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Jon Burke
Jon Burke
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 11:27AM
I'm in the same spot...which is why I'd much rather spend $60 on a so-so spray gun and do it myself, than actually pay someone to prime/paint/finish my interior.



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Daniel Buehler
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 11:33AM


Yeah, as long as it's not a boat load less $$$ to have somebody else do it, I definetly want to paint it myself.

Have to learn somewhere...
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Daniel Buehler
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 11:35AM
And, on that note:

What is recomended for air compressor capacity to handle spraying paint?

Edit: for example, will a 15 gal. 200psi tank be enough?

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=907319&Ntt=907319&catalogId=10051&storeId=10051&langId=-15&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber&showreviews=true



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2009 12:14PM by Daniel Buehler.
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Jon Burke
Jon Burke
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 12:08PM
I'm more concerned about the gun, most spray guns can't handle this epoxy/primer shit.


and to your other question, I've been told by a guy with a lot of experience to not do 'too' much seam welding before the cage is in. and when you do it...do it evenly on both sides as it can slightly warp the frame if you just do all one side at once, etc.

now, to me, that seems a little extreme for thin suby sheet metal, but WTF do I know. So I just listen to people smarter than me.



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NoCoast
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 01:18PM
Funny thing is most stuff I've read from Ford rally prep manual and most car builds I've seen from overseas put the cage in before they seam weld. I try think of the shell as cheap and disposable so don't really worry too much about seam welding too heavily. I really don't want to spend 100+ hours of prep time on just the shell when I might wrap it at my first event and a new shell would only costs a couple thousand.



Grant Hughes
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Doivi Clarkinen
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 02:46PM
I'm with Gene. This is a rally car, not a show car. You will wreck it. Hell, spray bombs are good enough for painting it. Dude, the way you are over thinking the primer makes me worried you will never finish this thing. Maybe that's not true but just spray some Krylon primer on there and be done with it. Paint it with real automotive paint if you want but remember spray cans make for easy repairs for later, too.
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Doivi Clarkinen
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 02:47PM
Daniel Buehler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So...
>
> What's the deal with seam welding, How much of the
> shell can be seem welded before the cage goes in?
>
> None? Part? All? I've heard all three...
>
>
> First rally car, a '94 Subarat is in progress...


None, part, all. You are correct...
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Doivi Clarkinen
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 02:49PM
Jon Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm more concerned about the gun, most spray guns
> can't handle this epoxy/primer shit.
>
>
> and to your other question, I've been told by a
> guy with a lot of experience to not do 'too' much
> seam welding before the cage is in. and when you
> do it...do it evenly on both sides as it can
> slightly warp the frame if you just do all one
> side at once, etc.
>

Old wive's tale...
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Doivi Clarkinen
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 02:54PM
NoCoast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Funny thing is most stuff I've read from Ford
> rally prep manual and most car builds I've seen
> from overseas put the cage in before they seam
> weld. I try think of the shell as cheap and
> disposable so don't really worry too much about
> seam welding too heavily. I really don't want to
> spend 100+ hours of prep time on just the shell
> when I might wrap it at my first event and a new
> shell would only costs a couple thousand.

Well, there are certain areas you would want to seam weld on any car, even if you are not seam welding the whole thing. I had the spot welds on a strut tower fail and the strut tower completely detach from the chassis on my Dodge Omni (back in the days of bolt in rollcages when I treated the bodyshell as disposable). Jay Woodward had the same thing happen on his Mazda Protege.
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Daniel Buehler
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 03:06PM
I'm not going to spend any time on painting the "body" - spray bomb is fine with me. I don't mind pulling parts off after each rally to freshen them up, but I'd like to avoid having to repaint the whole wheel well or underbody of the car after each rally, that's all...

For whatever it's worth, I had a dozen spray bomb and when I told my driver (I currently co-drive) he told be that the spray bomb paint rusted through within two months (of daily driving) on his car. I hate doing things twice if I could have done it satisfactory the first time.
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Jon Burke
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 03:41PM
Doivi Clarkinen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Old wive's tale...

Thank you...






Jon Burke - KI6LSW
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alkun
Albert Kun
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 04:41PM
AND its a dead match for krylon white! Score! (Found a few spots we missed, and fixed the dings I put in it right away.)
pics to follow.

-Al
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brianallmotor
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 07:33PM
http://www.rust-oleum.com/tds/1018990%20RO-11.pdf

rustoleum has zinc chromate, in yellow and red.
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heymagic
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 06, 2009 10:01PM
The wheel wells and underbody will get hammered to bare metal irregardless of epoxy paint or Krylon. Use underbody plastic. I'd also use a good rubberized undercoat on the wheelwells. Cuts the noise down and protects better than paint, is a bit messy when repairing the aftermath of indiscretions though.

Seam welding, I've never done much more than the strut towers, areas near the steering box and idler mounts, rear suspension mounts and a few inches past the cage mounts. The more you seam weld the more work to replace a panel or inner fender. Make sure the car is level and on jack stands before doing much welding, either cage or seam. You can get a warped shell if even one tire is flat when caging. Back in my rednecked youth we called it wedge. Good for stock cars, not so good for rally cars.

Build a safe car by all means,but seat time on stage will benefit you more than epoxy paint and perfect seam welds.
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Daniel Buehler
Daniel Buehler
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Re: Shell Prep Q's
February 08, 2009 02:10PM
So I went with this primer in the wheel wells:



And, as far as shells being considered consumable... That's what this is for:

EDIT: She is my definintion of 'seat time (on a budget)'. RallyCross/Track Day/Recce Toy and the next 'shell'...



I spoke with my cage builder yesterday and he said he ALWAYS seam welds the shell before installing the cage. His only concern was that I knew to ONLY stich 1 inch, then leave 1.5 inches and stich 1 inch, etc... He has built the cages for cars you all know, so I'm sure he knows what he's doing, but I'd like to hear your comments...

I was thinking of stich welding in the areas that will be hard/impossible to reach once the cage is in, then doing the rest after the cage is in the car.

Thanks for the input everyone! I'm considering all of it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2009 06:08PM by Daniel Buehler.
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