Prepping 1985 corvette
09-18-2018, 07:48 PM
#1
Prepping 1985 corvette
Hi, I have an 85 and I am about to start prepping it for paint over the winter while it is in storage. What are the materials you think I should get to take the paint off and get it smooth? I’m not doing the priming or painting but I am going to do the sanding part and get it smooth. I’m also going to remove the front and rear bumpers and take the spoiler off the rear bumper cover. Thanks for any help
09-19-2018, 08:36 AM
#3
Race Director
Not knowing ho many times this car has been painted...and how well the pervious paint shop prepped it before they painted it...can make a huge difference in what method is used to remove the paint.
Using razor blades and getting some of the paint off can work well in some cases. Using chemical stripper can remove it also DEPENDING on the paint itself due to some paints can actually fight the striper and make it a hard method to use. Testing this is the ONLY way to confirm it.
Sanding it like you have mentioned also is a method but you can do as much damage to the body not sanding it correctly also.
Too many variables to actually point you in one specific direction of paint removal. Because you may find that all three methods may be needed adn even possibly using a media blaster also IF the bumpers are factory urethane you will have the MOST FUN in prepping those due to what they are made out of and how they should be handled so they also do not get ruined during the prep stage.
DUB
Using razor blades and getting some of the paint off can work well in some cases. Using chemical stripper can remove it also DEPENDING on the paint itself due to some paints can actually fight the striper and make it a hard method to use. Testing this is the ONLY way to confirm it.
Sanding it like you have mentioned also is a method but you can do as much damage to the body not sanding it correctly also.
Too many variables to actually point you in one specific direction of paint removal. Because you may find that all three methods may be needed adn even possibly using a media blaster also IF the bumpers are factory urethane you will have the MOST FUN in prepping those due to what they are made out of and how they should be handled so they also do not get ruined during the prep stage.
DUB
09-19-2018, 01:00 PM
#4
Ok, I am thinking I will go the sanding route because that’s the only thing I really can figure out how I would do. I have been looking at how you sand the paint off and have seen that you aren’t supposed to go in the same motion so you should go in v like patterns so the finished surface is even. I figure if I take my time and don’t press too hard to hurt the body then this would work good wouldn’t it?
09-19-2018, 01:17 PM
#5
Race Director
Yes that would work but you still have to have sense of 'feel' so when you run your hand across the panel you can tell if you have waves in it or not.
Not knowing anything at all about the paint on your car..I really cannot tell you what to do because without photos of it when you get started...knowing what is going on can help you so you are not out there sanding and sanding and not making any REAL progress.
DUB
Not knowing anything at all about the paint on your car..I really cannot tell you what to do because without photos of it when you get started...knowing what is going on can help you so you are not out there sanding and sanding and not making any REAL progress.
DUB
09-19-2018, 07:05 PM
#7
Race Director
That blistering is not a good sign and may cause you to take the paint all the way off and still possibly have a problem in the paint job due to contamination of the SMC in those areas.
I am guessing you are going to remove all the paint.??? Getting it down to raw SMC.
DUB
I am guessing you are going to remove all the paint.??? Getting it down to raw SMC.
DUB
09-19-2018, 07:14 PM
#8
Yes, I’m going to remove all of the paint. There is a lot of areas where the paint has chipped all the way down so I filled them with some black touch up paint just for now to make it look a little better and protect it but I don’t see how there is a way you could get all of it smooth without removing it all. Plus I have heard that it makes for a better finish after everything is done when all of the paint is removed. I know it has been repainted but I don’t know if the person before removed all the paint when they did it because i can’t see any layers when you look in between where it has chipped away so that makes me think they may have removed the paint when they did it.
10-24-2018, 11:28 PM
#9
I’m going to be buying the materials to sand the paint off soon. Do you have any type you would recommend to get the paint all off with sanding? I was thinking I wouldn’t use a machine sander because I thought that could hurt the body so I was just going to get a block sander with some 3m 80 grit sandpaper to start off with to get the paint all off unless you think a different kind of sandpaper would be better.
10-25-2018, 12:33 AM
#10
Melting Slicks
You have a long project ahead of you to sand off that paint by hand! I stripped my '64 with a chemical and block sanded over the entire car several times over with the paint removal, gel coat sanding build coat sanding multiple times and the paint. Please take DUB's and Porchdog's advice to heart. They are the pros that are very generous with their time to guide us novices through these projects.
10-25-2018, 07:34 AM
#11
Yeah, I know it’s going to take a long time. That’s why I have it in storage this winter and I’m not taking it to the paint place until spring time. There’s two of us that will be doing it and I figure if we just do one panel at a time and get all the paint off then go through the grits of sandpaper to get it smooth it wouldn’t be that bad. If you guys think I should do something else to get the paint off then let me know but I figure I would know how to do the sanding the best because I don’t know the other methods and I’ve been watching videos on how to sand things right. Thanks for all of your help making a decision.
10-25-2018, 09:47 AM
#12
Race Director
Sanding the paint off is do-able. But I would have to first try to see if chemical stripper could aid me in getting off the paint.
I can say that on some cars the really stout chemical stripper I use does not even want to lift of the clearcoat.
The urethane bumpers should be left to VERY LAST and this is because IF you sand through back down to the raw urethane. Leaving it exposed to the elements is not good. Urethane bumpers are really touchy and the process to make sure they are clean and prepped so the initial primer applied on them is CRITICAL. I do not chemical strip urethane bumpers due to they can swell. And I use NO SOLVENTS on the raw urethane for the same reason. I use only the specific cleaning products for them which are usually water based.
Depending on the environment you have your car in. Having a body stripped down to bare SMC and it not being protected is just asking for surface contamination problems.. So anything getting spilled on it or accidently sprayed on it that may be petroleum based an allowed to stay on it can cause for MAJOR problems.
DUB
I can say that on some cars the really stout chemical stripper I use does not even want to lift of the clearcoat.
The urethane bumpers should be left to VERY LAST and this is because IF you sand through back down to the raw urethane. Leaving it exposed to the elements is not good. Urethane bumpers are really touchy and the process to make sure they are clean and prepped so the initial primer applied on them is CRITICAL. I do not chemical strip urethane bumpers due to they can swell. And I use NO SOLVENTS on the raw urethane for the same reason. I use only the specific cleaning products for them which are usually water based.
Depending on the environment you have your car in. Having a body stripped down to bare SMC and it not being protected is just asking for surface contamination problems.. So anything getting spilled on it or accidently sprayed on it that may be petroleum based an allowed to stay on it can cause for MAJOR problems.
DUB
10-25-2018, 12:53 PM
#13
Thanks for the detailed reply. I’m keeping it out in the garage, it’s not heated so it will be cold out there but nothing should get spilled on it because there isn’t fluids really around it and the only thing we will be doing in there is sanding the paint off. So do you think I should even try the chemical stripper or do you think there’s no point in it? So I will wait to do the bumpers last then and I will probably wait until the month before I take it in to start on them. Then I will wrap them in something to keep the air from getting to them. So are you saying I shouldn’t do anything else to the bumpers except for sandpaper, I wasn’t sure how you were saying I should prepare the bumpers.
10-26-2018, 08:46 AM
#14
Race Director
Sanding the bumpers is a very laborious task and that is what I do. Sometimes I can get them media blasted and that works but what that does is cut down on my prep time in removing the paint BUT it may cause for me to then have to prime them to remove any issues that the media blasting caused to the surface of the urethane.
The only way to know if you can use chemical stripper or not is to buy some and test it out. I use the AIRCRAFT REMOVER from Klean -Strip. IF you want to test it out. PM me so I can aid you in how this works.
DUB
The only way to know if you can use chemical stripper or not is to buy some and test it out. I use the AIRCRAFT REMOVER from Klean -Strip. IF you want to test it out. PM me so I can aid you in how this works.
DUB
10-27-2018, 12:07 AM
#15
Ok, well I guess I will just sand it without the paint stripper and see how hard it is and if it is really hard then I will try that. I found this kit of soft sanding blocks from Eastwood here https://www.eastwood.com/7-piece-san...SABEgJ3xPD_BwE and I’m thinking this would be the right kind to get for most of the car and then a foam sanding block so it is really flexible for the fenders and the indent in the hood. Then I just need to find some adhesive back sandpaper for the dura block sanders. I’m going to order it if you think it’s the right thing to get, I just wanted to make sure first. Unless you think I should get some regular sanding blocks so I don’t have to find adhesive back sandpaper.
10-27-2018, 12:16 AM
#16
I found some adhesive back sandpaper for around $18 each for 20 yards of 2 3/4” sandpaper and you can pick whatever grit. I’m thinking the best would be 80 to get the paint off, then 180, 320, and then for the finishing a wet sand 400. Does this seem right? I know I ask a lot of questions but I don’t know about painting and want to make sure I do it right before I take it to the paint place for them to prime and paint it. Thanks for all the advice you’ve given
10-27-2018, 10:16 AM
#17
Race Director
Not knowing what the shop is going to apply on the bare SMC after you strip it off will dictate on what grit you can stop at while removing the paint. I would stop at 180 grit myself. and then maybe glaze over the surface by hand with some 220 and that would all I would need to do.
So it might be in your best interests to talk with them and ask them on what grit they want you to stop at and what is the FIRST product they plan on applying on the bare SMC. The reason for this is that many shops use different products. Some of them can build up fast...thus can cover deeper scratches on the body....while others not so much.
And then you have the degree of shrinkage in that primer also. The primer I generally use does not shrink very much at all...if any at all.
Keep in mind that the 'nooks and crannies' that you will encounter when stripping the paint off is where you really need to concentrate your efforts. And these areas may be where you would find that using a chemical stripper would be less time consuming....or using a media and blasting the paint out of there very hard to sand areas where the paint is still sticking in sharp corners of your door handle area and other areas on the car. So KNOWING how and when to use chemical stripper is what comes into play when this is needing to be done.
DUB
So it might be in your best interests to talk with them and ask them on what grit they want you to stop at and what is the FIRST product they plan on applying on the bare SMC. The reason for this is that many shops use different products. Some of them can build up fast...thus can cover deeper scratches on the body....while others not so much.
And then you have the degree of shrinkage in that primer also. The primer I generally use does not shrink very much at all...if any at all.
Keep in mind that the 'nooks and crannies' that you will encounter when stripping the paint off is where you really need to concentrate your efforts. And these areas may be where you would find that using a chemical stripper would be less time consuming....or using a media and blasting the paint out of there very hard to sand areas where the paint is still sticking in sharp corners of your door handle area and other areas on the car. So KNOWING how and when to use chemical stripper is what comes into play when this is needing to be done.
DUB
10-30-2018, 11:27 PM
#18
Ok, I will be sure to ask them about what grit and what they will be putting on it first. So I should sand all areas that I can get to and try to use paint stripper on the parts I can’t get to very easy to help it come off better there if it helps. I’m hoping I can get to sand it because where I’m taking it for paint is Maaco because I can’t pay for a body shop to do it and I’ve heard that they can do a good job when you pay for their top of the line and do the prep yourself, but they don’t do much sanding if you leave that part up to them. I was planning on renting a building to sand the paint off but none around me are big enough so I hope I can fit it in the garage with enough room to sand it so we can do it instead of leaving the sanding part to Maaco because I bet they wouldn’t remove all the paint for sure and I’ve heard that makes for the best paint jobs.
10-31-2018, 09:14 AM
#19
Race Director
The PROCEDURE you use when removing paint is important.
IF you are going to sand the paint and THEN apply chemical stripper...you HAVE TO make sure you are WATCHFUL that you do not allow the chemical stripper to sit on the BARE SMC where you have sanded it off paint and exposed the bare SMC.
SO...it is wise to use the chemical stripper FIRST then sand the paint off after that IF that is what you plan to do.
I am NOT saying you cannot do it the other way...but you have to be watchful in making sure the chemical stripper is applied on the paint you want striped off as best you can.
DUB
IF you are going to sand the paint and THEN apply chemical stripper...you HAVE TO make sure you are WATCHFUL that you do not allow the chemical stripper to sit on the BARE SMC where you have sanded it off paint and exposed the bare SMC.
SO...it is wise to use the chemical stripper FIRST then sand the paint off after that IF that is what you plan to do.
I am NOT saying you cannot do it the other way...but you have to be watchful in making sure the chemical stripper is applied on the paint you want striped off as best you can.
DUB
10-31-2018, 12:07 PM
#20
Yeah, I’ve heard how that chemical stripper can hurt the body. That’s why I don’t want to use it unless I have to for spots in the creases. If I would have to use it I would make sure to have a jug of water next to me to rinse it off if I need to. I have been wondering, I know you’re supposed to use the block sander as much as possible on open areas but is it fine to use sandpaper just by hand on little spots like the door handles or the gas door area to get to them easier. I didn’t know if this would make it uneven or if it is just harder to get the paint off that way? I’m thinking what I will have to remove is the bumpers, spoiler, mirrors, rocker panels, and the emblems. Is there anything else that you think needs removed?