Hey guys,

I started working on the underbody of my camaro and it is going, but I was wondering if there is anything I can do to ease the process. [and undercoating in wheel wells ain't helpin at all]

I have general surface cleaner (aka wax and tar remover), fast drying pre-paint prep cleaner, and also PPG PC-10 solvent which I was told should be used only to wash the gun, never the car.

Now I was thinking, what if I do take PC-10 solvent and wipe the section of the car that I am stripping. Would it soften the paint and make things a little easier? Or am I just high on fumes?

I did take a look at that aircraft paint stripper stuff, but warning label scrared me a little because my car is in a closed garage inside the paint booth and the can listed way too many ways in which you can die, become paralized, become blind.... Anyone actually use that stuff?

 

Are you removing undercoating or paint? I stripped all the undercoating from under my car last year....I used a heat gun and LOT'S of lacquer thinner.

 

Everything

There is primer/paint below the undercoating. For undercoating I am using a heat gun and one of those curve-shaped paint scrapers. That part is working out, but then removing the paint down to the metal is kinda a pain.

Reason I want to do it is so that I can apply picklex 20 (rust inhibitor and metal protection) everywhere.

That's why I was curious if there is a better way. For body panels, I am hoping DA will work fine because everything is flat for the most part, but DA is useless when doing most of the underbody and especially wheel wells.

 

wire wheel, angle grinder, and face protection
its messy but its the quickest way to get that crap off i know of, and if you use the normal wheel instead of the cup brush, you will have an easier time getting it in that weird area of the wheel well

 

thanks dr1, that's pretty much what I've been doing for the past 3 days. After going through all different abrasives, that seems to work the best. Except I also use those paint stripping wheels made of dark colorered plastic/epoxy type of stuff. Seems to help at times.

Problem is that when metal is not rusty, wire wheel seems to have a really hard time lifting primer, it just scrapes right on top of it. That's why I was curious if I can use the gun cleaning solvent to soften the primer and then wire wheel it. I am asking because everyone says NEVER use that stuff on the car, it is only supposed to be for cleaning the gun.

 

That does not sound like fun....good luck sir!

 

id go with the aircraft stripper stuff then, ive used it, you can buy it in a gallon size, and brush it on
works very well, some of that and some brillo pads, and most of it comes off pretty easy
i dont think theres as much of a safety concern when your brushing it on also
not sure about what the solvent would do, but it probably works better on fresh paint that hasnt dried yet i would imagine

 

http://www.autobodydepot.net/scripts...gm=3m101-4.bbx

every try these, all you need is air and a right angle die grinder. they bust through paint like no tomorrow, i have not used the green one but i have used brown and red both worked great.

you can get small starter pack at most autoparts store like autozone or pepboys ect... being 3" helps get in tight spaces.

jeff