1952 Pontiac Catalina

[wmsue]

Just found your thread. Read all 6 pages tonight.
I admire your progress and determination. I plan to follow your progress. Keep the photos and updates coming
Good Luck and thanks for keeping everyone informed.

[GaWajn]

I am giving electrolysis rust removal a try. I want to see if it can help free up some seized rusted parts. In particular ... the heat riser valve in the manifold.





I set up, as explained on many youtube videos, but my newer battery charger did not work. I tried an older charger and it worked fine. Go figure. Maybe the newer one has some kind of sensor that stops this process (a controlled short), from happening.

Anyways, I tried it first on a piece of sheet metal that was rusted ... similar to this piece showed below ...



The process worked just fine. After cooking in the vat for about 12 hours, it was completely de-rusted and covered with a black residue. I scrubbed the residue with a fine scotchbrite pad and water, but it does not come completly clean. There is still black residue in the pits ...



A few questions for those of you that are familiar with the process. What is the best way to remove the black residue? Is there some kind of bath? Also ... if some residue remain ... can you paint or do bodywork over it?

[GaWajn]

While the manifold is cooking in the electrolytic bath ... I cleaned the bell housing and painted it ...





I used 60 grit aluminum oxide to clean the bell housing. Glass bead is not quite coarse enough for my taste, to do the job fast.



Then I just brushed on the engine paint I got from the Hirsch company.

And here it is after it dried ... looks pretty good ...

[GaWajn]

Same thing with Intake manifold ... clean and paint. It's mostly to keep the rust off till final paint to the assembled engine ...





That's it for today.

[pontiac1953]

you're doing a great job, charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor.

[avgwarhawk]

Keep it coming. Great read and leaning a thing or two!

[Buicknutty]

I love the progress you're making, and thanks for the pictures. On my '41 Roadmaster, tried everything I could think of, sandblasted, then various oils, and other things that are supposed to loosen rust, heat, but just could not free up the heat risers. I did NOT try electrolosis, though.
Thanks for keeping us posted.
Keith

[GaWajn]

Well ... I found out why my charger was not working for my electrolysis experiment. The charger was defective!

This is a picture of my new setup. Seems to be working A-1 at the moment.



At 12 volts ... it is pulling close to 8 amps, so the 10 amp limiter selection works best for me with this setup.

[pacerman]

To answer your question in Post 152 above, I have just cleaned with a scotchbrite pad, then wiped with wax and grease remover, primed, and painted parts. I have not worried about some remaining black residue. I'm only an amateur but I can't recall any bad outcomes from doing this. Joe

[GaWajn]

Cleaned the pans today ... first with a putty knife ... then the parts washer ...

[GaWajn]

The next step for the oil pan is to stip the old paint and rust. I started using a brass wire brush, but it was taking forever.



I went to the local jobber store and got some 3M strip-it disks. They are made to use with the ROLOC system, which I have on my angle die grinder ... perfect!



Well let me tell you ... it goes way faster than a wire wheel. It seems to take off a little bit more material also, so caution is advised. After I went over the pan with the strip-it disk, I then went over the entire pan with some scotchbrite pads. Washed the pan with a degreaser ... then spayed it with a rust encapsulator. It is supposed to convert the remaining rust in the pits to a black substance, that you can do bodywork over ... primer ... filler ... whatever your fancy.



It says to let dry 24 hours before working with it.

[GaWajn]

By the way ... the heat riser in the manifold is still frozen solid. Electrolysis did not free it up.

[GaWajn]

Here you can see the difference when it starts to dry. The pan on the left was sprayed about one hour before the small pan. It is drying out to a black primer surface just like it says on the can.

[avgwarhawk]

Nice work!

[Buicknutty]

Looking good! Keep up the good work!
Keith

[TexRiv_63]

I've followed your thread from the beginning, very interesting and well documented. Thanks for sharing!

[GaWajn]

Thanks for the comments guys. I am not fishing for compliments, but when positive comments come ... it puts a little giddyup in my tank thanks!

[Buicknutty]

I just call it as I see it, if it looks good, I pass my thoughts along. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project!
Keith

[GaWajn]

I have not been posting much lately, that's because I am enjoying the summer doing other stuff. Once in a while I will spend a day in the shop working ... today is such a day ...



I have sanded the rust converter coat off. It remains in the pits, but flakes off the flat surfaces ...



Here you see some deep spots. They are caused by the original stamping. I don't want to fill these ... I just want to fill the rust pits ...



Here you see an example of the remaining rust pitting. These areas, I want to fill.



Since there was no collision damage, and no dents to fill, I just need a light coat of filler. I am using a finishing putty, or glaze putty if you wish. It goes on like thick butter and sands easily ...



Here you see the areas that I wanted to use filler.



As you can see ... most of the putty will find it's way to the ground. I don't want a thick coat ... just enough to smooth out the pitted areas ...



I am using a 3M DA air sander with the hook and loop system of sandpaper. I also use a foam backing pad to help with sanding the contours. These sanding disks are more expensive but I find they last longer ... so it works about even in the end I believe.



Ready for a primer coat ...



This picture shows the pans after two coats of high build primer. I will let this dry for a few hours at least and then sand and top coat.

[GaWajn]

I waited a couple of hours ... scuffed the primer with a fine scotchbrite pad ... then painted two coats of HIRSCH engine enamel, with a foam brush.



I had gotten fantastic results from painting the cast iron parts with a brush, I thought I would give the foam brush a try on sheet metal, because I have had good results with foam brushing finishes on wood in the past.

The results are terrible ... hehe. I will let this dry for a few days, then I will sand it and spray it for a proper result. I should have known better, but what the hey. Now I have first hand experience on how not to do something!

Cost of the paint delivered is $54

Running total = $6324

[GaWajn]

I have been hunting for a source to supply me with the correct paint colours for my car. This has been a frustrating exercise. I first had the local Dupont people do a search based on old Dupont codes.

Seamist Green: DUCO 246-55954 / DULUX 93-55954, Belfast Green: DUCO 246-55961-H / DULUX 93-55961-K

The results were not even close. They then got their camera setup to try and get a match that way. On the Seamist Green, they had something close ... but not quite ... and nothing for the Belfast Green. They then had me try and find a match using colour chips from their catalogue. I found a colour that was a close match ... but they could only make it in a paint designed for aircraft or something like that, and it was going to cost a fortune. They then sent me to the local PPG shop ... go figure ...

At the PPG shop ... they looked and hunted ... nothing. They said that the US colours are very difficult to cross reference, if not impossible. They then called a PPG Guru somewhere. He came back with information based on the old DITZLER codes

Seamist Green: 41144 (or DQE-41144-DAL), Belfast Green: 41145 (or DQE-41145-DAL)

He said that the colours could be had with PPG Global or PPG Concept paint brands. The local PPG shops do not carry those brands. I then called the Eastern Canadian PPG rep, and he directed me to a local rep with a lot of experience. This guy made some research ... and came back to me and said that those paints can no longer be sold in Canada because of VOC compliance regulations ... whatever that is ...

He is now saying that he wants to see the car and try his camera on it, to see if he can help me out.

Is it always this complicated? or is this just a Canadian thing?

I am thinking that if I had some fresh samples of these paints on sample cards, then someone over here could probably match that to whatever is legal over here. Is this an idea, or a pipe dream?

Can anyone out there offer some clues to help me out, or get me on the right track?

[StevenT]

Hey Gawajn
It's funny, your story about finding the correct paint is much like the one I experienced myself trying find the right color for my 1947 ford. Unfortunately it seems like it is just as difficult in the States as it is in Canada or at least it was for me.

I too first visited my local Dupont Supplier where most of the original ditzler/dupont paint codes they couldn't even find information on, like you what they did find (mixed me up some samples) looked nothing like what I was looking for. $40.00 down the drain.
I then went to my local PPG supplier. They were able to locate and pull up all of the paint colors from the codes I gave them, but again like you, said they could not cross reference the formulas to acrylic enamel. They told me if I had a sample card with the color on it they could scan it and match it perfectly. Well I didnt have a sample.

What I had to do was, I took one of the sample pints (that dupont mixed for me) that came the closest to what i was looking and poured it into several small cups and started tinting it a little bit at a time until it was a match for what I wanted. I used some acrylic enamels I had from previous projects to tint it with. I sprayed the color that I was happy with on the sample cards PPG provided me with and took it to them to match. They were able to match it perfectly! In-fact I just finished painting the cab of my car with the newly mixed paint and I'm extremely happy with it. You can seen it here 1947 Ford Coupe Sedan Restoration

Anyways I don't know if that helps you in anyway, but thought I would share my similar experience with you. I hope it helps and good luck with your restoration its looking great so far, i'll keep watching.

-Steven

[helfen]

Among my two Pontiac's and one Oldsmobile I also collected a couple of VW Beetles. One of my Beetles is a 65 standard model that has many parts painted in L-328 steel gray instead of chrome plating. There is a paint code for this color, but nobody makes it and in the U.S. nobody has a paint chip, and the code isn't listed in anyone's color chart. Because this color is used on the outside and inside of the vehicle I took a door handle from this car that I had in storage to my local auto paint supplier. The supplier made a series of mixed combinations which took about a week to get the color just like the sample I had given him. Will your paint supplier do this for you?

D.

[GaWajn]

StevenT,

Thanks for your story. It helps just to know I am not the only one to have paint problems. By the way ... your coup looks awesome!

Helfen,

I don't know if my paint supplier will go the extra mile ... we will see.

[Buicknutty]

The local auto paint paint dealer, using their camera, was able to find a match formula to base the mix on, Royal Maroon for my '41 Buick Roadmaster, and it turned out well. That said, the VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds, I think) regulations have changed, especially here in Ontario, I'm told, but I got my paint about a year before these took effect, though I don't know how I will fair the next time I need paint. Also, there are new regulations that pertain to selling these products to small operators, meaning guys like us, you're supposed to have a proper license to buy them, though the shop I've dealt with will sell to me, and put the sale under another name.
Keith