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Anyone use Redi-Coat in Michigan to dip strip and e-coat primer your body shell?

16K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  Chevymon 
#1 ·
http://www.redi-coat.com

I have talked to Mark who runs this facility twice now, and am wanting to take my car there to have it dip stripped and ecoated. They charge $2500 for the full process, seem knowledgeable about it plenty, and are usually around 3-4 weeks wait year round. I can get it dipped locally through the same process for $900, or $900 at Redi-Strip in Indy using the less harsh Alkaline base solution to strip paint and rust, but no one else around the great lakes/midwest e-coats bodies. They bake the shells in a computer controlled oven to get rid of most of the paint and gunk. Then dip in a mild HCl solution to rid of the remaining residue and eat away and neutralize any rust. Then plenty of rinse time, and a phosphate bath for corrosion protection and adhesion before the ecoat and curing bake.

My car is a good candidate for this, as it was formerly an RS/SS396 (sans original 402 bbc). Worth a bit more than an average 71 Camaro, and in solid shape but with lots of surface rust from years of weather with baked cracked/checked paint. Stripped some paint off and found little spiderwebs of minor surface rust lying under the primer sprayed on top of the original, worn out paint.
Since Camaros are unibodies, the ecoat I see as a necessity after dipping due to all the impossible to get to cavities and supports that would otherwise be left bare after the stripping. Rust proofing guns with wands and drilling access holes can coat most of the areas, but not all. Also, ecoating assures plenty of good rinse time to get rid of the stripping chemicals, as they don't want to pollute their 3000 gallon tank of ecoat solution with stripping chemicals, so they will definitely be doing it right. No worries at all about chemicals leaching out of cracks and crevices after the ecoat and curing bake process...

Anyway, I was hoping that some of you had used this place before, or knew of someone who had, and would be able to give me any feedback on the process/results/company.

Lastly, I know I will have lots of seam sealing to do, have to remove deck lid spring, remove aluminum body tag, etc... My only unanswered question other than feedback is this. I noticed a very thin padded gasket type material that the GM factory installs on cars on top of the inner roof structure, that isolates the outer roof skin from vibrating or rattling against the inner structure. There are many small openings in the inner structure, so once dipped, would it be an adequate replacement for this gasket material to take tubes of silicone and squirt a good bead in every interior hole between the roof panels where the original mat was located? I thought for a second maybe expanding foam, but worried about it expanding too much and distorting the roof. Any other better products to use? Seam sealer? Something like silicone in a caulking gun I would imagine is the best way to get the material in there.

By the way, Mark @ Redi-Coat is the guy that bought out all of the equipment from the now defunct Carponents/www.ecoatking.com. I have read of people who used them several years ago with great results.

Feedback, please!
__________________
'71 RS/SS Camaro pile of parts: full roller 406sbc / 9.76:1 w/ E-Tec Al. heads / 750 Comp AFB / 12"/11.1" 4 whl discs / big sway bars / Tremec TKO 5 speed + 3.23 posi / 81 Z28 & dual snorkel vette Air Induction / 16X8 alloy wheels, 255/50/16 HTR-Z's - budget pro-touring machine, just gimme a few years...
 
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#3 ·
Using Redi Coat in Michigan?

I have used them and i cost me dearly. They ****** up my roof of my car because of carelessness bringing it out of the dip tank. I had to buy another car from Arizona for the parts $1800 + shipping + body work. It ended up costing me more to fix their **** ups than I paid. I would NOT recomend them to anyone. Their are other reputable (insured) e coating companies out their. If you do use them ask for a bond and proof of insurance. Also make sure you have a signed agreement and before pictures signed by both parties. With my experience I would tell you to use someone else.
Good Luck on your project,
Sport Fury III
Look up E- coat disaster on Chevelle Forum for before and after pics posted a few years ago.
 
#4 ·
I am very interested in this topic. I want to get my shell ecoated when I'm done with the metalwork. I started some research back in September, but stopped because I'm not quite ready.

I stumbled on a photobucket account of a 70 Dodge being ecoated.

I exchanged some emails with the owner of the photobucket account. He said was done by a company in southern Indiana.

But he didn't remember the name, but to email his brother who supposedly knew. I've been googling for awhile and can't find it.

When searching, I found the Michigan guy first, but he said his tanks aren't large enough for a mustang.

I talked to a company in Mississippi that gave me a way better price than the michigan guy. I think they are here:
http://sec-ms.com/photogallery.aspx

I'm in PA, so I'd prefer not to have to trailer to Mississippi or Indiana. I also exchanged some emails with a place in ohio, but they would only do the ecoat.

http://www.nilesmfg.com/

I'd prefer that the car went right from the rust removal tank into the ecoat tank, although the Ohio guy said if the car is treated with rust inhibitor at the rust removal dip, it should be fine to go to his place, and he'd put it in the ecoat tank in the morning the day he got it if we scheduled it, and give it back the same day.

I'd really like to correspond with someone who has first hand experience.

If this board allows linking to other forums, I have a few related links i could post, but don''t want to cause any trouble.
 
#5 ·
redi coat

I would strongly urge anyone interested in getting there body dipped and e-coated NOT TO USE REDI-COAT IN ROMULUS MI. This place is not run as a legitimate business. I was told it would take 2-3 weeks to get the parts done. after numerous calls which I was always told someone would call me back with the information on the time frame which no one ever did. 8 1/2 weeks later the parts were finally done. Come to find out they do not even do the ecoating there, it gets sent out somewhere else. Then to top it off, When I drove my truck down there to pick up my panels I had dropped off. They told me I could only pay with cash. They said I should have been told when they called to inform me the parts were ready to bring cash. I spoke to the owner their and tried to explain why doesn't the invoice or why didn't they tell me anything about their cash only policy when the parts were dropped off. Basically it was a waste of time talking to this jerk there! To make a long story short I had to drive my truck which gets a whole 10 mpg 1 1/2 hrs home to go to the bank and return the next day. Please save yourself the aggrevation and go somewhere else.
 
#6 ·
[QUOTE

I'm in PA, so I'd prefer not to have to trailer to Mississippi or Indiana. I also exchanged some emails with a place in ohio, but they would only do the ecoat.

http://www.nilesmfg.com/

I'd prefer that the car went right from the rust removal tank into the ecoat tank, although the Ohio guy said if the car is treated with rust inhibitor at the rust removal dip, it should be fine to go to his place, and he'd put it in the ecoat tank in the morning the day he got it if we scheduled it, and give it back the same day.

I'd really like to correspond with someone who has first hand experience.

QUOTE]
If you are happy with the ecoat place in Niles, then you are in luck.
This shop is in Toledo and cleans by means of electrolysis. NO ACIDS It will even pull most of the rust out of seams, and acid can't do that. They have a big oven to burn off paint and crud, and do excellent work. Car bodies 1950 and up run 1500-2200 depending on size. 1950 and older are smaller and less expensive.

The oven temperature is computer controled to rise slowly and cool slowly, so it causes no damage at all.
I have used them several times. A little more expensive, but you don't have to worry about what you are going to get.
http://www.americanmetalcleaninginc.com/services/automotiveservices.html
 
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