advice on stripping paint
 

I'm looking for some advice on stripping an 89 IROC. Its currently original black, but sometime in its life recently someone sprayed some black primer on top of it in spots. PO said it was to protect it, knowing it was going to be sitting awhile. Clear was peeling off. We want to change the color to factory red. I have the interior out. Engine & trans will be next.
I'm not a body & paint person, but It seems I always need body & paint work done on something and I'm tired of paying thousands of dollars to have it done. Its time I learn. Now, that said, I'm not expecting a show quality finish on my first try, but I do need a quality long lasting finish.
So, is sandpaper going to be my new best friend? Are there other options?
Does it need to be taken to bare metal? If yes, also on non-exterior parts like door jambs, ttop area, hatch, underhood/firewall?

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

I second Jamon's suggestion. While the chemical process is sometimes faster, it's a freaking mess and makes it a bit tough to feather out the places that you don't necessarily need to strip to bare metal. Not to mention the chemical burns like a ***** if you get blasted by a stray gust of wind or something. If you do use chemicals, wear full protection. Face shield, gloves, body coverings.

On the other hand, those stripping disks work really fast, and are really good at taking down surface rust too without stripping a bunch of metal off. I would recommend wearing a particulate mask while using the stripping disks and/or other abrasives.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Thanks guys. Is there a particular reason Jamon posted the 4 1/2" dia disk or is that just one you found quick to show what you are talking about?
I'm going to need something to put a disk on. I only have a 4" electric angle grinder and a small air die grinder at the moment. What rpm should you run something like this at? I've been looking at DAs too, which brings up more questions.
But first back to stripping...Jorlain, it sounds like you're saying these will strip down to bare metal if I need to, but do I need to? i know you can't see my car in person, but if its simply still the factory black paint and I want to change color, do i need to go to bare metal?
I've seen some videos using these disk on panels, but what about tighter areas? Just a smaller disk? Again, this brings me back to, does it need to be bare in all these areas. Exterior, jambs, underhood, hatch...
Anyone please chime in with thoughts and suggestions.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Are you stripping the entire car? I am just about finished stripping mine. (92 TA Vert). I used a combination of the Aircraft paint remover on the large areas and followed up with the stripping pads on some stubborn areas. Its a lot of work and dirty no matter what you do. But I came to the same decision you did. My car was peeling and I didn't want to waste my time and money painting over a bad base. Almost ready to start covering with primer. Some of the hard to reach areas i am planning to clean and scruff then prime. Without a full body chemical dip, I'm not sure its possible or necessary to get every speck of paint off the car.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Thats a big question. I don't know if i need to strip the entire car.
Is the clearcoat the issue with these cars or the base?
A friend had his 60's Falcon bead blasted, but I wasn't looking to pull the dash out if I don't need to. Plus this car really doesn't need any metal work in the floors or any where else for that matter.
Yeah, I'm not sure its necessary to strip the entire car either. Thats really the reason for this thread, to get others views and opinions from their experience on the materials & procedures used.
Thanks!

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Hey KCG, thanks for directing me here-

When i painted my car i sanded most of it by hand, block sanding with 180 grit, GM did us a solid by using crappy clear coat in the 80's and it comes off with relative ease. I had no need to go down to bare metal in most places and I have had good results spraying my new primer over the GM primer/base coats as long as they are prepped correctly.

Stripping the car down to bare metal has its pros and cons- by taking your time with a long block, 24" durablock is what i used on the bigger panels, you can see all of the dents and dings that your eyes wouldnt normally catch, you will see all the high and low spots, you can kind of see what i am talking about in this picture

Attachment 317502

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

If the clear coat is giving you a hard time, go to an orbital palm sander to break through the clear, but i wouldnt hit it much more than that, you will get a much better picture of the high spots that you need to tap down and the low spots you need to fill if you take your time

Once you get all the clear off and start seeing high and low spots, i usually hit the high spots with a hammer and dolly, HF makes a decent kit, to get the high spots low, its always easier to use a light glaze or a high build primer to build that surface back up.

Lots of sanding, you can see in the picture in my previous post that the door crease on the drivers door was a disaster, that whole side body line was all screwed up, but i am pretty happy with the results, this is one of the better pictures of that body line i have right now
<a href="http://www.jonathansalmi.com/glennon/e3d008ecd"><img src="http://www.jonathansalmi.com/img/s1/v49/p1023446733-4.jpg" width="800" height="533" alt="Jonathan Salmi Photography: Glennon '87 Camaro &emdash; " /></a>

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

to sum it up, i wouldnt go to metal unless you are welding on it, and i wouldnt use power tools unless the clear is stubborn in places, a long block with the right grit paper will make you life easy for the next steps.

If you do go to amazon, they have lots of blocks, this is the on i used on the bigger panels, doors, quarters, hood, fenders etc

[url]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YKDJ3O/ref=pd_sim_263_10?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BV3GAHDE3YTRPJWA4WGE

Then i got a few other small ones, they work better than a block fo wood as they follow the curves of the car a little better,

Also got a few rolls of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive paper, this stuff is tacky on the backing so it sticks to the sanding blocks,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Between that and a craftsman 6" orbital palm sander thats about it, its lots and lots and lots of time.

when you get your first coat of primer on and get to wet sanding let me know

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Best option is to find a place that would media blast it for you. Take it home and epoxy primer the whole thing. Next best option is to buy a sandblaster and blast it yourself. You will be saving countless hours, lots of sandpaper and stripping discs. I'm no longer a fan of the scuff and squirt method because you have no idea how many times a car or an area has been repainted or what condition that paint is in. For instance, had I only sanded the clear coat off my Camaro I would have never known that the front bumper had been painted five times so far, the rear spoiler three times, the fenders twice, the door once.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.thi...92cc477b44.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.thi...b8c6745dfc.jpg

See what I mean? These cars are old enough that it is highly likely the car it has probably been repainted

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

If there is someone near you that offers soda blasting. It works fantastic.


Louis

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Tibo and Siuol are both correct, if you are going to bare metal, get it media blasted. I have been fortunate enough that i have only had 1 coat of paint, sometimes 2 to sand off.

Really comes down to your budget. Good luck

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Might try renting a unit eg https://www.dustlessblasting.com/

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Wow, That soda blasting looks like the way to go to strip an entire car. Wonder what the price is to have that done. How soon would you have to get primer on it?
I guess I could leave the dash in, hatch on and just do those areas by hand. Blast the exterior and under hood.
I have no idea the history of this car. I'll have to check in to this. Great ideas!
Whats the downside...there's got to be one

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

The dustless blasting is done with water only, no soda residue, there are some places that come to you, run the unit and you blast the paint off. Watch their video

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

"there's no paint manufacturer that will warrant a known soda blasted car"
@ 1:20 in this video.


Is that a sales pitch or this correct?
If its true, then what are people doing...soap & water, or this something else used to neutralize this so it can be removed?

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Not sure how many paint manufacturers warranty their paint to begin with. I used DuPont Chroma series which is arguably the best if not one of the best paint lines and their was no warranty with it that I know of. Media/soda blasting a car posses no risk when properly done and the surface properly prepped afterwards. If you sandblast on some of the body panels it's possible to get some warpage depending on the psi used, sand grit used and how long you keep the wand on one spot. I wish I had blasted my Camaro as it would have saved huge amounts of time. As to how quickly you need to primer the surface, that's circumstantial. If the car stays inside and it's not really humid out then you have a few weeks. In my area (SouthWest US) I could leave the car outside as long as it didn't rain.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

those stripping disks work on a 4 inch grinder and take the paint off fast. do not apply too much pressure or you will heat the panel and warp it. let the disk do all the work and keep it moving all the time. that 10 pack will strip you whole car and then you can put an epoxy primer on it. This will ensure that the car will outlast you.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Thanks guys for all the pictures and videos. Exactly what I wanted to see.
A lot of good info from the experienced.
I think my first step personally, will be to see if there's anyone in my area who can blast it , and probably have the cost be the determining factor on doing it or grinding on it.

Tibo, ... anywhere near Albuquerque?

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

No dice. I'm a few hundred miles away from you.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

Ah just curious. No not me, I'm on the east coast, but this car will be headed to N.M. when its done

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

I too am stripping my IROC and it's going to be my winter project, so I have the time.


Jamon, is it your opinion that if you have the time, it's best to go to bare metal for a good lasting paint job? That's my plan, to go down to bare metal and get it shot come Spring...


Thanks!

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

I would use a good epoxy primer. But yes, stripping all that old stuff of is always the best way to go. My gta had several layers of paint and it was starting to show.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

i would suggest SPI Products. you may have to find your own basecoat if you cant use one of theirs but cars done in these products have brought half a million dollars at auction and I have used them on many of the cars I have done.

Have I mentioned that the prices are great and the owner BARRY is there for you, I have found texting him is really quick. and the forum is great for beginners

http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/ WEBSITE

http://www.spiuserforum.com/index.php FORUM

404.307.9740 Barry's Direct line

lets take these cars to the next level and make them last forever!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

"Aircraft Stripper" brand name, autozone.

Stripped the stock paint off my firebird with it, brush on and in literally 3 sec the paint just curled up and fell off donw the bare metal.

nasty stuff if you get it on your skin, instant pain just as fast.

Re: advice on stripping paint
 

In my area the blasting is $900. Since I want to learn how to do this, I think I'm going to skip on that and go to sanding.
I hit up a couple areas on the car to see how many layers are there. Someone sprayed primer over the peeling paint/clear on this car at some point. I assume to help protect it awhile. Here's a couple pictures of what I found. One is of the hood, the other the quarter right above the drivers side wheel.
Looks to me I can see the primer first, then the original black, more primer and bare steel. Look like that to you?
next question...why would there be gray primer on the quarter and yellow primer on the hood?

Quarter above the drivers side wheel.
Attachment 316009


hood

Attachment 316010