Haven't bought my compressor yet but my research tells me 12+ CFM (15 better) and 50L + tank for spray painting This translates to about $600 for a good unit.

If not urgent wait unitl Easter - Supercrap will have their usual 20% off storewide sale on Good Friday and you make some good savings

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

as for the greediest tool question.... i was thinking Bill Gates would be the No1 LOL

Thanks for all the tips team.

Whilst we're on the subject; some people are dead against sand blasting. Remembering I am trying to keep costings down (but I'm too lazy to sand back by hand - ha!!). So which is a. better, and b. more cost effective; bead blast, sand blast or acid dip????

It feels like I'v got a bit of money to spend at the moment after the sale of my lsast toy, but as we all know, it doesn't last long, plus, I want a great amount of this baby to be mine!!

BTW, looks like I've picked up a 74 Clubman for daily driver; pics to come when POS camera wakes up (or maybe it is just me...... )

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1969 Mini K - Marvin (long term restoration and headaches)

"Rust? What rust!?! This is a rust free shell........Goddammitt!!!!!!"

Well, I'd say it depends on the project. "Acid" dip for concourse and bead blast for a daily driver. Apparently the specialists in "acid" dip here don't use acid as such, but still rinse the whole chassis to stop the chemicals ruining subsequent paint jobs or rusting. Hotrodders.com's FAQ doesn't recommend sand blasting as it will ripple a panel through a combination of heat and the pounding effect of the sand. The sand blasting companies here won't do car bodies as this happens.

PS Sorry all for waffling on about moisture in compressors on the 'plating' thread - didn't mean to cause offense.

danidad... good one! I couldn't agree more.... I set that one up, but didn't even see it coming...

I've heard sand blasting also work hardens panels, but I'm pretty sure metal fatigue is the least of your worries in a 40+ year old car. At least it's not like it is in a big aluminum thin-walled pressure vessel that sails at 35,000 feet and has big red roo on the tail.

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"Life is not like a box of chocolates... it's more like a jar of jalapenos. Whatever you do today, may burn your arse tomorrow."

I GRIT blasted the floor in Anton & Co's 850. Found lotsa little holes, so welded 2 new front pans in.
The blaster I used came from work- a `Cadillac' unit, similar to a VacuBlast. Your compressed air fires the blast media at the panel and a built in vacuum system recovers it back to the shot tank and separates it.
What I wanted to say here is my 2.5HP, 50L belt drive compressor was barely adequate. Proper blasting takes LOTS of air.
IMO sand or steel grit is fine for floors and inside the boot, but no way I would do exterior panels.

Watch out when you're finished- a bit of moisture and it'll rust while you watch. Spray something on it- WD40 or whatever.

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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.

The yanks are using soda blasting on outside panels with great success. It uses baking soda for the blast media.

If your shell has been exposed to SALT the bead blasters can't guarranty that their treatment will prevent a recurrence of tin worm. Thats where acid dip comes in.

AUGO call me for the location of the gritblaster in Fyshwick

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"Show me the Mini!"