Hugger Project "The Banana Boat"
 

This is my 67', got it about 5 years ago, It's the first car I bought when I got enough money to afford one. It had the 350/350 driveline, changed that out to a rat, added vintage air kit with the front runner system, willwood discs in the front, and Rally Sport headlights. The engine just went though a second rebuild (I live in denial about my checking account balance), I originally was going for the "ragged edge" of streetable with the first engine setup. That proved quite the pain, eventually killing the engine with overheating, detonation, and spun mains. So now, with a toned down setup, I hope my A/c will actually get to work.

The paint is the color I bought it with and it's seen better days. So, I'm tearing it down for some fresh paint, new color, and some new interior. Maybe, if some money is left or if I feel like going into hock, ill pick up some rims.

I have a quote from a Local guy here in Louisiana to soda blast and prime my car for $2500. After calling for chemical dipping prices it's about the same price. This makes the soda blast price seem a bit excessive? Is this going rate for blasting service? Does anyone know a soda blaster in the Louisiana area i can compare prices with?

HahA the flashbacks I am having. Mine was the exact same color when I started
but for me it just had to go. Goodluck with all that your doing with it & be sure to post up lots of pics

Anyone else with some media blast info??

Well I don't know of any media blasters in your area but when I had mine done it only cost me $750 for a tow and blast. It was done by q guy who had a shop next door to the guy who did the restoration. I had it all disasembled which cut down on the cost alot. I'd say call around to some local body shops. They will have someone to recomend.

It's a six wheeled camaro!! I built a dolly to send her off on. I've been on the fence whether to strip and ecoat or to just to have a soda blast job done. Still in the process of digging up people who do restoration work and getting prices (its a short list in Louisiana).

May I pick some brains? I've been researching on resto. paint and body work. I've found as many people for soda blasting as against it, same goes for chemical stripping and other media blasting. Paint and body is something I have little experience with and it's one of those thing I would rather pay someone to do. So, with so many people having problems and out right horror stories, I've been asking for warranties their work. As in, a written warranty and labor estimate on paper. This doesn't seem to be common practice, I've only talked to a few people and none can provide a written warranty. So, in the end, I will be taking full liability for any failure on the paint and body work. What is a normal warranty on resto. work, if any?

Soda blasting or chemical stripping/dipping? I wouldn't do either one on my car!
You can have some serious paint adhesion problems if the soda isn't totally neutralized. Same goes for chemical stripping. Both ways also require you to wash with soap and water, scrub, and rinse the metal off to remove all traces. And if any stays embedded in a seam or crack, it could become a problem area. I wouldn't want to risk my thousands of dollars on a nice paint job just to hope the paint sticks. Do you have anybody near you who does media blasting? I'm restoring a 69 Vette, and I had the whole car plastic media blasted, and it worked out very well. I didn't want to use any type of chemical stripper or soda because the Vette panels are bare (non-gelcoated) fiberglass which is very porous. Media blasting is not a chemical, so it doesn't leave ANY harmful residue behind that you have to worry about getting off. You need to go crazy with a vacuum cleaner and air compressor to blow out any crevasses so it doesn't get air born when you start to paint. But to me, that's much less of a pain in the ***.

My statement is vague about chem. stripping. Metal finishing services in jackson, ms. does a bake, chem. strip, and e-coat process. The coating is an epoxy primer that gets on every inch of the body inside and out. Sounds like great process but, when I asked for a written warranty or guarantee on the service, they offer none. camaro69 you state it best, I'll be spending 2500$ (body only) to see if their process works. Nothing on paper = no recourse to get them to fix my car if something were to go wrong.

There's one guy in my area who does soda blasting work, I've actually insisted that he change the media and was told the machine won't blow anything else. But, I saw the machine, it's dual hoppered and blows sand as well as soda. Seems to reason, if it will blow sand it will blow walnut, acrylic, just about anything. So, again I ask for a warranty or guarantee, I can get one over a handshake, nothing on paper. So, leaves me in the same boat as dip/e-coat. :icon_look:

Frame repair
 

I have some before and after shots of my frame. The frame had a giant crack on the underside from battery acid or laying in the mud *shrugs*. The body shop cut out the rotted metal and fabricated a new front portion. It's like new now!

3 months later, dip and Ecoat
 

I just got my cab and doors back from the Ecoat shop. Also, had the frame, suspension, and rear end blasted and painted.

Progress
 

I started building the front end and mounting the engine while the cab is getting some metal work done.