72 TA : New Project - Page 26

**njsteve** · #**251** 12-13-2006, 05:02 AM

Here's the lastest in derusting technology that I found here via the Yenko website: http://www.safestrustremover.com/
Though it takes a long time to work due to the current temperature here (around 45 degress) it is rather amazing. I bought a 5 gallon can of the derusting liquid and just followed the directions. I borrowed one of those curved water tanks that you check leaky tires with, wrapped the back of the car in a plastic tarp and fed it into the water tank. I then filled the tank with the liquid and used a small pump I bought at Home Depot, (they are sold for clearing the water from pool covers), hooked it to a garden sprayer with some hose and let it run.

Here is how I set up the contraption:

here is the before picture showing the light scale behind the rear valance:

Here is the progess after 2 hours. You can see the shiny metal starting to reappear.

This is amazing stuff. It is not an acid, just some magical chemical compound accidentally discovered by the guy who owns the company. I stopped by his shop here in Jersey and bought the stuff directly from him. He said they originally were developing a non-toxic rust and scale cleaning process for use in the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels but it wasn't up to the Port Authority's specs so they didn't buy it. He had brought the excess liquid samples home and dumped them in a rusted barrel for disposal the next day. To his surprise, the next day the inside of the rusted barrel was completely shiny metal. And that's where he got the idea to use it on cars. Gotta love accidental discoveries. Isnt that how Silly Putty and plexiglass were both discovered: by accident.

I will let it run over night and update with more photos tomorrow!

**njsteve** · #**252** 12-14-2006, 02:39 AM

Here is the same spot after 24 hours of spraying. According to the manufacturer, it would go much faster if the ambient temperature was between 70 and 100 degrees. Since the stuff isn't flammable I think you could probably place an aquarium-type heater in the tank to warm the fluid up to 80 degrees or so and speed the chemical reaction up. Unfortunately I'd need to buy a lot more liquid to get it to a high enough level for the heater to work. So I guess I'll just let it spray as it is. It's kind of like those rock tumblers you had as a kid: you put the rocks and the polishing compound in the tumbler and let it spin for a month and then open it up and see the polished stones.

As you can see in the photo, more shiny metal is magically appearing with no paint/primer damage:

**firstgenaddict** · #**253** 12-15-2006, 06:47 AM

I never thought about it but I used the stuff back in May & June, and it did work very quickly... 6-8 hours was all it would take.

**Bill Pritchard** · #**254** 12-15-2006, 06:02 PM

Steve, your restoration narrative and photo documentation is just outstanding

I always enjoy reading about your progress. I guess if I wait to use this stuff on my Chevelle until after I move to AZ, it should work pretty well

**Mr70** · #**255** 12-15-2006, 06:52 PM

I agree,very informative.
Steve,you should quit your Day job..

**njsteve** · #**256** 12-15-2006, 07:12 PM

My old day job, back in the last decade before the turn of the century (never thought I'd be old enough to actually say that) was as a tech editor for Musclecar Review and Mopar Muscle Magazine. Maybe if I keep doing this I can legitimately write the whole restoration off on my taxes as a business expense, since I'm now a "Freelance Internet Published Restoration Technician."

**Xplantdad** · #**257** 12-15-2006, 08:09 PM

Whatever you classify yourself as...it's damn interesting to follow along!

**njsteve** · #**258** 12-16-2006, 12:48 AM

I kept thinking about the heated fluid idea so I stopped by the local PetsMart on my way home from work and picked up a submersible aquarium heater for about $25 (the ones for reptile tanks that can be fully underwater and not hanging on the side of the tank). Well it turns out that is the trick. Just heat up the fluid and it improves the chemical reaction immensely. Here is a spot by the front leaf spring hanger. I aimed the sprayer and let it go for about two minutes to check the aim while I got the camera ready and in that time it already converted most of the surface rust to clean metal.

**firstgenaddict** · #**259** 12-16-2006, 05:54 AM

I was so impressed by the stuff... I kept looking around the house for rusty metal objects just so I could throw them in it...

**njsteve** · #**260** 12-16-2006, 06:07 AM

I have the aquarium heater running full tilt. the temp is about 65 degrees now and you can actually see the rust dissolve away.

here is the same spring perch area after 2 hours:

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