Warped Lionel 753 / 754 belly

Not sure what would cause the belly to warp except a bad casting. I  think I would stay away from a car like that unless it was dirt cheap. Might be a mild zinc pest. I see cars occasionally at our RR shows so they are around.

jim pastorius posted:

Not sure what would cause the belly to warp except a bad casting. I  think I would stay away from a car like that unless it was dirt cheap. Might be a mild zinc pest. I see cars occasionally at our RR shows so they are around.

I'm not sure either, but I have seen multiple examples. I don't think they were made that way.  I did find replacement underbelly castings at a prewar parts dealer for $60.

Zinc pest.

CharlieS posted:

Zinc pest.

I see. I had to look it up. I have heard of it, but not really experienced it. So, it cannot be fixed and must be replaced.

I read that I should soak any cast parts I strip in vinegar or oxalic acid before repainting. Is this a good idea? Which is better? I know I have vinegar available.

George

Both are mildly acidic and will put a light etch on the surface to make the paint stick better. Also cleans the surface.

We have most of the streamliner parts in stock. 752 series bellies are $50 each. Motor pans are $75.  We also have the grab rail sets, vestibules, wheels etc.  Harry

Thank you Harry!

I have a set on order.  I will take inventory of what parts I need and reach out with an order.

George

George, I have an M10000 set I started to restore but never finished I will sell for $ 250 plus shipping.  The set is complete as far as I can remember and has no rust.  A couple of the bellys were warped so I bought new ones.  I did add one extra car to make it a four car set.  Let me know if you are interested and I will send you some pics. My email is in my profile.

Chris Sheldon

Thank you Chris.  I purchase what I needed already. It was helpful to understand the issue about the warping underbellies in this thread.  I will start a thread on my restoration when I get started.

Would love to see it, might even motivate me to finish my set.

Chris