Re: [DML] used frame?

[Nick Kemp <nkemp@xxxxxxxx>]

I refinished mine many years ago... before there was a lot of good 
DeLorean info as there is today. Here are my thoughts
- Parts of your frame may look bad. These are mostly where the frame 
flexes and takes rock chips.
- The central tunnel on mine looked as good as the day it was made. The 
suspension areas not so good
- It is hard to media blast the original coating off. It is also getting 
very hard to find someone that can chemically strip the finish. The best 
route is finding an oven large enough to bake it off.
- You "might" find a galvanizer that will dip the frame. That will burn 
most of the original finish off (depositing it in his tank)
- This may stress relieve the frame causing it to warp
- Plug all holes that you do not want to fill
- A welding shop can patch the frame. Costs more if you want the welds 
ground smooth


As for finish, here is what I did (Again, this was 20+ years ago and 
things may have changed)
- Patched the bad spots
- Blasted what would come off. Left the good stuff on
- Had it dipped in zinc chromate
- Used a zinc rich powder coat base layer (best corrosion protection at 
the time)
- Covered with a regular powder coat layer. Note that the zinc rich 
layer was not UV protected)
- As it turns out, the finish layer was black by mistake and it got 
another grey layer.
- I replaced the trailing arms with new, had them galvanized and then 
powdercoated.

- No ideas on cost. Times have changed and it depends on your frame's damage
- Took a week or so to disassemble. A week or so to reassemble and a 
while in-between because of "life happening"
- Put all fasteners back where they came from. You do not want a bag or 
parts.
- I laid out parts on a 4x8 sheet of plywood relative to their location 
to help remember

The expensive part is not the frame repair... it is the "Mize-wells"
- Mize-well replace this part as long as you are there
- Mize-well upgrade that part as long as you are there
- Mize-well powder coat these parts.... and so on

That's all for now,
Nick



deloreanernst@xxxxxxx wrote , ----On 6/27/2013 10:25 PM 
---------------------------:
>
> I'm moving toward redoing my frame. It might be easier to swap it out, 
> if mine proves to be too rusty, after I get to see it naked. A new one 
> is not in the budget. Any thoughts, anyone? Powdercoating? Cost? 
> Whatever. Mine is for the manual tranny.
>
> -Wayne
> 11174
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> 




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