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I've been doing some research on here about removing the old layers paint off my 79 C3 and it appears that the Soda Blaster and Sanding seem to be the best general consensus. I am looking at the unit from Harbor Freight and the media they sell. Can anyone who has done this tell me approximately how much media they used and also I'm concerned if this will effect any old repairs that may exist that used bondo etc. Also, did you use this method to remove any surface rust from the frame and other metal parts of the car? This is my first full restoration and want to do things right the first time. I have done parts over the years on an old Camaro Z28 and Mustang II (I know its a F**D, but I had to see what the hype of a Mustang was, bad move). Thanks in advance for the help.
Hi MG,
Welcome!
First posts!!!
I'll begin by cautioning you about using ANY blasting with ANY media.
While it's true blasting removes the paint an inexperienced blast operator can seriously damage the surface of the fiberglass quite easily.
This COULD require a lot of work to remedy.
So be cautious as you get going on this.
Regards,
Alan
safest is razor blade removal, it's my recommended method for corvette.
sanding will leave uneven surface especially with fiberglass.
Blasting can lead to contamination issues.
I stripped my 79 with Captain Lee's paint stripper. I worked great. 10 years later, I've had no trouble at all from using it. Many will caution that residue from the stripper will come back in the paint later. If you neutralize it as instructed, there's no problems, and neutralizing is nothing more than thoroughly rinsing with water.
I stripped my 79 with Captain Lee's paint stripper. I worked great. 10 years later, I've had no trouble at all from using it. Many will caution that residue from the stripper will come back in the paint later. If you neutralize it as instructed, there's no problems, and neutralizing is nothing more than thoroughly rinsing with water.
when I painted my 79 years ago ,I used sand paper and the palm of my hand !!!
Thanks for the input. Sounds like some more reading to be done for sure. Can anyone recommend a place to get the captain Lee's from as I don't seem to see it listed anywhere. I will probably start with one of the t-tops since it is a small area, and if worst case is a total disaster it's not a huge expense to replace the panel. Obviously I will take all precautions and recommendations into consideration no matter what method I use. I was under the impression though that the soda blasting didn't leave a contaminated surface after you washed it, but that seems to be a major concern. I would like to know though if the soda blasting is a good option for some rust areas on the metal though.
on metal , sure ,but I always wash it down with thinners before undercoating . I got the metal parts of my doors done (masked up the glass area) came out great.
Hi MG,
People have been reporting difficulty in finding a source for Capt.Lees Stripper. Perhaps it's not being produced any more?
I see other products that are available but I only have experience in stripping small parts with them. (Kleen Strip for example.)
I would ask DUB the Forum's resident bodyman what his recommendations are for removing the paint from an entire body.
Media blasting is certainly an option on metal parts especially things like small brackets, bumper braces, and steel suspension components.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
hi I used paint stripper on my 69 it worked fine you should try it on a sample piece first to see the reaction time first so you can see how long it takes to work then start working sections at a time making Shure to stop the reaction as the instruction say be careful not to gouge the glass as you go sand as needed. I took the body off the frame to then sand blasted the frame with silica sand that is a white fine sand that came in bags I cant remember where I bought it. it is a dirty job you need a compressor that can keep a consent psi of 90 I had to put a extra fan on the head to keep it cool it is a slow process
The razor blade technique is not nearly as bad as it sounds. After a few minutes you'll get the hang of it, and the paint will come off in long strips. In the tight corners a curved wood-chisel or sandpaper wrapped around a piece of rubber hose will work well. Buy a heavy duty blade holder (Harbor freight has a good one) and rub the corners of the razor blade on a metal file to round the corners of the blade. Don't worry about a few gouges-there are going to be a lot of small (and large) areas of old damage and cracks that will need repair before you shoot the primer. I did three with this method and have no regrets.
I just got done stripping my 77 went to my Daughters body shop and the painters there gave me a 5 inch DA sander and some 320 grit paper took awhile but it came out great .
I've used a lot of Captain Lee's and I like working with it . Not too harsh like aircraft stripper. Razor blades will work fine with some paints and not so good on others . You will have to do a small test area to find out if it will work on your paint but I will caution that it only works on flat surfaces . If you get down in rounded surfaces you will gouge the fiberglass . Do those areas with paint stripper and wash off immediately with lacquer thinner , then hot soapy water . Then rinse good. Now all you have to do is repair any previous body damage and lightly sand the body and prime. You will be fine.
The razor blade technique is not nearly as bad as it sounds. After a few minutes you'll get the hang of it, and the paint will come off in long strips. In the tight corners a curved wood-chisel or sandpaper wrapped around a piece of rubber hose will work well. Buy a heavy duty blade holder (Harbor freight has a good one) and rub the corners of the razor blade on a metal file to round the corners of the blade. Don't worry about a few gouges-there are going to be a lot of small (and large) areas of old damage and cracks that will need repair before you shoot the primer. I did three with this method and have no regrets.
thanks for the reply can you send pics of the scraper ? I have remover the fiberglass rear clip from the frame I need to take it apart to ship any suggestions on removing the bonding strips ? and the bulkheads
Capt Lee's is good as said before. I had a bad experience with soda blasting, and due to loss of gel coat more had prep work and money spent than was expected. I also had soda everywhere and it reacted to some of the plated parts. I you do decide on soda blasting be sure and wash the car all over. Be sure to clean the soda from around the brakes, trailing arms, differential, etc.
I've been researching this for a while as I am going to strip my car as well. After looking at all of the options, using a razor blade appears to be the most straight forward, user friendly method. If you search YouTube, there's plenty of videos on the subject. Here's a one that I found useful: https://youtu.be/g7kr6F8mXsM
Old Paint Removal
