DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Highfield wrote:So they left it in too long and it dissolved?

No, SPL did just fine. The body was dipped and chemically cleaned within a week or so and cost me just under a grand (plus VAT).
I'll come back later in the thread and discuss further the pro's & con's of dipping but I do concede it does a thorough job and you get a shell returned with absolutely no corrosion remaining.
Directly after emerging from the tanks the steel is bright and pristine, just like new again (albeit with a lot of holes where the rust was).
However, it's unprotected and at the mercy of the elements.
It doesn't need to rain, just the moisture in the air begins to tarnish the metal pretty quickly.

Anyway, here's the shell awaiting collection (by the very capable 'Flyingbluedog'):

So, I'd gone from this:

To this:

Melv delivered the shell back to Nick's workshop where we could look over the car and gauge the extent of any metal work repairs required.
A covered trailer helped protect the bare metal a little.

Come on Paul....we know this is already a runner, get a trot on!

In the style of Cuba Gooding, Jr........'SHOW ME THE PAINT!'

After our curry on Tueday night i would nt let FBDog breathe anywhere near it ............corrosion??????be curried !!!!!!!!!!

It looks pretty good to me - not a Swiss cheese at all

Darren65 wrote:Come on Paul.... get a trot on!

Blimey, tough crowd around here. Thread not moving quick enough for you Darren?

Darren65 wrote:........'SHOW ME THE PAINT!'

Well, we've not caught up in real time yet but I assure you - as of today - the car still hasn't got any paint on it.
So, I could still change my mind on colour.....

Actually Darren, thinking about it, don't you offer quality paint jobs at much less than cost?

Looks great from 10ft

jb wrote:It looks pretty good to me - not a Swiss cheese at all

Hmmmm, but looks can be deceptive.

964RS wrote:Looks great from 10ft

A bit nearer the truth....

When the car was dipped it certainly revealed a few horrors. To remove any corrosion so thoroughly is no doubt good but when you first set eyes on the decay – or rather where the decay was - it’s terrible. It leaves you with quite a sinking feeling and has you fearful for your wallet. I really did reach a low ebb at this point.

Rotten floor...

More decay. You're looking down at the base of the front pillar.
Note the rusted dash corners (through many layers of metal there) and the rotton screen corner.
There's evidence of a previous repair panel being used on that corner.
More sad face...

How the hell did it rust here? And so thoroughly? Shaking head from side to side.

Rotten inner wing. With massive patch welded over the problems. Nice work.
And look at the lower right corner of the pic. That's a bumper mounting bracket (and tow eye).
Most other steel panels used in the car are thinner but that section of steel is required to be very strong.
It's about 3mm thick steel plate. And rotted clean through like tissue paper.
The power of rust.

See all those perforations? That's not good.