Frame clean & repaint

[Ryan Clark]

I while back I read a post regarding cleaning a frame. I believe someone talked about removing undercoating to get down to the metal frame. Something about heating a small area and then scraping off the undercoating and grime with a putty knife.

My car has had undercoating applied at some point. I plan to do some rear suspension work soon and I would like to begin cleaning up the frame while I have the rear end apart.

Can a heat gun, I think they are used for stripping paint from furniture, be used effectively. I know that I don't want to heat the fiberglass and cause some warping.

Second, what is the best paint to use to repaint the areas I clean.? I am not worried about NCRS points, the car is a driver. I want something that will last and I can keep clean. Is the POR-15 a good choice.? Any others.

Thanks
Ryan

[Jerry P.]

Re: Frame clean & repaint

take it and have it powder coated, they will completly strip it...hassel free

[Ryan Clark]

Re: Frame clean & repaint

I'm not doing a body-off. I am just cleaning and repainting the sections I can get to as I do some suspension work.

Right now the car is a driver and I just want to keep it in good condition.

I wish I had the time, money, and room, to complete a body-off. That and my wife would be mad because she could not ride around in the vette for a year or two.

Ryan

[MIKE GEARY]

Re: Frame clean & repaint

Ryan: Undercoating can be effectively and safely removed by a two step process: 1) use the industrial heat gun to soften the gunk and scrape it off with the putty knife. 2) remove the residue using Kerosene and a scotchbrite pad.

For spot recoating, I really like Rustoleum 7777 Satin Black, either sprayed applied with a foam brush. It levels out extremely well due to its slow drying time. If you spray it, do it outside to avoid overspray problems. You'll be very pleased with the results.

[Ed S.]

Re: Frame clean & repaint

Ryan,

I can share your pain, as I just finished removing the additional undercoating added by "Bubba", and re-painted my '66 frame rails this weekend (while I had the trailing arms & rearend removed for R&R). The best solution for removing the undercoating on my car was to use a razor blade to scrape off the majority of the undercoating, and then: 1) use one of those heavy-duty, paint/varnish stripper scotch-brite pads on a hand drill to clean the metal components down to a bright, shiny surface, and 2) use a chemical solvent to remove the remainder of the undercoating from fiberglass surfaces.

Don't be overly concerned about using a razor blade on the fiberglass underbody components. Go slow, and start with an angle nearly parallel to the surface, and you may be surprised how well a sharp blade can remove various surface coatings, without any harm to the original surface.

I'd recommend that you try various removal methods to see what works best for your situation. And while you're experimenting with various removal methods, don't forget to utilize proper safety procedures, including stable jackstands, safety goggles, and protective gloves for any solvents used.

Good luck,
Ed