosion at a later date, I would do your homework first and speak to people who still own their cars years after having them dipped.

Bill

[Graeme]

Your looking at a minimum £2.5k for a half sharp job. Dipping has it's good and bad things. As does blasting.

But to go round some local body shops they will give you an idea of what it can roughly need.

I've just done a Kerman ghia that didn't look to bad until the car was removed from the chassis and it went to the strippers. Barley anything left of the car.

Good luck.

[droopsnoot]

I have heard about acid leeching out of joints and box sections for some time after the job, but I know someone who had a BMW M3 done and it's been fine. I've also heard about having to drill certain box sections to allow the acid to gain access, and presumably to drain. Keep in mind some of those stories might also be based on the early stages of the process before they got so much real-world experience, and the well-known stories are always where something went wrong. Talking to a chap from a magazine who'd been to visit, they do get brand new bodyshells from manufacturers to dip (though I forget why they needed dipping, he did say), and also the e-coat is done by a separate business, not directly by SPL.

What worries me about dipping is the hidden sections - for example the box section that runs along the top of the side windows, the box section that runs along below the estate rear window, the two vertical pillars that run below the estate C-pillars - how would you know if the outers were good but that crucial load-bearing section had just disappeared completely? That's a bit existential - indeed, how do any of us know that we don't have that problem lurking below the surface? I know I've got stuff to check on the Firenza based on things I've seen on the hatch - for example trying to properly wax the door pillars given that there are two skins which sometimes have a small gap between them.

I can see plenty of sections on the HC shell that you just wouldn't get to with blasting - the semi-enclosed part above the rear axle where the floor raises above the chassis rails, inside the U-section across the top of the windscreen, those areas would only be cleaned by acid dipping or cutting them out and replacing / repairing them.

I'd love to know what SPL use to dip, and whether it would work by painting it on and leaving it for a bit. I'm painting phosphoric acid on at the moment and it's quite good, but no more than that.

PS - nice to see someone loves their Firenza enough to pay the price. I'd love to know which car it is.

[droopsnoot]

PPS - that snoot shell is in pretty good condition overall. It looks like it's hard rear arches and sills, but other than that and a bit on the bottom of the windscreen pillar, it's in pretty good shape. If I'd sent the hatch for that process at the start, it would have come back in a couple of shoe boxes.