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KLUTZ

KLUTZ

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Well, I have been able to spend a few hours with my 7 since I got it home on Saturday, and am finding things to do with it this year, since I won't "Need" to drive it daily. Firstly, the underside of the hood was painted and covered with some kind of other black gook at some point, and I would like to get it all off. I started using a chisell and Gunk on it, and exposed some origional stickers, but this method would take for ever. My brother in law has a sandblaster, which he says I can use anytime. Would using this on the underside of the hood dent through to be seen on the top or would it be OK? Or, what other product would work. Also, when I get it cleaned off what do I paint it with? The same colour as the car or an undercoating of some kind?
I can't remember seeing the underside to see how they came from the factory. The rest of the engine bay has been painted flat black. I would like to clean that up eventually too.

Thanks

Paul
 
Mine is painted body color -- and I believe all TRs were always painted body color. (People painted them black to make them look "clean.")

I wouldn't imagine a sandblaster (assuming it's one designed for the job) to hurt a steel panel. You can chemically peel it, but blasting would be faster and easier.
 
Hi Paul,

Would the black gook on the inside of the hood be undercoating? If it is, there are specific removers made for undercoating (www.eastwoodco.com sells it) that might leave the paint underneath in reasonably good shape.

If it is undercoating, a sandblaster won't budge it. It just absorbs the blast and bounces off. Any exposed areas will be over=blasted, while coated areas get no results. Sandblasting large, flat panels like a hood (or door or trunk lid, etc.) can also put ripples in the metal that will show through future paintwork. Most body shops would only sandblast that sort of panel with a relatively mild media like crushed walnut shells or plastic beads, to remove the paint and prevent damage to the panel.

Unfortunately, slow and steady is probably the best way to get the gook off. Once off, the panel could then be carefully media blasted with the right stuff, or possibly just wet sanded by hand if you want to leave the original paint layers in place and put a fresh coat of paint over them.

You might try some other thinners to see if something cuts the gook. Rubbing alcohol, kerosene or lighter fluid are relatively mild types of thinners. Lacquer thinner is a little stronger. Finger nail polish remover is also relatively strong (it's a mild form of acetone) and acetone is a pretty strong thinner.

There are various paint strippers, too. Most remove all the paint right to the bare metal, but may need several applications to do so. The problem with strippers brushed on, or "dipping" car parts or even whole cars, is that it can be very difficult to get all of the stripper completely neutralized or washed off, after it's done it's job. It can come sneaking out of nooks and crannies to ruin new paint many months or even years later.

Do you know anyone in the body shop business? You might show them the hood and it's gook, see if they can identify what was used and advise you what to use to remove it. Or, a paint store might be able help in the same way.

Cheers!

Alan
 
The previous owner of my triumph sprayed black gook into the trunk to prevent rust. Needless to say, the stuff didn't work well and was absolutely aweful to get off. It was like tar. I used kerosene with a brush to clean this area and it worked pretty well. If you decide to use kerosene, remember that it will eat plastic and non chemical gloves.
 
Kerosene, Acetone, MEK or Laquer Thinner. Don't create too much work for yourself by blasting it.
 
I read your post and then immediately forgot you were talking "goop" and not the typical black engine bay paint. Ignore my previous post...I was wrong. (Can I go get my wife and show her that I do, indeed, admit that I'm wrong? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif )
 
I would think some heat applied to it might help remove the heaviest, using kerosene or other gentle solvents for the final clean up. I have a heat gun that is useful for all kinds of things on the car -- really puts out a lot of heat with no flame. Plastic scrapers are sold in paint depts (might be designed for wallpaper removal) and would sure be kinder than that chisel.
 
Blasting might also remove the welds that hod the sheet metal to its frame - they were always a little suspect in my 8.
 
Thanks all,
Lots of good sugestions here, as always. The reasons mentioned is why I was leary about the blasting. This undercoating is on pretty thick. And yes Radford, the welds are suspect on mine too, but have held for 27 years though. I am taking the hood off today when # 1 son gets home from school, then I will start to experiment. I will start with acetone, as I work with the stuff at work and have "borrowed" a few jars of it. The gunk I tried the other day took off a small layer, but didn't get right down to the botom.
Thanks again for the suggestions...

And Sammy... Don't you ever sleep? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
I've used kerosene to clean undercoating off many hoods/trucks it takes alot of rags and patients but in a few hours you should have a nice clean hood.....My MGB has some gunky undercoating in the truck I haven't yet gotten around to cleaning it with the kerosene( I will this summmer) but one day last summer when I was waxing it some wax got through the holes for the luggage rack(I removed to so it would be easier to wax) and landed on the gunk....when I wiped the wax up later it had completely removed the gunk from that area!!! I believe this was just regular wax(Black magic?) I don't think I'd try to do the whole hood(or truck) with the wax but it goes to show you just how easy this stuff is to remove.

Zack
 
--- War stories ---
Way back when I was young & not very experienced, two mistakes combined into a disaster.

First, I took the car for a test drive with the air filters removed. Second, I had applied heavy undercoating to the inside of the hood. The engine popped back through the carbs & belched burning fuel on the engine & underside of the hood. This would normally have been the extent of the problem as the fuel quickly burned out. However, the flames set the flammable undercoating on the hood afire & this stuff burned for a very long time. Pretty much destroyed the car.

Factory applied hood insulating pads are made from non flammable materials for a reason. Asphalt based undercoatings are not in this category.
D
 
If its asphalt based undercoating, I'd go at it with a heat gun and a scraper. Once the bulk of it is off, then paint thinner (Varsol style). Acetone is too volatile for this job, except for the final cleanup. Nasty job to get that stuff off.
 
Well,
Spent 7 hours today on getting the crap off of the hood. I started with a blow drier since I didn't have a heat gun, not enough heat, I then went and bought a heat gun, too much heat as smoke started comming out of the holes and it didn't help with the scraping anyway. I then went the varsol route. Between that and the scraper, It managed to come off pretty good, but with a lot of rubbing, and what a mess though. I finnished the clean parts with acetone. The origional paint held up pretty good throughout the process. Not quite done yet, but back at it tomorow. There is very little rust underneath, surprisingly, so a light sanding won't be too bad, then I will take it up to the place that painted the car to have the Mercedes Arctic White colour put on like the rest of the car.
Here is a Pic. of what I had to deal with, and the progress in 7 hours. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Paul

misc.jpg
 
Looks good! should paint up nice.....you plan on going to
Ancaster Fleamarket/carshow this weekend???

Zack
 
[ QUOTE ]
Looks good! should paint up nice.....you plan on going to
Ancaster Fleamarket/carshow this weekend???

Zack

[/ QUOTE ]

I had planned on going but working all weekend Zack... But perhaps a sudden illness may come up. I will definatly be going to the K&M Restorations stock reduction auction May 15 near Orangeville. You?

Paul
 
Well I might be now! I've never even heard of K&M stock reduction wat is it???
 
Sent you a PM Zack with the information. I would post the link here if Basil gives the OK.

Paul
 
Now you guys have me interested.... And Orangeville is way to close for me not to know what you're talking about!?!

I'm hoping to get to Ancaster this weekend too.
 
Not yet.... Too busy this winter.

P.S. James and I are chatting right now if you want to join us!
 
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