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I'm planning on trying to save some money by stripping about 4 layers of "Bubba-applied" paint myself before taking my C-2 restoration project to the body shop. Does anyone have some good suggestions on products and or procedures that will make this easier and more succssful? I have about 2 acres and was going to do this behind the shop. Of course I plan on complying with all EPA regulations.
Buy two gallons of a good quality stripper, made for fiberglass. Tape off the joints in the body. Remove rubber, plastic items or be very careful not to get stripper on them. Follow the instructions on the can. Use a bondo spreader to remove. Using a hard blade will damage the fiberglass.
You should hope that Bubba was "NCRS Correct", and used acrylic lacquer. Modern acrylic urethane or enamels are very hard to remove using stripper. If the finish is lacquer, stripper will easily remove the paint down to the red factory primer (assumes the car has not been stripped to bare fiberglass previoiusly).
First of all, work in a small area (about 2-4 square feet) until you have removed the paint down to bare fiberglass before moving on to the next area. Apply the stripper, let it set, remove the goo with a plastic spreader. Work stubborn spots with ScotchBrite plastic pads. Multiple stripper applications may be required. Once you are down to the red primer, apply no more stripper Use paper towels and lacquer thinner to remove all the sticky residue. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water.
At the factory primer, your stripping activity will hit a brick wall anyway...the trick is to SAND off the red factory primer down to bare fiberglass using 220-240 grit paper. Stripper will take the factory primer off, but it is slow and tedious. Furthermore, the prolonged exposure of the fiberglass to the stripper during this period allows the stripper to penetrate deep into the fiberglass, WHICH CAN CAUSE YOU PROBLEMS LATER.
Stripping a Corvette using this technique and a little care will cause you no problems...painters have been doing it since there were Corvettes to paint.
Another quick way to remove the factory primer once the paint is stripped is to use the softest 3M Scotch Brite pad available and wet the pad with lacquer thinner. A few light passes and it will come off quick and won't damage the fiberglass surface followed by a clean cotton rag with more thinner to remove the primer residue. Be sure to wear rubber gloves that are impervious to the thinner.
Don't cut corners when cleaning the body after the stripper and primer have been removed. Use plenty of thinner to neutralize and wash off any remaining paint stripper. Pay special attention to all inside corners and emblem holes, bumper bolt holes, etc. As someone said use a plastic bondo paddle to remove the stripper. I always put the old paint that was scraped off the car into a one pound coffee can for disposal...wherever that may be. Be sure not to let the paint stripper dry on the body surface, always remove it and immediately wipe the area down it down with thinner once you've reached the original primer. I've stripped 4 C2 Corvettes using the liquid stripper method and have had no paint problems with any of them.
This will always be a gray area. People have been using different methods to strip their cars for years with variable results. When something bad happens they want to blame something. When blisters form under paint the major component is water, not stripper. I believe the best thing a person can do is get the car clean and let it dry completely in a warm dry environment. If the polyester is softened by the stripper you will need to let the car sit to let the spripper evaporate from the surface before you put any paint back on it. You must do quality fiberglass repairs and use one paint system. You can't force this. Terry
Some media blasters use a special baking soda media. Be careful with media blasting though. It depends entirely on the operator and his knowledge and experience of Corvettes, especially the true glass classics. Amazingly, there is a restoration shop in KY or TN that makes no secret of using SAND, yes I said SAND, to blast the paint off of old Corvettes.
There have been some members (who posted here) that have had bad results with media blasting but like I said, it's all in the operator.
I did mine mechanically, very carefully, but still have the jams, interior, and trunk to do and will most likely have to use stripper in those areas.
I don't trust any one to media blast my vett out side skin ( they can get carried away) but use them to do all underside, trunk area,soft top area,engine area and hood-soft top and trunk bottom areas ( and no where near the dash area.That way those media areas are clean (hard to strip) . I then use a good paint stripper and wash with water and when really done wipe it all down with Acetone that will kill any remaining stripper left in the glass.
I just finished stripping my 69. I used spray strip from captain lees. This is the best product for corvettes, safe for fiberglass. After I sprayed on the stripper I used cling wrap to lay over it and went over to the next section. This method was given to me by a vetran body man who has done a lot of corvettes. He said the cling wrap traps the vapors in and allows the stripper to work quicker and more effectively. It also doesnt allow it to dry out and it can penetrate through more layers. The result is also the use of less stripper. The best advise I can give you is to let the stripper do the work and don't try to rush it with over scraping. Use a plastic putty knife and you should be fine. This stripper neutralizes with water so it is safe for your car.
When I stripped mine, PPG was marketing a PPG branded stripper that worked great, but I think they discontinued their branded stripper. Someone suggested Captain Lee's Spray Strip...that product has been around long enough to have made a lot of enemies if it wasn't OK. Whatever you use, just check the label to be sure it's fiberglass safe.
I don't think you should necessarily buy this stripper at Home Depot, but the last quart of stripper I got at a home store was WEAK! It must have been "politically correct" and environmentally approved by the Sierra Club because it wouldn't cut for flip...I hope you have better luck. You'll use maybe three gallons to do the entire car once you pick up the details. Buy two gallons, and see how far they go.
Captain Lee is the best I use it on metal cars too. Don't like the media blast even if they do a good job the stuff gets trapped in places and when you go to spray it kicks out on to the paint job
Good thread. Is it absolutely necessary to take the removal to the glass? I have very nice and straight panels with solid factory primer and would like to spray the new primer/paint directly onto this. Am I incorrect in my thinking?
Thanks
David I would not do any new paint job over exisiting paint it will come back and bite you later. I strip it down to the factory red oxide primer and DA sand 80 grit then 120 grit all the tight corners I use a gray scotch brite pad use a can of flat black laquer paint to dust a guide coat on the fiberglass and bock sand to determain low spots and fill these areas with filler and block sand again. I try to get the fiberglass as flat as possible before I go to the primer filler.I then go to Primer Filler I use House Of Kolor Epoxy 2 Stage 3 coats allow to cure for 7 days 70 deg + guide coat and Block sand 220 3 more coats 7 days 70 deg+ guide coat block sand 320 then 400 this is all done wet you should have filled all the low spots. It is very important that the primer cures or you will get sand swell shringage. This takes many many hours also you want to set all margins and fit of panels this is what you are paying big money for at body shops its all prep.I paint the car in peices you can do a lot better job than every thing mounted in place. After the paint you can spend 40 -50 hrs color sanding and buffing.
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