The naked truth: Paint stripping, aluminum hazards, and the first shock

Once the decision to proceed with the project had been made, the first major technological milestone was at hand: the body had to be completely stripped of old paint, body filler, and underbody coating. This is the only way to realistically assess the substance of an Italian car that is over 50 years old.

Paint removal: The mix of plastic, dry ice, and immersion bath

I gave a lot of thought to the best method beforehand. A complete immersion bath paint removal with subsequent cataphoretic dip coating (KTL) was a possibility. After many expert consultations, however, I decided on a more differentiated approach: the majority of the body was to be gently blasted from the outside with plastic granules. The interior, underbody, engine bay, and trunk, on the other hand, were to be cleaned using dry ice.

For me, this combination offered decisive logistical advantages: I could leave the chassis in the vehicle for the time being. It was cleaned at the same time during the dry ice blasting, and the body remained rolling for the upcoming transport and was much easier to handle.

For this demanding work, I chose the company CarBlast, which also picked up the vehicle and delivered it back after the work was completed. Some fellow Dino enthusiasts had also had their bodies processed there and were very satisfied with the results. My choice was therefore based on reliable recommendations from the community.

Caution with aluminum: The treatment of the attachment parts

The hoods and doors were removed for blasting. Since they are more delicate, they went a separate route: they were stripped of paint in an immersion bath and subsequently KTL-coated.

However, extreme caution was required here: The trunk lid of the Fiat Dino Spider is made of aluminum. It requires a special chemical bath because aluminum would simply dissolve in a standard paint removal bath for steel. A critical point that one must definitely keep an eye on when commissioning such work.

The return and the first shock

The work proceeded pleasantly quickly. After only a few weeks, the car was delivered back. At first glance, the result of the body was outstanding: the sheet metal returned completely bare and clean – the perfect, honest basis for the upcoming restoration. The doors and hoods also showed themselves to be in excellent condition after the KTL coating, with no rust damage.

As for the body itself, however, reality looked a bit different. I have to admit: the first sight of the bare sheet metal shocked me quite a bit. Although no irreparable disasters were revealed, the traces of the decades were unmistakable.

The lower body area in particular had suffered: rust damage at the sill ends and the A-pillar bases. On the rear panel, a historical repair attempt in the form of a simple riveted and filled sheet metal patch also appeared.

Other areas, such as the water box in front of the windshield, the B-pillars, or the wheel arches, looked excellent by contrast. Likewise the trunk floor and the spare wheel well – although a hit that the Dino must have suffered on the rear left once was evident here. The underbody and the longitudinal members also looked very good. The following pictures show why it was an emotional rollercoaster ride for me.

Expert assessment brings peace of mind

 

In such moments, you need a cool head and the assessment of experts. I discussed the findings intensively with my friend Martin Landmann, who has already repaired numerous Fiat Dinos with his company ML Car Concept and was also to accompany my project regarding the sheet metal work.

His expertise quickly reassured me: he had seen far worse Dinos on the frame straightening bench during his career. The upcoming bodywork was extensive, but absolutely doable. In his eyes, too, the now completely transparent sheet metal substance offered the invaluable advantage of being able to see immediately where cuts needed to be made and where healthy material was present.

The next step: Parting ways

With this clear roadmap in mind, we moved on to the final disassembly. I removed the remaining chassis and constructed a special, stable rolling frame for the bare Dino body. Loaded in a closed trailer, the Spider made its way to the workshop of ML Car Concept.

While the body is now in the best hands for the upcoming sheet metal work, my project splits into two paths from here: while Martin restores the sheet metal to factory condition, I will take care of the reconditioning of the removed mechanical components and the tedious procurement of the missing spare parts in my workshop.

You will learn how the sheet metal work started in detail and what challenges we encountered in the next post.