My car is extremely rusty, so it would make more sense to have it dipped to get it all off. My question is, do you remove as much of the rusty metal you can first, like quarter panels, floor pan pieces, etc and then dip it or just dip it the way it is after you get it off the frame? I've heard good and bad stuff about dipping, but it makes sense to me, afterwards I'd have it dipped in an e-coat to make sure it didn't start up again from the inside out. What do you think?

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1970 Chevy Custom El Camino (http://www.dreamelectric.com)
Originally was & will be Green Mist & Silver w/Green Vinyl Top (now black)
350ci/300HP 4bbl & Dual Exhaust
TH-350 - 2.73 Posi Rear - Factory PS, PDB, PW, Tilt, A/C & More
My El Camino Home Page (http://www.dreamelectric.com/index.html)
Other Restorations -1969 Snowco Trailer (http://www.dreamelectric.com/Snowco.html) & 1967 Sears Custom 600 Tractor (http://www.dreamelectric.com/1967Sears.html)
Team Chevelle Member #995

I say "start fresh, get a California car." Not that that's what you want to hear. I think you will be shocked at how little metal comes back out of the chem tank. Being from the great state of Wisconsin, I know what rusty cars look like after they're dipped, and like I told ya, you'll be shocked....
-Tony (who will NEVER restore another rusty car)

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Tony Nausieda
1970 SS 396-4??hp
1977 Caprice, no dingle balls or hydraulics
1966 Buick GS 4-sp vert
1965 Le Mans EFI'd 468, 4-sp
1639 total cubic inches :)

Im gunna have to dig it up, but like a good 4 years ago i believe Hot Rod had an article about a tri five chevy they dipped, before it was dipped it didnt even have the hint of rust ur car has, came back swiss cheese.

I wouldn't do it. I'd find a donor car and start replacing nearly every inch of sheetmetal, or the more economical thing to do... start fresh.


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Russ (or Steve)
1965 Malibu 283/PG/A/C (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/SteveD64SSside.jpg)
Now 283/TH-350 soon to be 383/TH-350
My Homepage (Updated 5/31/2001) (http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/chevelle/)
Team Chevelle Member #71

Our freelance guy Steve Dulcich dipped his '71 Cuda for an article in Car Craft a couple years back...although it was a CA car, it came out pretty barren-lookin'!

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Tony Nausieda
1970 SS 396-4??hp
1977 Caprice, no dingle balls or hydraulics
1966 Buick GS 4-sp vert
1965 Le Mans EFI'd 468, 4-sp
1639 total cubic inches :)

I quit dipping cars almost 15 years ago due to the corrosive problems I encountered after the fact. No matter how hard you try and clean you WILL NOT remove all of the acid. Even using the neutralizer made no difference. The acis would also eat away small clips, weld marks, etc that I wanted to stay.

I now use exclusively media blasting. It will not remove rust but it won't thin the metal or cause paint to fall off later.

Not to mention it is MUCH faster (same day service) and much cheaper. JMO


"Details Make the Difference"
Musclecar Restoration and Design

ACES #5032
TC #1074

[This message has been edited by Rick_Nelson (edited 02-08-2002).]

Well, if ever there was a car to be dipped, I guess it would be yours, Shawn http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif Just dip it as is, without cutting out anything. The dip solution will remove all the rust. If the car comes back and you need to remove additional stuff for structural reasons, you can do it then.

I'm with the group that says to go find a better truck to start with. I'm doing a frame off on my 72 El Camino, it was in pretty decent shape to start with and I don't ever want to add up all the receipts that are in the folder marked "El Camino". BUT, if you have your heart set on it and don't care how much time and money you throw at the truck then check this out:
http://www.ecoatking.com/

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Never be afraid to try something new.
An amatuer built the Ark,
Professionals built the Titanic.
Team Chevelle Gold #33
ACES Member #02913

I worked at a body shop that would get cars in. All leaded and these clean cars would look like crap once the car was stripped. The owners freak because this clean car now is a pile of rust and the beautiful lead body work done years ago hid all the rust holes.

I've been lurking around here for a few weeks, and am a fellow Chevy enthusiast. I have 1970 Nova 350/350, not a Chevelle, but I like Chevelles (and Camaros, and Vettes, etc) too. I just can't find any damn ACTIVE Nova boards! I've gotten some GREAT advice out of the archives here- Electrical Gremlin that turned out to be a single pin bulb in a dual pin socket- thanks to this site I was saved a LOT of pain in the A**!


As for dipping that El Camino, I look at your site (well designed, BTW) and ....You really should take that money and get a better car. It is WAY too rusty to even attempt a restoration of any significance, I'm not sure what would be left of it after dipping. If it needed a floor pan and quarter panel patch, then hey, go for it. BUT that car is REALLY rusty.

I admire your determination, but dipping is pretty darned expensive, and really only worth it for rare (yenko, COPO, LS6 etc.) cars or Barret Jackson quality street rods, IMHO.

As for a "California Car", that is a good idea- IF you live in Cali or IF you have a trailer and truck and vacation time to burn. IF not, well then your better off getting something near you with a REASONABLE amount of rust repair needed- the cost of traveling expenditures and rust reapir even out in the long run provided you do the work yourself. Furthermore, Cali cars can get rust like every other car, and that rust can be hidden under poor bodywork and paint like every other car.

Good Luck with your 'Camino either way http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif