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Tips

Stripping!

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MGBGT_noob

MGBGT_noob

Jedi Hopeful
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What's the best way to strip a body?

...wait, that sounds like spam.

Let's put it this way. If you had a choice between media blasting (plastic or soda) and chemical stripping, to remove all paint and bondo from an entire car body, which one would you choose and why?
 
Chemical strippers are really caustic and need to be COMPLETELY removed after treatment, usually with water. Media blasting does get into a lot of places that're hard to clean out, but of the two I'd go with blasting.
 
I went with blasting - note to self use plastic or soda - NOT silica - don't ask me kow I know

My problem with dipping was that it would strip places I couldn't recoat - like the inside of rocker panels leaving bare metal to rust.

I've heard of stripping where the car is then dipped to be coated with some sort of rustproofng but that's not available here.

JP
 
Usually, I prefer blasting...I've seen some bad things happen with media - so I prefer sand though most folks don't....if you're gonna strip it with anything, don't leave any mechanical pieces on the body as the media or sand WILL get inside them!

I've chemically stripped a couple of cars & might do it again but its something to be done outside on a decent overcast day!
 
is there any wire brush set-up on an electric grinder that works well and does not screw up the metal ?

either a small 4 1/2 inch Makita or a big heavy 7 inch Milwalkee,

I need to strip a car that was out in Palm Springs all its life and the paint shrunk and cracked everywhere,

I want to do it myself without chemicals, a fender at a time and get most of the flat areas>

I may have to blast the door jams etc but not the whole car

thanks for your ideas

Beaulieu
 
i've been researching this lately. thinking about painting my tr6 myself. i spent time at the local sherwin williams automotive paint store picking up tips. just getting reagy to start stripping. have to get to bare metal due the poor quality of previous paint job. i plan to use a combination of chemical stripper from sherwin williams and a dual action sander and various grits. i'll post some pics once i am under way.
 
You may want to check out Eastwood's DeKote. Google it and you should find a comparison test between it and a leading stripper. It performed very well. I plan on stripping the flat areas of my TR6 panels with it and using 40 psi black magic on the other areas.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I want to do it myself without chemicals, a fender at a time and get most of the flat areas>[/QUOTE]
So you're gonna add weeks maybe months to the restoration process just to not use chemicals? Harbor Freight has plastic brushes you can put on a drill - differing densities to go from fine to coarse - but, man, the labor!!
 
I'm about 6 months into my TR3A resto. We have a chemical stripper/dipper here in the D.C. area. It cost me $100 to strip both doors, transmission tunnel and the apron. This is a complete strip both sides, inside and out.

The dip revealed pin holes and other defects that were not visible prior to the dip.

After I welded in repairs, I wiped down the pieces with Acetone and flooded the inside of the doors. After a blow out with air inside the doors, I allowed it to air dry for an hour then epoxy primed and then applied 1 coat of 2K primer.

The doors are hanging upright on the garage wall as an experiment to see if any chemicals leach out. After 3 months I have seen no bleed through. After the great results, I would never consider doing it in my garage. The cost, labor, time and disposal of waste is well worth the cost to me.

Gordo
 
Plain ole aircraft paint stripper, a pair of gloves, & a brush
 
that works...:smile:

I have the same problem as the TR6 from Nashville. The DPO had a pro strip the exterior portions of the car and repainted the car 'red' in '78. The paint has lifted in many spots. The car stayed garaged since the previous owner's husband died in '79. I'm looking at stripping with a light media blast or DA all exterior surface to ensure good adhesion for epoxy primer.

Tim
 
I have chosen to not completely strip the body. I figure that much of the original paint is still adhering perfectly after 47 years and deserves to remain. I can't guarantee replacement paint will hold just as well.

Of course the sections where the original paint comes easily off, or is already off gets respectively sanded or sand blasted. Any deeper rust gets cut out and new metal welded in.
 
Donn - I'm doing the same thing with my '63 Midget - going down to the factory paint only.
 
Hi Guys,
Very timely forum.
I will be picking up my 59 bugeye sprite from the stripper next week. It was media blasted first with plastic to remove the paint and plastic filler and then they will go over it again with soda to remove the rust from the metal. And then before it starts to rust again will be sprayed with and epoxy primer grey finish.

I will try to post some before and after photos if I can figure it out.

With the nice epoxy primer finish I can take my time with the repair fixing all the problem areas a little at a time, coating them with epoxy primer after the individial fixes. It seems everyone I have talked to says the same thing: Don't let the rust happen below the primer finish or you will have a nightmare later.

This seems to be the easiest way to make sure the rust doesn't get a foot hold on my paint job.

Liam
 
See if they'll use white epoxy primer - you won't believe the things white points out that grey won't!
 
I'm with Tony on this one...Aircraft Remover...been using it a LOT the last week on the front fenders, hood, and cowl in preparation for the tilt nose on the Spridget. I'm taking the parts down to bare metal; first application gets the amateur respray, next coat gets the primer, two more applications to get the original color coat.

Works great, but don't get it on you! A can of this stuff and 30 minutes and I'll have the toughest Al Queda in Gitmo tellin' me where their momma lives!

Ray

P1010014.jpg
 
Ray - I usually put one of those cheap blue plastic tarps down before working with that stuff.
 
I tried some of the spray Aircraft Remover, but I had the stuff sitting around for a while, and I think it "went off".

I'll get some new stuff, and give it a try.

Still, could be a huge PITA to strip an entire body like that.
 
MGBGT_noob said:
I tried some of the spray Aircraft Remover, but I had the stuff sitting around for a while, and I think it "went off".

I'll get some new stuff, and give it a try.

Still, could be a huge PITA to strip an entire body like that.
Click to expand...
Nah, takes about 4 hours max!
 
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