Stripping Vette

[Eugene Near]

I bought a 1980 Vette for a project with my son (18). He used paint stripper ( I beleave it was air craft type )and a putty knife to strip the paint off the car about 6 months but didn't wash the panels after the stripper was applied. What should I do to the surface before I respray? By not nuetralizing the stripper would the paint have a tendency to delaminate due to the stripper going down into the fiberglass? Thanks Eugene

[Joe C.]

Re: Stripping Vette

Eugene:

I know you'll get hundreds of opinions on this, so here's mine.
I stripped my car with a razor blade to remove the top layers of paint(the urethane came off VERY quickly once I got rolling), then finished up with Captain Lee's stripper. I washed that off THOROUGHLY with lacquer thinner (cheap solvent type in 5 gallon cans-$17.00) and fine Scotch Brite. Your car was not originally gelcoated, but I believe there is nothing better to provide a barrier between the paint film and what's below, including moisture, which can penetrate the resin thru the back side. After the gelcoat,prime, seal and paint as usual. I know there are no guarantees in life, but I believe that this procedure is the best you can do.

Joe

[Wayne W.]

Re: Stripping Vette

If there is primer still left there, you probably will not have any problem. Just wash the residue off with lacquer thinner and sand the rest of the primer down to the fiberglass. If there is no primer left you will just have to take the chance. Wash it, water sand etc. try to get all of the residues off as best you can. You should not use a polyester gell coat or a polyester primer like Eliminator or Featherfill. You should an epoxy based product on that body or at least a poly-urothane product. This body is SMC and is not compatable with polyester products.

[Joe C.]

SMC Doesn't Like To Wear Polyester!

Eugene:

Wayne is right. I assumed (you know what happens when you ......) that your car was an older model, and didn't see that you said you have a 1980 car. Sorry, I will have to listen more closely next time. I am not familiar with how to treat SMC panels, but I do know that, unlike folks in the disco oriented seventies, they do not like to wear polyester.

Joe