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Good Morning,
This is my first post so I will try to keep it short, sweet, and fact filled. I need advice about the correct product and procedure to chemically strip the paint off two parts of two cars.
Car #1: My 71 Vette, which I just bought in February, was repainted once. The body looks like it was stripped and then covered in some type of yellow high-build product followed by a gray primer/sealer, Then it was coated with base/clear topcoat. When I test sanded a few spots the dust was white at first. Then after cutting through the topcoat I started to see some red dust..It's a red car. I hit the jambs with lacquer thinner and it removed some of the paint so I think they were never touched. The rest of the body panels did not react to the thinner at all. The yellow layer is very thick! At first I thought it was body filler, but it did not smell like it at all and I can see it on every panel.
Car #2: This one is a blue donor I bought since my red one needs a new nose. This one has many layers of paint that need to be removed, and if I'm right, it still has the original paint underneath all those layers. Car #1: Clear coat; base; sealer; something; fiberglass? Car #2 Donor Car; multiple layers; Red factory primer?
I've read many posts on this topic and sanding does not appeal to me at all. I will do enough sanding when it comes time to block it out. DUB, if you are out there I would love to get some advice from you, but being a new member I cannot contact you directly (which I understand and get).
About me: Corvettes are new to me, but working with cars is not. I've already fully restored a 67 Camaro and an 87 Silverado, but fiberglass, vacuum systems, and independent rear suspensions are new to me.
My Current Painting Plans: Strip to bare fiberglass, apply a high-build polyester product, let it cure, block it until it's smooth, seal it, topcoat, cut and buff.
Hope I provided enough information without boring you to death,
Thanks,
Mark
you need a razor scraper and stripper. especially as today's stripper has been stripped of the stuff that strips. i can hardly get latex of bricks with a new can. and do not use the razor scraper on the bonding strips on front and rear fenders. just sand it down looking for color change. the glass is tough enough to turn the blade away. the filler over the bond strip is not. blade will dig right in. i use this scraper with standard sheet rock blades in it. touch the corners of the blades with a grinder. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Marshalltow...per/5001900261
and put cardboard down where the stuff is gonna land. it is nasty and re-hardens. especially cover sidepipes. and practice on the half of the donor car that is not being used. are you doing your own paint? are you in 1/4 acre residential zoned house. if so, your neighbors will hate you forever and a town zoning guy will be by talking 2000 buck per day fines. how do i know? 5th baby!
Last edited by derekderek; Jun 20, 2022 at 12:22 PM.
I not sure why these people are saying never to use striper on your corvette. Maybe they never did it themselves.? I used Airplane stripper on my 68. I did a panel at a time and neutralized with plenty of water. Never, ever had an issue. No gouges or areas to repair due to blades. It too me 4 full days to complete. After 3 years, no paint issues.
Nothing wrong with using striper on a corvette, I have stripped one 69 and two 65 using Capt Lee's. Problem today is all strippers are crap due to the EPA so it's not worth the effort or money.
Those are some beautiful cars! And thanks for the input. Just for kicks I bought a razor blade holder and experimented on the donor car. I thought there might be 6 separate layers of paint to remove, but there are 9 layers. The brown layer in the photo is very thick...I mean it's at least 1/16". I was worried about the effectiveness of strippers today due to EPA regulations so I started to scrap away. The paint above the brown layer came off very easily and that thick layer is a good buffer to keep me from hitting the fiberglass. Then I started sanding with a DA and in interface pad. Looks like this is going to be my best bet for the rest of the project.
Don't do it. Would NEVER use a chemical stripper on a Corvette.
I'm still dealing with the effects of a previous owner who did this to mine. I used a razor to strip the 3rd paint job off the car prior to painting but it was bubbling up and coming off all over and even after plenty of washing and attempts and nuetralizing and epoxy primer, 5 years later the new paint has bubbles. I'm sure not all methods and chemical strippers are the same but someone made a mess of mine.
Razor blade works if you are dealing with original paint, however if your car has 3 coats of different types of paint like mine had - then its either mechanical sanding or chemical.
Not all chemical strippers are same and some are not that aggressive for polyester, so be sure to use a product that's been tested.
Like someone mentioned there is a lot of those in use in aerospace industry.
I did mine that way and can't be happier. Also I have heard of some folks having their car bodies thin as ping-pong ball from over sanding.
Razor blade works if you are dealing with original paint, however if your car has 3 coats of different types of paint like mine had - then its either mechanical sanding or chemical.
Not all chemical strippers are same and some are not that aggressive for polyester, so be sure to use a product that's been tested.
Like someone mentioned there is a lot of those in use in aerospace industry.
I did mine that way and can't be happier. Also I have heard of some folks having their car bodies thin as ping-pong ball from over sanding.
Regards
Matko
Mine actually was repainted 3 times but someone stripped the original paint long ago. still I used a razor without issues.
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Chemical Stripping Advice
