| Author |
Message |
Jeff Green (Carguy)
Junior Member
Username: Carguy
Post Number: 128
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 8:27 pm: | |
Hi Stephen, my car is a TR. I'm mainly concerned about the engine bay where a lot of frame is exposed. I am leaving the undercoating alone in any area subject to road debris, but all other areas that I've removed the creeping crud from have a satin black finish that I like. I guess the previous owner probably thought he was doing a good thing by "protecting" his car. The only way he could have put more coating on my car would be to DIP the whole thing in a vat full of the stuff! Where undercoat is needed, I'm at least removing the huge blobs and runs and making it look even and uniform. But this stuff is slathered on the calipers, A-arms, shocks, lots of hoses...really looks like ####! Thanks to all who have shared your views and opinions as I have altered my original plan somewhat based on your input. |
Stephen J. MacKellar (89gtb)
New member
Username: 89gtb
Post Number: 3
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 7:55 pm: | |
The heaviest concentration of the 'drippy brown stuff' is on the wheel wells, the underbody, and the primary frame rails, etc. My 1988 1/2 and present 1989 328 GTB's had a pretty good dose of the stuff in those areas, but I can't say it is really evident on the calipers, shocks, a-arms, etc. as you described. I'm certain all 328s were sprayed - either at the factory (most likely) or at the ports upon delivery prep. Remember too that the stuff was sprayed by humans - some guys were perhaps a bit more zealous in the application of the undercoat than others! |
Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Member
Username: Dapper
Post Number: 443
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 3:02 pm: | |
Further thought, for items that don't necessarily need to look brown drippy for concours (everything but the frame rails?), you could detail, then protect with something like Eastwoods 'Nyalic' clear laquer. |
Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Member
Username: Dapper
Post Number: 442
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 2:59 pm: | |
Stephen, my 348 has the same brown drippy stuff all over too, frame, wheel arch liners, brake pipes, calipers etc etc. Looks awfull but at least its protecting the metalwork |
Jeff Green (Carguy)
Junior Member
Username: Carguy
Post Number: 127
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - 8:31 pm: | |
Thanks Stephen, you make a good and valid point. My car will not be a "concours correct" car, but I do want it to look as good as possible, and my personal preference is "clean". If my car was really a low mile original, your advice it right on track. But my cars has some 34k miles (hard ones) so I just want an easy to maintain car. So I guess my questions are: Did the factory ALWAYS undercoat the cars, and in the same fashion or were there variations? If so, where...wheel wells, suspension, frame, underbody...anywhere else? My car has this stuff all over the shocks, a-arms, calipers, just everywhere. If this stuff is original, I have already gone past the point of no return. Thanks again Stephen |
Stephen J. MacKellar (89gtb)
New member
Username: 89gtb
Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - 8:04 pm: | |
I'll offer a different optic on this if your objective is to have a nice concours entry, and that is to leave ALONE what the factory put on the car - even the dark honey colored undercoating. Your car will only be original once (which is what a Ferrari concours really cares about) and if you end up scraping off the factory applied stuff which is not available anywhere (meaning the proper color) you'll end up with no undercoating or redoing it with the standard black undercoat which will scream to any knowledgable 328 judge that your car has been redone, repaired, etc. I would'nt part with my original undercoating for anything. There are more than enough other elements of the car to make perfect that will be way more important to a judge or spectator. |
Jeff Green (Carguy)
Junior Member
Username: Carguy
Post Number: 125
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - 6:54 pm: | |
Thanks Timn88 for the advice. On my TR the rear frame and suspension is a bloody mess....multiple layers of coating, runs and drips. And this stuff has turned a crappy brown color. I like to show my cars and no matter how good the engine may look, the rest of the engine bay detracts from the hours of work. My old ZR-1 was clean enough underneath to eat off of as I'm anal retentive about my car's appearance. Apparently Ferrari doesn't really care about the look of their chassis. But how can you have a jewel of an engine and just inches away there is this nasty brown lumpy drippy cruddy frame? I may compromise however by undercoating only parts of the frame subject to road debris, and painting the rest. I've looked at pics of TRs with very few miles, and their chassis has the same crud as mine does. Beauty does not stop at the body and interior in my opinion. And I must say that I'm amazed that for such an expensive car that there is so much sloppy panel work and joint seams to the chassis and underbody. |
Paul (Pcelenta)
Junior Member
Username: Pcelenta
Post Number: 247
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - 3:44 pm: | |
joe, what year esprit? I've been doing some reading on them and really would love to get one...I like the fact that it is f'glass...unlike my 308 whose doors rust just looking at them...what are your thoughts on Esprits?
POR-15 comes in black, silver and clear and works very well...just wear protection...it is nasty smelling and doesn't come off your skin.. |
Greg Rodgers (Joechristmas)
Member
Username: Joechristmas
Post Number: 574
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - 3:25 pm: | |
On my Esprit I cleaned the frame when the engine was out. It is now showing some rust signs, surface wise. What can I put on it to protect it? I want it to still have the metal appearance. Will a type of clear coat work? |
Tim N (Timn88)
Intermediate Member
Username: Timn88
Post Number: 1826
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - 3:20 pm: | |
Its probably not a good idea to remove the undercoating. If you just paint the bare metal, rocks will chip it and it will rust. The undercoating is strong and flexable so it does not chip easily. you should use POR 15 on it, it looks good wont chip as much as normal paint. |
Jeff Green (Carguy)
Junior Member
Username: Carguy
Post Number: 124
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - 3:00 pm: | |
Finally started doing the engine bay detailing. Spent many hours cleaning the engine, and now on to the frame and suspension. I absolutely hate undercoating and have been "trying" to remove it using kerosene, scrapers and wire brushes. I was going to do this to all the wheel wells too, but after working my rear off to get the left front well clean, I could see how "nice" the factory work was (NOT!). So much to my dismay I had to respray the undercoating on...but at least my job is even and uniform. The rear frame and subframe is proving difficult. What do the "concours" type cars do in this area? Are they undercoated or painted? I will paint the frame semi-gloss black. Anyone else tackled this "very fun" kind of project? |