Practically Classics Forum

Hi, I’m a new member here & need some advice regarding the best process for painting underneath a car before it goes off for spraying.
I have a 1972 Mini Van, so what do I use for the floor pan & inner wings etc?
Cheers everyone.

It's something I have to do in the future and am planning on using anti-chip paint whici I can then over paint with body-colour if I decide too. Haven't decided what one yet .. but there will probably be a fair amount of rust-converter involved first too!

You can get different types from a number of sources but these seem to be recommended by members of my club .. https://www.frost.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=chip or look at Moss-Europe, etc

I'll also have a chat with my local paint suppliers in the area to see what they recommend.

As above, however if you're painting on to bare metal I'd strongly recommend a decent coat of etch primer first - use 2-pack if you can, but even the normal cellulose-based 1-pack is very good to provide a really strong key on to the metal. After that, a chassis paint and/or anti stone-chip paint. Find a decent one (as above) I've always found that the 3M product is really good, if you can get it, also Dinitrol do a good one. I'd strongly recommend that you do NOT use the gloopy bitumen-based shutz type stuff, it's really messy, doesn't actually provide a particularly good protection and if any one needs to remove it in the future they'll curse you roundly for using it - ask me how I know! Also, if you get any fuel or oil leaks on it, it will dissolve, making even more of a mess. It can't be over-painted either, whereas the stone-chip dries to a nice matt black or grey finish which is dry and firm and can easily be over-painted with body colour or whatever you like. For this reason you are doing the right thing in applying this before the car is re-sprayed, as there are certain areas such as underneath the sills which are visible from the outside and which you may wish to have in body colour, as they were from the factory.

Hope that helps?

Thanks for the replies guys, I’ll have a look at Frost & Dinitrol products.
Great advice, Cheers

No problem - however, I know a lot of us on here would love to see pics and hear the story of your mini van restoration, any chance of starting a thread on it?

Cheers!

Luxobarge wrote: ↑

Fri May 03, 2019 7:25 am

No problem - however, I know a lot of us on here would love to see pics and hear the story of your mini van restoration, any chance of starting a thread on it?

Cheers!

Yep, +1 to the above! Mini vans are guaranteed to have me grinning like a crazy person so please, bring on the mini van content.

windy399 wrote: ↑

Wed May 01, 2019 3:51 pm

I have a 1972 Mini Van, so what do I use for the floor pan & inner wings etc?

You seen The Mini Forum (TMF) ?? Might be worth subscribing if you don't already .. http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/

I’ll see if I can get some pictures on here & update the progress. In the meantime, here’s a bit about the van.
It’s a 1972 Morris in Almond Green with a Old English White roof. We bought it as a runner in 2003 and drove it home from Coventry to Lincolnshire & ran around in it for a few years. It’s not quite standard.. 1275cc, straight cut gearbox, 10 inch Minilites, Weber carb, hi lo suspension, big bore exhaust, front discs etc.
Took it off the road a few years ago to ‘tidy it up a bit’... and that turned into a complete nut & bolt restoration project, as these things do.
The engine is now rebuilt, re bored, new pistons & rings, crank reground etc & I’m on with the bodywork now.
I’ll try & keep you all updated.
Cheers Windy

windy399 wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2019 9:49 am

straight cut gearbox

! In this case, please post a video clip, ideally one with the best sound quality you can manage!

I’m hoping to get it finished this year! So as soon as it’s up n running I’ll put some video on here.
Meanwhile, I’ve got a full day on it tomorrow so I’ll take some pictures & post them.
Thanks for all your interest & help.
Cheers Windy