Stripping Paint
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
From: Pickens SC
Stripping Paint
I am to the point that i am ready to strip the paint off of my 77 vette. I have been told that a liquid striper is the way to go. Has anyone done this and how did it work. Thanks and I look forward to hearing your replys.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 660
Likes: 1
From: Springfield Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09
I DA'd mine. But I've had years of practice with a DA. I shy away from liquid strippers unless everything is taken apart so there's chance of any getting left in the joints and messing the new primer and paint up. Using a DA can leave lots of waves if you're not used to how it works.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
I've used stripper. The trick to stripper is being patient and letting it work. Expect a gooey mess.
You will want a stripper which is fiberglass compatible. Cap'n Lee's, Auto Spray Strip, or something similar.
You will want a stripper which is fiberglass compatible. Cap'n Lee's, Auto Spray Strip, or something similar.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,729
Likes: 267
From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
do a search in this forum many respones on this topic,
also look into stripping with razor blades,
everyone has their personel preferance for stripping.
69VETT
also look into stripping with razor blades,
everyone has their personel preferance for stripping.
69VETT
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 2
From: Melrose Florida
Especially for the original paint, I have found that razor blade stripping is an excellent method, and allows preservation of the high-quality factory primer layers.
It is surprisingly fast. I recommend the cheap plastic single blade razor holders, from CVS or other sources.
Steve
It is surprisingly fast. I recommend the cheap plastic single blade razor holders, from CVS or other sources.
Steve
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Clayton North Carolina
I agree with Easy Mike. I just finished doing my vette with Capt'Lee's. The most important thing is do small sections at a time, be patient and make sure you wash thourghly with clean soap and water when you are done, otherwise the stripper will continue to eat away at the car while you sleep. The key is patience. The first desire is to start trying to remove the paint as soon as you see it bubble. Wait and let the product do the work. The first panel I did, I tried to remove to quickly and made much more work for myself than necessary.
Good Luck
Mark
Good Luck
Mark
Racer
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: West Point MS
I did mine with a razor blade and heat gun. The heat is your friend but don't let it get too hot. Work a section at a time until you have it done and then move to another section. It won't take too long and you won't have the mess like you will have with chemical strippers. When you are done, you just sweep up the paint chips. I got a cheap heat gun from Oreily's for about $25. If you go with this method, just take it slow at first until you get used to how much pressure you need on the razor blade and the angle so that you won't gouge into the fiberglass.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 13
From: Kingman AZ
I did mine with a razor blade and heat gun. The heat is your friend but don't let it get too hot. Work a section at a time until you have it done and then move to another section. It won't take too long and you won't have the mess like you will have with chemical strippers. When you are done, you just sweep up the paint chips. I got a cheap heat gun from Oreily's for about $25. If you go with this method, just take it slow at first until you get used to how much pressure you need on the razor blade and the angle so that you won't gouge into the fiberglass.
Advanced
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Stripping the paint is getting near the top of my TODO list too... the razor/heat method certainly sounds less scary than slathering chemicals all over the place... any estimates on how long it took though? It FEELS like it would be a big time commitment... free tims is the one thing I don't have enough of.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,838
Likes: 10
From: Austin TX
The razor method may or may not work depending on the primer and top-coats used. I tried on one of my 73's and I'm guessing in one of it's many resprays, somebody used an epoxy primer and the razor had no chance.
I went the acid route instead. Used something in a rattle can recommended my PPG paint shop. Worked fine. Be sure to put down large sheets of cardboard below your work. It is messy. You'll need a 1" painter's scraper, a half dozen sheets of red scotch-brite, and acid resistant gloves. After you've removed the paint, wash the car thoroughly with soap and water. It's recommended you not prime for a couple of weeks to let the acid leach from the fiberglass.
The good thing about fiberglass, it won't rust and you can wait as long as want to prime, unlike bare metal.
But good call, removing the paint. It will make the lines on your car look much more crisp after painting.
Good luck!
I went the acid route instead. Used something in a rattle can recommended my PPG paint shop. Worked fine. Be sure to put down large sheets of cardboard below your work. It is messy. You'll need a 1" painter's scraper, a half dozen sheets of red scotch-brite, and acid resistant gloves. After you've removed the paint, wash the car thoroughly with soap and water. It's recommended you not prime for a couple of weeks to let the acid leach from the fiberglass.
The good thing about fiberglass, it won't rust and you can wait as long as want to prime, unlike bare metal.
But good call, removing the paint. It will make the lines on your car look much more crisp after painting.
Good luck!
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 211
Likes: 2
From: Houston Texas
I did some of the large, flat areas with razor blades initially. But, on most of the car I used Cap't Lees. I didn't like spraying it on. So I used a small brush to paint it on and a couple plactic bondo spreaders to scrape off the dissolved paint.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Coastside California
Well, I'm going through a chemical paint strip right now on my '81. I've only got the hood stripped at this point, but it really hasn't been too bad of a mess yet. I used Captain Lee's stripper and they included a spray bottle to use.
As others have said, patience is the key. I spray on a 2'x2' section at a time and wait 5-10 minutes for the chemical to work. After about 15 minutes, you can see the "crinkling" stop. That's when I use a plastic paint scraper to scrape off the "goop".
In all honesty, it's basically spray...wait...scrape...dump in trash. So far, the only time-consuming part has been the waiting. Good luck!
As others have said, patience is the key. I spray on a 2'x2' section at a time and wait 5-10 minutes for the chemical to work. After about 15 minutes, you can see the "crinkling" stop. That's when I use a plastic paint scraper to scrape off the "goop".
In all honesty, it's basically spray...wait...scrape...dump in trash. So far, the only time-consuming part has been the waiting. Good luck!
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,108
Likes: 11
From: No Prov RI
Do it enviormentaly and fiberglass SAFE...................
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...ties-gray.html
Hammadown
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...ties-gray.html
Hammadown
