Do They Still "Acid Dip" Bodies?...

Call IPS (International Paint Strippers) in Romulus, MI. They acid dip car bodies... They quoted me like $1800 to dip my 53 chevy, and $2500 to dip it and e-coat it. I was looking for paint and undercoating removal (decided to do it myself after that quote) but they might be able to give you more info on dipping for weight reduction.

- Jon

 

wasn't his the car that floors were so thin , you could almost fall thru them in the seat...? or possibly his dart ...?

 

I always wondered what the metal looked like after they dipped the bodies? Logically, the acid would eat any impurity and leave a texture similar to surface rust?

Also, what about the sub-frames and floors and structural pieces? Are they paper thin as well or does the acid not have the same affect due to their thickness?

An article on one of Sox and Martin's pro stockers said they put foam on the inside of the quarters to keep the metal from crinkling from the wind on the top end. Had to preserve the sponsor's logo on the paint.

Technically, paint slows it down, extra weight

I still say do it cause it's wicked cool.

 

a Friend of mine had a 64 Nova that was Acid dipped with Plexiglass Windows <p> 10% engine set-back 327 Tunnel Ram 4 speed Drag Car ( street )
did 9 seconds in the 1/4 mile
The whole Car wet weighed 1800 lbs. + driver used to run it on the Street for no less
than 3k a run back in the 1960 to early 70's
he would only beat you by a fender!
made a lot Money on that Car

 

Brondon, no; it was the 1965 Altered WheelBase cars, six Dodges, and six Plymouths. They were the cars from which the term "funnycar" was first used.

 

All of the factory Super Stockers after a point used acid dipping to reduce body weight. However, they also masked the areas they did not want to remove metal from (mainly structural areas) using a resist film. My brothers original A990 Plymouth Belvedere is a classic example of that practice. Someone on the Moparts site has the factory templates for masking.

 

Gary Kollofski's '55 started my affliction for Motor Wheel Fly's...I went to the Maskin & Kanner's shop in Troy, Mi., (this being in the mid-late '70's), to see if they possibly had any leftover wheels to sell, because they ran Fly's on the Mopar Missle Pro Stock 'Cuda in the early '70's...

...they did, I scored a pair of fronts and a pair of 15 x 14 rears...but what caught my attention was the acid dipped 'Cuda body on a pallet still hanging from the rafters!

 

Mr Gasser what are you doing ? if you are not running for some kind of record I would forget about acid dipping . Even thou It may sound cool , it is not really the right thing to do . I painted the white frame flat black to get the camaro thru tech because of cracks . LOL Going 125 to 132 mph thru the traps always makes you think !!!!!!!!!

 

There's a place in Worcester, MA called Metal Strip of New England. They acid dip whole cars. You could try them. Not sure it will reduce weight, but they've stripped a lot of hot rods cars in the area.

 

Used to be a place on 14 Mi. Rd. West of Groesbeck Hwy. in Fraser,MI. Can't think of the name though. They were were in a industrial complex just across the railroad tracks on the south side of 14 Mi. They did chemical milling. Mike Pustelny might know them.

 

S&S Stripping in Sterling Heights, MI will acid dip for weight reduction. Ask for Chris (owner). They dipped my 65 GTO hood and removed about 22lb. Cool stealthy way to shed weight.

 

Local stream

 

If they do they'd better not get caught. $25,000 first offense and jail time. Knew some guys in the early 80's that did it, mainly super stock and modified class racers. Up to 30% weight loss. Worked by chemical reaction, metal in water with percentage of nitric acid. More metal surface the faster it worked. DEADLY TOXIC BREATHING AND BURNS. YELLOWISH BROWN cloud as byproduct. Nasty stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!