77Driver

I have a 77 in good condition with a paint job that is at least 15 years old. I have had the car for 10 years and the paint wasn't new when I got it. From the chips around the hood edges it appears that it has had at least one spray over the factory finish.

The problems with the paint are on the top, rear bumper and a spot on the rear deck. The paint on the tops, hood and deck are faded under the clear. The rear bumper has spider cracks (its urethane). A 2 inch section from one side of the car to the other along the seam of the rear bumper and deck is crazed. The rest of the body is in good shape and has a nice shine.

My intent is to do some of the prep work and take it to a professional to finish it off. Do I need to strip the entire body or just the affected areas?

CF6873

Technically you need a solid foundation to build on, but it sounds like all your top surfaces are deteriorated as well as some other areas. If it was mine I would just strip the whole car and then you know what you have.
It always amazes me at the prior shabby work that you can find under a couple coats of paint.
I would try the razor blade stripping method first.

Craig

77Driver

Craig, after searching some of the other posts it looks like stripping the paint is the safest bet. I tried the razor blade method a long time ago and ended up with too many nicks. Perhaps heating the paint with a blow dryer will make it easier. If it doesnt I will just resort to the chemical method. Thanks for the response.