Hi mini community.

I need help. I have been restorating a 72 clubman for the last year. I really dont know much about car or mini. I have been stripping the car paint by hand for the last year, and dident make a lot of progress. So i was thinking about having the car blasted. So here are my question.

Do i need to remove everything from the shell to have the car blasted? Or is there a way to remove the shell?

I have stripped most of the interior, but i am a bit nervous about removing the engine and all the brake and suspension component, is this the only way to go?

Do anyone know a place to have the car blasted in Geelong, as i cannot find anything in the yellow page or on internet?

What is better blasting or dipping?

How much roughly is blasting cost?

I am trying this one but dont expect too much response, can anyone come and help me?....Please.

And finnaly is anyone know of a good cheap (Iknow good and cheap dont go together) spray painter in Geelong?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have you heard of soda blasting... GT had one of his mini's sodablasted, he wrote an article the The Mini Experience magazine about it..

Basically the advantage of soda blasting is you can leave rubber, windows, etc still on the car as it does not damage them. It's not as harsh as beads or sand. Check out: http://www.sodablast.com.au theres a video section, shows them stripping intact cars. So I'm assuming you might be able to get away with leaving the running gear in the car. It'll probably limit the areas they can strip though. This mob seem to be in NSW, but there might be one nearer to you.

As for the price, I'm not 100% sure but I think it's roughly $6~700 for a whole mini.. I think they usually charge on a per hour basis. Considering it's taken you a year so far without much progress, this might be a good idea.

Take a look at this thread by "Brown Clubman"
He stripped the paint off his car the easy way.
You can also see this car in the latest issue of The Mini Experience.

Thanks heaps for the link very informative. The major probleme i got is i also need to paint the engine bay, as i will change the car colour. Do you think the paint stripper wll work in the engine bay?

Sure will...maybe do a little degreasing first.

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"Show me the Mini!"

I have been using paint stripper on my subframes recently. MY GOD IT BURNS when you get ot on your skin!!!

thats an understatement ..
it effing mothertrucking burns
just make sure you have a BIG bucket of water ready !

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barrier cream on you hands works far better than gloves.

yes but I got it on my legs too, and my son walked in the spillage on the ground

Was a bad afternoon all round!

I know it sounds paranoid, but if I am painting or using stripper I always wear jeans.

I hope your son is Ok

Thank you all for the skin beauty therapy information. This paint stripper look great, woul you belive i send half the car by hand, start to feel like a idiot. I will assume this paint stripper will work under the car, as long as i can reach?

What is the easiest way to remove the engine, already spend 8 hours marking and removing all the wiring so i imagine i will spend tons of time try to remove the engine.

Sorry about my english, but french is my first language.

graham_in_aus and i spent a total of about 1 - 1/2 hours (i think, time went quick) on removing the complete subframe and engine in one go.... we took our sweet time and it was a learnig curve for me.....in which i learnt a great deal.

EDIT>> that included draining all the hydro etc

THANKS GRAHAM ! !

just when you think your ready to take the engine out check everything again and think a couple of steps ahead at all times

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what do you mean draining the hydro? You remove the engine and the sub frame all at once?

Yes it's possible to do that, but I and most people prefer to lift the engine out of the bay instead.
Unless the subby needs work- but even then, once out you would have to lift motor off it...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

well there is a few ways to remove the engine, the easiest i suppose is to just remove the engine itself .....
LINK
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=345812#345812


or remove the whole subframe with the engine aswell ( we did it this way as we were scrapping the car and were going to remove everything anyways)
LINK
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20569&highlight=hydro+removal


hydro = hydrolastic suspension

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