Just curious: clean up or buy new brackets?

[In The Ten Ring]

I am just curious (up late and bored). Would you install new (zinc plated) lower radiator brackets or clean up and re-use your originals?

[GR8-68]

I clean up and reuse all that I can. If they are still in good condition and just need freshened up I say reuse

[72LB]

Clean up and re-use when I can.

[special-K]

True restoration is using all you can original to the vehicle. Nothing so gratifying as turning old stones into gems again. Keep that GM feeling

[Grumpy old man]

This blast cabinet hooked up to your shop vac is one of the first pieces of equipment anyone starting a true restoration should have .It's a lot easier to have all the small pieces blasted cleaned primed and painted .I hang them for a few days then wrap them in masking paper and store in labeled plastic bins , if you do all the small parts first when reassembly time comes your not chasing and waiting on parts to dry, cuts down on lost missing parts also .

https://www.harborfreight.com/abrasi...net-68893.html


shop vac
pressure washer
60 gal air compressor minimum
blast cabinet
Mig welder (gas) 140 or better
good solid steel wheel floor jack
good jack stands at least 4 and the list goes on

[In The Ten Ring]

Yes I definitely need a blasting cabinet.....just no room for one in my disaster of a garage. I've been running electrolysis followed by Evaporust soak but that's not very efficient and has trouble with sharp corners.

A friend can sand blast for me but no idea how abrasive that sand is or how high that thing is turned up. He blasted my OEM 4 row brackets for me and blew a hole through one.....I think it was just more rusted than I first assumed.

I think I'll take the rest of my brackets (including those coming) and run those over to a media blaster and get those done there. Bad thing is the only media blaster I have experience with is 90 miles away 1-way!

[Leftlane]

I have to say that my blast cabinet has become my favorite piece of equipment second only to my welders.
There's something special about taking a bracket , pully or any manner of doo dad; and refinishing it to appropriately attractive usable status.
Even a small cabinet with (adequate dry air, and a cyclonic dust separater hooked inline to your vacuum), can yield amazing results.
With appropriate media and pressure, most anything can be cleaned and returned to close to new condition, unless it's already gone.
Clean it up, and then decide....
No matter what the part is; it always seems to take the same amount of time as one beverage.
Very satisfactory...