Classic/Antique Car Repair/media blasting

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Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 8/28/2009


Question
Is there a media that will take off a layer of primer with minimal damage to the body work underneath? I had a pro(?) contracted to prime and paint my 34 cp and he mixed the primer with less than recomended reducer and hardner. Needless to say I have a real mess considering I spent 8 solid months morn to nite getting the body as near perfect as humanly possible. Thank you in advance
Marge

Answer
Some pro--he should cover the cost of getting it back into the same shape it was when it arrived at his butcher shop.

THEN he should re-prime it again--properly, and charge you only his original estimate.

It's called "professional standards" and "ethical business practices".

All of that aside now, try walnut shells as the blasting medium. And the "pro" should be paying for the blasting, too.


--Paul

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

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