Since all the young kids on the board think we're the good OLD boys and destined to die anytime, I'll pass along some money saving tips that are strictly my opinion on cutting costs and doing a budget job on a pump.
1) There are alternatives to having a media blaster or Redi-strip do your panels. I use a plater who cleans his strip tanks on Fridays so he puts my panels in on the am before. Does a good job and can easily clean up with some 80 grit. Radiator shops also have caustic tanks for stripping large radiators. As a last resort, use aircraft stripper and hand strip ONLY IN FRESH AIR ENVIRONMENT
2)Dont blast the frame, wash it down and wire brush it. Buy a quart of Hammerite $12.00 Silver at Home Depot, thin it with anything except diesel, and shoot it on with a bug sprayer, brush it, or use a cheapo gun. Or splurge and buy it in spray cans... use a $ .99 can of aluminum first and then spray on the hammerite $5.99. Also looks good on outside parts and bases.
3)Farm out your body work and tell them to finish it to 80 grit and prime. You can get the rest of the pump done while they are doing the bodywork. After they prime do not go back to 80, go gradually finer all the way to 360-400. Use sandable spray primer to reprime. You should be able to hide 400 scratch with spray paint (krylon). Apply good heavy coats. Allow to dry several days and wet sand with 600 grit. Apply one last light coat strictly for cover and gloss. How good it looks will be directly commensurate with the amount of sanding and prep you do. Doing the body work yourself requires tools, sanders, paper, primer surfacer, filler, glaze, etc. so it is more expensive than buying a $30 gun and painting your pump yourself with some simple enamel.
4)Polish your cranks, hose guards, stainless etc with a buffer or a drill attachment from Sears. Stainless can also be brushed using a fine scotchbrite and WD 40 sanding in one direction. Hammerite silver also looks good on these parts. Pot metal will shine if buffed. Faces can be painted white and decals applied.
5)rubber can sometime be saved by soaking in Simple Green and then scrubbing with hot water and brillo pad. Paint can be lightly wet sanded off rubber after the Simple Green loosens or removes most of it. Simple Green will also clean up computer numbers with a small brush and hot soapy water.
6)Common items like nozzle reducers, light sockets, switches, wire, and hardware can be purchased from hardware stores/ home depot much cheaper than the parts providers. common rubber is available at most auto body supply/paint stores.
Basically when everything is clean, shiney, with new glass and paint,its going to look good even if isnt perfectly restored.
Everyone else chime in on some money saving tips to finish a pump.
Larry
