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The frame removed and ready to take to the shop
The rear cross-member and front horns were my main trouble areas. I pulled the frame off and took it to a sandblasting place first (cost = $80). I was able to strip the frame completely except for the steering relay. I had them tape up the shafts prior to sandblasting to avoid damaging the splines. I’ll probably end up rebuilding this in place. The frame isn’t very heavy- two people can put it in a pickup truck if they’re energetic.
After the sandblasting, I ordered a new rear crossmember with 10" extensions. ($170 from British Atlantic) I didn’t get the galvanized version because I planned on coating the whole frame well before the job is done. The folks who put it on for me said that for a well equipped shop, the extensions were not worth the extra bucks I had paid (they would have preferred to repair the rail ends themselves. I had a "speed shop" do the welding. I went to two places that build race car frames, and showed them the frame & asked for their advice on what to do, and an estimate. The shop that gave me the best explanation of the process also gave me the lowest estimate. They had several thoughts that sold me on them-- They planned to do the whole process on a frame jig that is purported to keep everything straight and in place during the process. Heat can cause slight warping.
- They planned to anneal the welded areas to avoid losing strength.
- They prodded even the nice looking parts of the frame to see if there had been rust weakening it from the inside, and suggested cutting out and replacing several sections.
- They were excited and interested about the project.
When all was said and done, I had paid $530 (Ouch) to have the following work done:
- The rear cross member attached, and rail ends repaired completely in that area with one shackle removed, repaired & reattached.
- One front horn sliced off about four inches back and a new one fabricated. The other one just repaired with a plate on the front.
- About four feet of chunks removed & replaced with new steel (one side only, not the whole box).
The result was a frame that still had a few ugly spots, but that I am confident is structurally sound throughout, and ready to paint. Total cost was $80 (sandblasting), $170 (rear cross member), $480 (16 hours of labor in frame shop), $50 (materials for frame shop). The total cost of $780 was a lot higher than I had anticipated. I think I still saved some money, and learned a lot, but I might have seriously considered a whole new frame if I had known the cost in advance.
The painting went fairly easily. On the advice of some friends, I got some POR-15 along with their cleaner, etcher, and topcoat. So far the POR-15 lives up to it's boast of clinging in spite of rust and standing up to abuse. I'm very satisfied with the results.
As you can see from the pictures, I suspended the frame, and used a pulley on one side so that I could tilt it up to easily coat the underside. Well... maybe "easily" is too nice a word- I was at least able to coat the frame completely. My hands and arms are also now thoroughly coated & protected from rust. It'll probably wear off in a week (I Hope.)
In addition to the paint on the outside of the frame, I coated the inside with some goop called Waxoyl. You can buy an applicator with the Waxoyl that works pretty well for getting into all of the nooks & crannies.