I'm sure this has been discussed many times, but I am a newbie here, first post.....
Just wondering what your experiences have been in stripping off old paint and applying new ? What are the best ( or only ) products I should use in dealing with the stripping of paint, then applying new paint. Some say stay away from chemicals ? Some say it's ok, just be careful ? I'm a little confused and would like some type of basic method in doing this. I don't want to do it twice. I'll be doing the stripping, etc. myself. Someone else will be painting it. But need to know the proper things to do, not to do in the process. Is there a gelcoat on old Vettes ? Best/safest way to take off old paint ? What primer to use ? etc.
Thanks in advance for any helpful assistance.

 

I used a razor blade when I stripped mine. Worked good for me. I will try to upload a few pics of the progression on my paint removal.

 

You'll hear a lot of different opinions on this topic. I used the chemical method. To read about the details go to my website at


http://mywebpages.comcast.net/vettfixr/page9.htm


If you have a C3 or newer you don't have to worry about gelcoat because they are made with SMC (Sheet molded compound) panels. Good luck and welcome to the madness....er....I mean the forum.

 

Buy some MADE IN USA single edged razor blades & start scraping!!
I'm in the middle of repainting mine as well!!!
I stayed away from sanding as much as possible so I wouldn't loose the sharp edges of the wheel wells & the belt line...
I stayed AWAY from strippers (The paint removing kind) 'cause I've seen what happens 6 months later if you don't get it ALL off!!!
<----- My avatar is my RED corvette!! One more application of Icing, another coat of 2K primer & more sanding & She'll be ready for RED paint!!!!

 

If you don't have much experience with a DA sander, then stay away and do the razor method with chemicals....I used aircraft stripper on my car in the door jams, around the tailights and other hard to reach places. As for primer..start with epoxy, do your bodywork, surfacer, then sealer, and your ready for color.

 

Captain Lee's chemical stripper worked fine for me. Follow the instructions. Paint is 1 year old now, no problems.

 

I'd also suggest you read the tech paper on the forum. Use the pull down menu: Other; Teck Tips; C3; Corvette body and Paint Repair Basics.

i found it very useful.

 

I would say go with the razor method. But don't be afraid to ask allot of questions here. I stripped my car and did the painting myself for the first time ever. Just take your time and enjoy it you will save money and have pride in knowing you did it yourself. here is some pics of what i did http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/383326

 

I got some pics uploaded to the corvette forum server. You can click on the link under my avatar or follow this link. You can see my car before paint and after.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/phot...0/ppuser/13983

Edit: apparently if you choose two catagories you get two copies of pics on the server.

 

I've also heard that very fews Corvettes actually need to be stripped before painting... any opinions on that?

 

Thanks to ALL of you who took the time to reply to the Paint thread. Your responses have given me the much needed info to begin the process without worrying too much. Thanks for the SMC info Vettfixr, and for the pics, Eddie70 and the Tech Tips section, Ca Legal Vette. I'm just learning my way around here, on your system, etc. sorry for any screw ups, etc. I saw in my name area, it didn't list where I was from (probably because I didn't do something right when joining up) but I'm from Harrisburg, Pa. Lots of Car Shows around here, lots of Vette folks and.........too long of a winter !! Thanks again.

 

Welcome to the insanity

 

I had my hood chemically stripped by a body shop, they had to re paint it 3 times before the paint stopped bubbling up. I would not use any chemicals unless you really know what you are doing, If it soaks in too much you are in trouble.

 

Am I having one of those Acid flashbacks they warned me about????


I'm confused?????? is the Forum Screwing up again????
Or did I do too many drugs in the 70's & 80's????

 

I do not agree with the above statement, Corvette panels are made from "match molded" raw fiberglass (there were male/female dies for each panel.) There was NEVER any "gelcoat" processes involved in the construction of a Corvette (primer, YES: gelcoat, NO!!) For correct information and some of the highest QUALITY 100% "correct" replacement panels on the market try The Corvette Image in Oregon. Here is the link: http://www.corvetteimage.com/products.htm

 

I am in the middle of my repaint also. I used a chemical stripper to remove the first layers of paint and then sanded down to bare fiberglass. I was careful to not get any stripper on fiberglass and once I was done with a section I sprayed it down with a soapy water mixture to neutralize the stripper. I will upload pictures here. I am in the middle of priming the car and hope to spray color coats and clear this weekend!

 

I am also going to add my 2cents about chemical strippers including the so called "aircraft" or fiberglass strippers, DO NOT!!! use them on a Vette with bonding seams!!! The stripper will leach into the bond material and then come back months later to wreck your paint job! The best method I know of (if the car still has a coat of original lacquer paint) is to use a high heat gun and literally melt the paint away (you should practice this method before attempting to do it!) The body can be sprayed with epoxy primer and it will have better crack resistance than the original paint. I won't let my Vette get painted until it has been in primer for a good 30 days in the Summer so the base prime coat is "stabilized" along with any body work that was done at the time of stripping. There is also a post in sheet molded body panels, these are only found on some of the later C3 Vettes (Bowling Green plant build cars) and not the earlier C3 Vettes (maybe some other production Vettes too, I am not the ultimate expert in this category.) Sheet molded composites do not bond well and must be prepped by lightly sandblasting the surface to build up the correct texture to allow the bonding compound to "grip" the panels.) There is a good reason why C4/C5 Vettes "bolt together" instead of being a "handbuilt custom" like our C3 Vettes are, the last of the TRUE "handbuilt" factory custom automobiles from Detroit!

 

Ok, there's been a lot of talk about the use of chemical strippers and the disasterous results you get when you use them. If you get bubbly paint after using a chemical stripper you either used the wrong stripper or did not neutralize it correctly or the person you contracted didn't know what they were doing. I've stripped my car to the fiberglass completely twice with Capt'n Lee's with no paint failures whatsoever. Capt'n Lee's is neutralized with water. After stripping a panel you hit it with a hose and for good measure I washed the panel with soapy water and a fine scotchbrite pad. I had no failures at all in the subsequent paint jobs. I ground out my bonding seams and fiberglassed the areas and had no failures in the repairs. The only place you should not use stripper is on the urethane bumpers because it will make them brittle and more prone to cracking. As far as SMC panels go they do not have a gelcoat on them and are safe to use stripper on. Maybe I wasn't clear on that point. However very early C1 and I believe some C2 models did have a gelcoat and should be handled like handlaid fiberglass. If you need more expert advise I would say to contact Ecklers who sells both SMC panels and handlaid. SMC panels are usually a light gray and have a marbled look to them and are smooth on both sides. Handlaid panels are usually rough on the inside and typically you can see the pattern of the fiberglass matt. Hand laid panels are also more prone to thin spots because of the process used to make them and I would probably shy away from using a chemical stripper on these. As far as using razor blades or media blasting to take down a car I would say use caution. Media blasting should only be accomplished by a person who is familiar with fiberglass and I would look at their prior work before allowing it. Razor blades may work also but in the wrong hands you will cause more damage than they are worth. My hat's off to those who have successfully used them, your hands are steadier than mine. Even sanding can ruin fine lines on a car if not done properly. So given those reasons chemical stripping is my choice. If there's any question about the quality of a paint job over a car that was chemically stripped ask a few people who have seen my car like Mr. Mojo (Frank), or GordonM or patsnitrovette. I think they'll tell you that it looks just fine. And the current paint job had been on the car for probably 12 to 15 years. Since you're new I'll give you a quick tip. You will find many different opinions on products and techniques here. It's up to you to determine what will work and fit within your budget and mechanical abilities. It can be a wonderful hobby but it does have it's pitfalls. Good luck and I hope I haven't offended the other posters. That was not my intention.

 

where is a good place to get chemical stripper such as that captain lees stuff??

 

I believe you can get it from places like Ecklers and Mid America. I got mine at the local Automotive paint supply store. If I remember correctly it took about 3 gallons to do the job.