Stripping old paint questions

[drbluevert]

I want to clean-up my barn-find for it's eventual sale this spring.
Of the several ways to remove old paint I need the pros vs cons to each way

Chemical: Is there a chemical peel that is easy to remove?
Orbital sanding? Will this way take too long and sandpaper expense too much?
Soda blasting? Seems it would be the most expensive way
I don't know if my compressor is large enough.

Please keep in mind that I'm selling and already spent my limit but I still want to do what's right. Time, expense, mess and look are the major concerns

[87vette81big]

Originally Posted by drbluevert

I want to clean-up my barn-find for it's eventual sale this spring.
Of the several ways to remove old paint I need the pros vs cons to each way

Chemical: Is there a chemical peel that is easy to remove?
Orbital sanding? Will this way take too long and sandpaper expense too much?
Soda blasting? Seems it would be the most expensive way
I don't know if my compressor is large enough.

Please keep in mind that I'm selling and already spent my limit but I still want to do what's right. Time, expense, mess and look are the major concerns

You are not supposed to use any chemical strippers on any generation of Corvette ever. The fiberglass or SMC body panels will absorb the chemical stripper & never can be removed 100%. At a later time, maybe a few days after painting, the fresh paint will have severe blemishes or bubbles everywhere. Chemical paint stripper still leaching through.

Sanding is how its usually done stripping a Corvette of Old paint. Time consuming.

Soda Blasting goes pretty fast & does not damage a Corvettes Body panels.
72sbc here on C3 DC shared how he Soda blasted his C3 Vette.

GrumpyVette on his Forum shows how to connect another air compressor in Parallel airflow with your current compressor & shows how to wire correct to 120 VAC or 220-240 VAC.
This saves lots of $$$ over a dedicated HIGH CFM air compressor that would otherwise cost over $1K.

BR

[6880 Mike]

Originally Posted by 87vette81big

You are not supposed to use any chemical strippers on any generation of Corvette ever.

That's a Corvette myth. Chemical strippers safe for fiberglass are fine. Captain Lee's Auto Spray Strip is reasonably good.

If you follow the regular paint prep procedures after chemically stripping the car, you're fine.

I would not use an orbital sander on fiberglass.

[87vette81big]

Originally Posted by 6880 Mike

That's a Corvette myth. Chemical strippers safe for fiberglass are fine. Captain Lee's Auto Spray Strip is reasonably good.

If you follow the regular paint prep procedures after chemically stripping the car, you're fine.

I would not use an orbital sander on fiberglass.

You may be right.
9 out 10 say never to use chemical strippers.

I asked a professional body man friend of Mine Mike in the past. He told me never to use chemical strippers on any Corvette. Problems may creep up even 10 years later.
He has been painting cars for 40 + years now & runs a Body shop with his Older brother that has been painting since 1960.
He is the only person that does paint work for me.

[6880 Mike]

Originally Posted by 87vette81big

I asked a professional body man friend of Mine...He told me never to use chemical strippers on any Corvette. Problems may creep up even 10 years later.

Your friend has a professional reputation to protect. His advice to you is based on what could happen if correct procedures are not followed. It is good advice to John Q. Public.

I used Auto Spray Strip on both my cars before the repaints. The 68 was painted in 86 with original lacquer; the 80 was painted in 92, also lacquer. The paint is still on each. No problems from the stripper.

You could have problems from stripper on a metal car. The substrate is not the culprit. Poor body and paint prep is the problem.

[walleyfisher]

I have stripped the paint on at least 4 C3 and 1 C4. Complete with show paint jobs

Strip one panel at a time (make sure to tape off gaps), wipe clean with scotch bright pad and gun cleaner after stripper wiped off.

You will have to grind out the factory bondo on the seams and replace with new. If you were to sand all the paint off you must be carefull as not to distort the shape of the body (make wooptey doos).

Also before removing the paint make sure to make notes on any cracks that need repairing because after sanding or sripping they are hard to find and if you paint over them they will return over time.

[drbluevert]

I was thinking along the lines of a neuralizer may be required to eliminate any residual paint removers?

Also, if orbital sanders are not recommended what would be recommended? I can't imagine sanding by hand.

[walleyfisher]

Originally Posted by drbluevert

I was thinking along the lines of a neuralizer may be required to eliminate any residual paint removers?

Also, if orbital sanders are not recommended what would be recommended? I can't imagine sanding by hand.

Treat fiberglass like wood. Lots of hand sanding (with a block) and STAY OFF THE CORNERS.

We use a DA sander after the paint has been stripped off but only sand down to gel goat. then you re fill all the body seams with filler, sand to shape and apply many coats of epoxy filler/primer and block sand the whole car by hand, re prime, dust with black paint (so imperfections will show when wet sanding) and wet sand the whole car by hand. When satisfifed, seal, paint, clearcoat, wet sand again, buff

[slofut]

Originally Posted by drbluevert

I want to clean-up my barn-find for it's eventual sale this spring.
Of the several ways to remove old paint I need the pros vs cons to each way

Chemical: Is there a chemical peel that is easy to remove?
Orbital sanding? Will this way take too long and sandpaper expense too much?
Soda blasting? Seems it would be the most expensive way
I don't know if my compressor is large enough.

Please keep in mind that I'm selling and already spent my limit but I still want to do what's right. Time, expense, mess and look are the major concerns

Rich,
If you're going to sell this car and are asking about paint stripper, I'd offer two lines of advice. Buy another Vette that you can drive while you restore this one to sell. Or leave this one as is to sell it. You'll come out way ahead either way...
Bill

[87vette81big]

Originally Posted by drbluevert

I was thinking along the lines of a neuralizer may be required to eliminate any residual paint removers?

Also, if orbital sanders are not recommended what would be recommended? I can't imagine sanding by hand.

There used to be a real Paint Body Man on old Corvette Forum.
He was a Good Forum Friend of mine.
They chased him off, Mike also from California.
Been a while since I talked him.
I know he never used chemical paint strippers on a Corvette.
Must be a personal choice.

The Mike that is a bodyman near me never uses chemical paint strippers on anything.
Its DA sanded down, Hand sanded, plastic media blasted, Soda blasted.

I asked Mike once about 12 years ago why he never used Chemical strippers, shook his head & started swearing the F word for the next half hour & told me stories of show car paint jobs coming back to haunt weeks later, some several years later, he had to redo- repaint all chemically stripped.
Home shade tree car guys stripped paint off their rides & Vettes with paint strippers.
Brought to him to paint after they got lost & made a mess.
He does work on the side like Me, Mike S. from his home garage.

I have a 1970-1/2 Trans Am Functional Shaker Hoodscoop with electric Trap Door & Lower air cleaner base I want refinished.

Picked up recent as a spare for my 1970 TA.

Setup from one of the 88 1970 Ram Air 4 Trans Ams built in the 2nd week Of July 1970 only.
Upper scoop is fiberglass.
Will be hand sanded down by Mike S.
No chemical paint stripper.
Can not chance, much too rare & Valuable.
Worth over $3K when we are done.

BR

[drbluevert]

Originally Posted by slofut

Rich,
. . . . Buy another Vette that you can drive while you restore this one to sell. Or leave this one as is to sell it. You'll come out way ahead either way...
Bill

Bill, you lost me? Why buy another vette? Besides Battery, tires, brakes and wiper blades, This vette is 100% original and rust-free. I put this car back to great driver car addressing most everything that C3s are known to need. Although the body has never been hit and no cracks - the paint is horrible. Besides the rusted rear bumpers the only thing this car needs is paint. When it comes to buying cars in this price range most people will judge the paint and kill a good deal especially when this is a drive -away, drive everyday car because there is nothing else to pick on.

[drbluevert]

Originally Posted by 87vette81big

on old Corvette Forum.
He was a Good Forum Friend of mine.
They chased him off.BR

BR, I've been here for 8 years and never raised a hair on anybody. On the other Corvette Forum I was the same way I'm here, well behaved, well mannered, but yet I keep getting banned (by the same mod.) and when I questioned why they removed me. Very strange and cliquish site. That was 5 years ago and I never once looked in again.

[87vette81big]

Originally Posted by drbluevert

Bill, you lost me? Why buy another vette? Besides Battery, tires, brakes and wiper blades, This vette is 100% original and rust-free. I put this car back to great driver car addressing most everything that C3s are known to need. Although the body has never been hit and no cracks - the paint is horrible. Besides the rusted rear bumpers the only thing this car needs is paint. When it comes to buying cars in this price range most people will judge the paint and kill a good deal especially when this is a drive -away, drive everyday car because there is nothing else to pick on.

Rich,

I helped a guy years ago strip off old paint & sand down clean.
We used Razor blades to remove about 80% of old paint.
Was a 1969 Corvette Coupe 350 ci auto.
Was original Hunter Forest Green Metallic paint.
Once you start, you can remove 6 inches to 1 foot sections pretty easy.
Trick is not to dig into the Gel Coat.
I did all the flat surfaces on the '69.
Dave did all curved surfaces.
Took 1 afternoon to complete.
Good short handle razor blade holders make it easier.

Up to you.
Good luck & be watching how Your C3 turns out for You.
Be patient & take your time.

BR

[87vette81big]

Originally Posted by drbluevert

BR, I've been here for 8 years and never raised a hair on anybody. On the other Corvette Forum I was the same way I'm here, well behaved, well mannered, but yet I keep getting banned (by the same mod.) and when I questioned why they removed me. Very strange and cliquish site. That was 5 years ago and I never once looked in again.

What ?
You never bother anyone. Always polite.
I had given up on Forums.
Gunny emailed me & another friend Sammy convinced me to join Digital Corvette Forum.

Some Moderators are power hungry.
Would not believe some of the crap they wrote to me after banning me.
I could not write back & tell to F off.

Oh well.
Good guys here on DC.
Grumpy is great as You know likewise.

[slofut]

Originally Posted by drbluevert

Bill, you lost me? Why buy another vette? Besides Battery, tires, brakes and wiper blades, This vette is 100% original and rust-free. I put this car back to great driver car addressing most everything that C3s are known to need. Although the body has never been hit and no cracks - the paint is horrible. Besides the rusted rear bumpers the only thing this car needs is paint. When it comes to buying cars in this price range most people will judge the paint and kill a good deal especially when this is a drive -away, drive everyday car because there is nothing else to pick on.

Rich,
I'll stand corrected being you've already addressed the mechanical aspect of the car.
I was speaking from past experience where it's so easy to start on a particular part of a car and end up with the "while I'm in there" syndrome, and a car all apart. My '75 Jag XJ6c, pulled it in my shop one day to replace the vinyl roof and by 5am the next morning it was mostly apart and into a 5yr restoration. Then a few months back, pulled Dads 71 vette in to fix brakes ...kept digging further and further and now I'm into a LS1/t56 conversion. This has happened to me more times than I need to remember.
Stay focused and don't let the paint job morph into bigger things...if you're going to sell.
Bill