dogscarf.. reread my post.   $8000. was for stripping everything off the mini.. sand blast . paint and then put ALL back together.. and then paint.. later bc

$8000 to paint a Mini.  One has got to be crazy to spend that kind of money!  I am getting my 1965 Austin Mini Cooper sandblasted for $500.  I will then paint it myself for about $1000 in supplies, yes,.....epoxy primer, high-build primer and single stage paint.  That also includes sandpaper and filler.  Upper Midwest prices! 

The only way that will change is when values catch up to the cost of restoring these cars properly. That's already happening with Cooper S, Mokes, some pickups and others. It already happened with a lot of early VWs, Jaguars and other cars that used to be cheap and are suddenly worth a lot more. People are now willing to invest in doing things the right way. 

But your average Minis (especially post-71) just don't command the kind of prices that would justify a $8K paint job.......yet.  

BTW, the quote I got on stripping/E-coating a Mini saloon was only about 25% more than media blasting. It's not that big a hurdle financially if you have a rusty car and want the peace-of-mind that every inch is being treated. 

The stripping shop advised me not to have the car dipped after leadwork. He said it wouldn't be removed, but the acid involved in the strip would leave the lead more brittle. 

I'm not taking any chances. They've been doing this for 40 years, so I'll take their word for it. 

I must be missing something..  for the most part.. all mini owners are skin flints..  like the original skin flint here at MM. forum.. Mr QUICKSILVER  .. I can NOT see 99.9% of folks paying for E dipping and dipping in acid to do paint job.. sandblasting and media blasting is cheap.. alternative ..   fyi.. I have folks all the time.. they are living in 1967. and think you can strip and paint a mini for $2000.. more like $8k. for proper job.. and I talked to jack at se7en . and he said. they are getting.. $80,000 for frame off resto of mini pick ups. and he has SIX to do this year..  later b c

Proper leadwork stays put and isn't removed by stripping.

Yep, E-coating is where it's at. That's how modern cars leave the factory, and it protects all the un-reachable areas as well. 

Not sure where Dogscarf is located, but one of the few places that dip-strips cars with the E-Coating process is here in Southern California (Santa Ana). They've been here for 40+ years and know what they're doing. Strip Clean Co.  (714) 775-7797 https://www.facebook.com/Strip-CLean-Co-295425743802177/ 

I considered taking my shell to get stripped here, but I already did some repairs with lead filler and the process would take me back a few steps. Going with a reputable media blasting shop instead. 

How nice would it be to work on a shell that clean!

Would love to dip a shell.

At $850 for a "Mini Cooper" it's a steal - I paid more than that in Pounds.

Their process looks very similar to the one that Prostrip use.  If you can find someone that does E-coating as well, you're laughing.

I may try these guys on my next project WWW.Metaldipping.com

LOTS of good info regarding "Acid" Dipping . They have been doing it for 40 years.

Mousy

http://www.metaldipping.com

Check out "dustless blasting" 

Bacon Soda ??

Really Bill... almost sounds like you've misheard an expression you don't quite understand...  bit like your failure to understand that I've never personally shipped a car to the USA.

 

Baking soda is bugger-all use on underseal, filler, and high-build primer.  It also struggles mightily with heavily corroded metal.  The '65 Hornet I had blasted by the local expert (and he really is an expert, who even blasts public display stone statues) obviously had all of those things and more, and Tim apologised that he'd had to resort to more aggressive media than just soda.

Dipping gets rid of everything that isn't steel (including aluminium, as I found out when bits of Gertie didn't come back...) and isn't reliant on line-of-sight to work. 

Working on a car that is in clean bare steel (however full of holes) cannot be underestimated - the ability to see exactly what is thin, perforated or missing, and then weld without having to grind and worry about seam sealer or underseal really is an utter joy.

 

Thanks for all of the advise.  I will stick with my sandblaster guy who is very experienced.  Still have to decide if I will keep the car or sell it.  Right now I want to get the rusty floors fixed and start the motor and get the brakes working.  Then rip it apart and sandblast.

Dogscarf

stay away from soda blasting, it is a pita to prep the metal to get primer to stick after it has been soda blasted, it can be done, but it takes alot of extra prep. google search soda blasting prep work. stick to just low pressure sand or walnut shells. i would NOT recommend dipping, this takes paint and sealer out of places you can't get to and you can't get primer or paint back in these tight places, i would also recommend a cavity coater like KBS, this product works great in ALL hard to reach areas after paint, you can use it every where in the car for rust and sealer protection 

alex.. all the high end classic car shop around charlotte nc.. swear by bacon soda.to strip paint... maybe your guy just did NOT know what he was  doing..  reminds you do NOT know whole lot about importing cars to USA either.. later bc

Wouldn't "bacon soda" leave the metal greasy with a distinct smokey flavour? Yum!
(I think you mean "baking soda"!)

https://youtu.be/b5YWce4EVnk?t=130

Having gone down the soda blasting route once I'll never do it again.  Total nightmare compared to passivated dipping, and nowhere near as good result.

dogscarf...   Depends on how much rust is in and on your mini..? I recommend to plastic bead or use bacon soda blasting. I only use sand blasting on wheels and subframes..    .. later bc

You should be OK providing the guy has plenty of experience with blasting sheet metal. They will need to dial the pressure down and blast with the nozzle at a sharp angle to allow the media to glance off and keep the heat down, rather than coming at the work piece straight on. It's also a good idea not to blast both sides of larger flat areas such as roof, rear quarters and bonnet.

I've had heaps of cars blasted and only once had an issue where a new guy was left unsupervised and ripped into a bonnet head on. Warped the hell out of it. He's still at the company years later and seems to know what he's doing now.......but I still ask the owner of the business to do my cars.