Well all i'm finally tired of looking at the cracks in my paint so i've decided to strip it and sent it out to get sprayed and tips would be a big plus..

89 R.S. 92'groundeffewcts front to back 3inch cervini's cowl hood 305 t.bi with to many mods to list

 

Well, first take off everything fiberglass and plastic (hood, spoiler, gfx, bumper covers, etc.), stripper will warp the plastic and the fiberglass will absorb it and keep the paint from sticking. Only use the aircraft stripper on the outer body itself if you plan on using it, stick with sanding in the door jambs and tight, uneven surfaces. The last thing you want is to do all that work and wind up having some stripper left in crevaces and not have the paint stick. Also, unless you know your fenders are perfect, check the inside for holes from body work. If you have them, either don't use stripper there (bondo will absorb it) and sand or just buy new fenders and save time. If your existing paint is sticking i'd just sand it, but if it's peeling like mine you might want to strip it to make sure you get good adhesion. Just a few tips I learned the hard way, i'm sure others will have many more

 

I found you're better off not using any paint strippers. You're best off using an electric sander w/ 40 grit paper.

1. Leave the stripper on too long, and it takes the primer off too!

2. The sander alone may take more time, but you won't have to take half the car apart!

 

Thanx Mike that is what I needed to know for when I decide to repaint my car.

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- Mike Harvey -
1986 Firebird S/E

 

Mikes86SC-
Half the car? naah, more like two-thirds
But yeah, you bring up another point i forgot to mention, if you use stripper you have to go bare metal, the primer can and will absorb the stripper and when you go to repaint , the new stuff won't dry let alone stick.

[This message has been edited by 86ZRICHIE (edited January 16, 2001).]

 

I wanted to repaint my car too (91' Firebird White) but will wait a while. The paint is very good and shiny, nearly flawless except for some spots on the hood where it is peeling. I heard that the problem itself, lies with the primer. My car was manufactured at Van Nugyens (spelling?). Anyway, would I be better off sanding the car down to the metal, and putting new primer and then new paint? I'm thinking if the existing primer is the problem that it will do the same thing again.

 

The question of "should I go down to the metal", can be ansewered easily:

1) Is your paint cracked all the way to the metal? If so, then take it down.


2) Has your car been repainted many times before, and not taken down to the metal? If so, then yes, strip it down.

You don't need to remove the fenders when using paint stripper, just don't put the stripper there.

If your going to just use the sand paper and the "electric sander", or D/A, don't go more course than 80 grit. That way you don't destroy your plastic, and fiberglass parts.

But, if you don't need to go down to the metal, then wet sand the whole thing with 600-400 grit paper. That's all you need.


I restore antique cars for shows, and I do the body work, so I hope that's enough credential.

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'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...
http://www.spinfrenzy.com/stingerssx...easures.html#4

 

I have found that taking the time to sand, sand, sand, and finishing with a complete block sanding works best. I have laid the ground work for well over 15 paint jobs now for my, and others vehicles, i have never had a problem, except for painters skills where the cars were finished.

warm up your wrist, wax on wax of, it takes a while, but in the end, things look nice

hope this helps
COUGAR

 

40 grit paper!? That's awful agressive. That's like taking a grinder to your car. When I d/a a car, it's with 180 grit. You don't necessarily want to strip it to bare metal. You only want to remove the stuff that isn't adhering properly. When you start to d/a, the flakey parts won't feather edge properly and will just keep flaking off. That stuff needs to come off, but if it feather edges properly, that's as far as you need to go as long as you've gotten out the scratches and other debris. The cracks in the bumpers require more attention and often need to be sanded much deeper.

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OK maybe I was wrong on the grit. Right now I'm fixin up my 86 Sport Coupe, and I'm using the electric sander to sand her down to the primer. It may 40 or 80 I'm usin, but as long as it doesn't strip the primer, it works for me!

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