wmf62

you might be surprised how quickly the paint CAN come off with just a razor blade scraper. i stripped my complete car in less than half a day...



check this Glassworks video. towards the end is a scene where the guy is stripping a hardtop just like i did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK7A5...lcp&playnext=1

Bill

csherman

I soda blasted mine and I will again
never had a problem......
I will do 3666 with soda again.....

John McGraw

I have been using chemical paint stripper for more than 35 years, and have never had an issue with it. I do one panel at a time and then move on. The factory red-oxide primer usually is pretty much untouched by the first application, but I scrape off what lifts with the first application, and then take a coarse Scotchbrite pad and scrub off all remaining paint and primer after a second application of stripper. I follow this with a soapy, warm water scrub of the bare glass. Using this process, you can get bare glass with hardly a hint of any paint or primer than needs to be sanded.

Blasting works, but the skill of the blaster is key to getting a good job.
If the air source the blaster used is not perfectly clean and dry, it can cause problems. A lot of blasters use old, portable piston type compressors, and these compressors are known for contaminating the air with large amounts of oil, as the rings start to wear. Without proper filtration, the air can make the oil soak into the fiberglass because of the air pressure.

Removing the paint with razor scrapers is a viable alternative, but once again, the skill of the person doing the scraping, can make the difference between a good job and a disaster! I painted a C1 that someone had stripped the paint with razor scrapers, and the body was so gouged up from the corners of the scraper that it took hours and hours of body work to make is smooth again.

Keep in mind, that part of the decision, needs to be related to time and money. If you desire to do the work yourself and save money, then stripper or scraping is the best option. If however, you just want to drop it off somewhere and get a clean body back, then blasting may be your best bet, but keep in mind that good media or soda blasting, ain't cheap!

In any case, plan on scrubbing the entire body down with lacquer to remove an contaminates, and lightly sanding the entire body prior to applying any primer of sealer. I have seen guys spray primer directly on fresh blasted glass or stripped glass, without any prep, and have seen a some of them fail down the road.


Regards, John McGraw

americanretrodave

I’m sure a lot of people have successfully used soda, but once you’ve had problems with it, after washing the heck out of the body, prior to doing any primer work. Trust me, you won’t use it again. You are blasting old, pore infected, never gel-coated fiberglass, and you’re blasting it with a media that omits gas, once sealed, that gas will find a way to escape. It’s that simple. Once you contaminate that body with something that you can’t even have a microscopic, hidden in a pore, undetectable piece left, how can you ever be confident you got it all or that it won’t come back to haunt you? It usually takes months to show up. Why would you want, knowing how destructive the consequences are, to use a media that is a contaminant, that is not well-suited with paint that seals, that has to be removed completely, when other choices are out there? How could you enjoy completing your car knowing that you may have to strip it down again, and redo everything, but you won’t know that for sure until it’s sat out in the sun for extended and numerous times?

I hope the above doesn’t come across like a know it all or anything close to that. I had the above problems, that was bad enough. I live with a car that I’m constantly checking, looking for more bubbles, even though I redid it completely. I may come across strong because if my words can keep someone else from making the same mistake, at least some good will come out of it.

mickatbp

Thanks John, I hadn't even considered the compressor in the equation.

mickatbp

Okay, I have some clarity:
Option 1, use PMB but check type of compressor and filteration used. If not available or too expensive go to option 2
Option 2, Chemical strip. Do small sections at a time and wash and neutralise as I go. Use a resin friendly stripper and seal once done.
Option 3, Soda blast but check operator experience and wash and wash and wash
Option 4, Scrape.... confidence issue on my part

So consider panel integrity before using any method, check operator experience and check equipment and neutralise and prep ...........and hope all goes well.

Have I left anything out?

Vette Daddy

I've done soda, sand, chemical and hand sanding. Spend the money and have it blasted by a reputable company and make surer you can be there when it's done. If they won't allow you to be there, find someone else.

mickatbp

Will do Vette Daddy.....ta!

paulywannafly

Been stripping Cars for over 30 years now . Have tried every method Known . They all work and all have negatives Chemical stripping works ok but is messy and can etch into the glass plus does not work well on thick paint or multiple paint jobs. Soda blasting works well but the stuff is nasty corrosive one car we did required removal of the dash to replace the gauge faces and clean all the green corrosion in the wire connectors . Plastic media is good but you will never remove the stuff via vacuum till the day you die .Even a gutted car blown out vacuumed and pressure washed will still leak those stupid little plastic beads on the first ride . Scaping works ok of you are doing the work yourself but is cost prohibitive for a shop to do it. pick your poison they all work