TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:37 pm

OK...

My buggy is finally stripped basically just down to the pan. I flipped it over and want to start working on it. I have sanded off most of the rust and I am prepping it for paint.

I want to put on a coat of Rhinoliner or Herculiner on the bottom because I heard that it is pretty durable and permanent.

Unfortunately though the bottom of the pan already has some sort of coat on it - old school rustproofing or something - I am not sure what it is...

Would I have to remove all of the old coating before I put on the new product - or just scuff it up a bit with a wire brush or something??

Anyone who has experience with this please let me know - and also the quantity of the undercoating product you used - or if there is a better or different product I should be considering.

One more thing... is it necessary to clean out the inside of the pan tube? I am not sure how to do this or if I should even worry about it....

Thanks!

ND

Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:51 pm

I would try to get as much of that old stuff off as possible. A wire wheel attached to a grinder or drill works pretty good. I would then treat the areas with a rust converting primer to make sure it stays as is.

The 1 gallon kits of Herculiner is plenty to do your entire chassis and under the fenders if you wish.

Here is a chassis that is full sized treated with Herculiner:

My Manx chassis had the center tunnel painted, and the tops of the floor pans were untreated, but the underside of the pan, the rear forks, the front beam and the underside of the fenders and bottom of the gas tank all had a couple of coats and used only 1 gallon.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:00 pm

I had a thick undercoating on my pan, the wire brush method just gummed up. I ended up using an air chisel set to a low setting and the stuff came off in fairly large chunks. It did help that the pan was not scuffed well previously.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:28 pm

Good suggestion on the chisel. They key to the wire wheel is to move around alot. Once it heats up it gets gooey.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:31 pm

I removed all the sound deadening from a 1990 eagle talon using a painters tool/chisel and a hammer. it did take some time but by hand you can be very accurate and take off large sections at a time. My only concern with the air chisel was beating something up or gouging the pan and tearing the metal. Either way, I am breaking mine down soon to do the same on the body and pans. Good luck

Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:39 pm

I used a small propane torch and a sharp putty knife. Much quicker
and your not leaving dents in the sheet metel. After just wipe it down with some good quality paint thinner. And do all of this OUTSIDE!!!!

Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:51 pm

I was concerned too about damaging the pan with the air chisel. I found using the adjustment screw on the air chisel I could dial down the force to almost nothing and it actually worked better than at a higher setting. I did end up with a few nicks in the pan but they were completely undetected after the bedliner was applied. In any event its a messy job either way. good luck to all of you however you tackle it.
Hank

Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:07 pm

Sounds like I have a few options here. Thanks for all the info!! I was hoping to be able to just go overtop of the old coat of whatever it is - but it doesnt sound like it is recommended...

Will be trying the wire wheel, torch/scraper, chisel/hammer methods - will let you all know what works best for future projects like mine...

ND

Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:07 pm

Usually I just use undercoating from an auto parts store put on with a Shutz gun.
Herculiner, Rhinoliner & clones (Hippoliner, etc) are tougher but are more brittle and can chip off if you don't get good adhesion so clean well first.