Body Prep / paint removal

[Ash Gordon]

Hi,

I plan on starting to remove the old layers of paint over the coming weeks / months and was wondering what is the best / preferred option for protecting the bare metal as I go. I expect the job will take some time and don't wont to leave the metal exposed for extended periods. That is if there is any metal left under all the paint / bog?

Thanks Ash

[a sharp]

Ash
you can't go past lanolin, wipe it on and it will protect panels from rust for years, some time the old solutions are the best. Yes that is sheep wool oil!

[Henry Goodman]

Hello Ash.

What process will you use to remove the paint? I'm about to start a simiar job on a Giulia Sprint.   I'm currently considering a paint stripper process (apply, cover with plastic film and scrape) or sanding disk on a drill with lots of elbow grease.

Opinion appears divided on which is better. What do you think?

Regards,

Ric.

[alfagtv58]

I did a bit of research (read; googled it) on this a while back.  I ended up going with the sanding option and lots of elbow grease.....bloody hard yakka.  And a word of warning, be prepared for dust, looooots of dust.  I am still finding things in my garage with a layer of red dust on it.

If i was to do it over again, I would figure out who will be painting the car and speak to them about it....how far to go, what method to use etc etc.

I even found (after the fact) a couple of companys that dip the entire shell.  Next time around I will investigate that one more.

[Colin Byrne]

When I did my car I went the paint stripper option, took along time, even with considerable help from the girl.   You end up with a lot of gunk all over the floor and man does that stuff sting when you get it on your skin!!
   If I was to do it again I would look at bead blasting, it's not to expensive and you usually get them to quickly coat it all in etch primer straight after the blasting job to protect it.  I guess you have to look at cost vs time, I defiantly could have used that time on more interesting things like engine.ect.

I even found (after the fact) a couple of companys that dip the entire shell.  Next time around I will investigate that one more.

I have heard story's of the paint reacting badly with the chemicals used in the dipping process.  But I am not a paint expert by any stretch of the imagination.

[alfagtv58]

   If I was to do it again I would look at bead blasting, it’s not to expensive and you usually get them to quickly coat it all in etch primer straight after the blasting job to protect it.

I forgot about that one, although i have heard you must make sure that it is done by people who specialise in auto work, dont get the local industrial guy to do it, they are likely to damage panels.

[Scott Farquharson]

Bead blasting is the go - I did it on my white quad cam gtv6 and it was great - fast, good job and not that expensive.

[Scott Farquharson]

Oh yeah, and straight around for primer right after. 

And I did have little beads dropping all over me for weeks after the car was finished as they find their way into everything.  At the shakedown at Calder one Wed afternoon, I remember braking on the front straight for the first time and having a little snow storm as beads showered down from the roof.....

Still absolutely the best approach, spend some time preparing then just drop it off at the blasters, come back and it's done!

[ItalCarGuy]

Soda blasting wont warp your panels and leaves a protective coating that will mean you can wont get covered in surface rust straight away. Before you do the rest of the prep you can wipe the coating off with a solution of vinegar and water.

[Gary Pearce]

I've had it done several different ways and there is horses for courses.
1) Mechanical paint removal (sanding disc, wire wheel etc). Considered by some paint shops as the safest and best but a lot of hard work. Not expensive.
2) Chemical removal. As Colin said it is messy and you need safety gear, but providing you follow up with a correct neutralising wash, there shouldn't be any problems painting. Some paint brands even give you a brand of stripper that won't be an issue with their paint. (some paints react very badly to the wrong stripper) Costs a bit more.
3) Bead blasting. Much milder than the old sandblasting and when done by a specialist, as Scott said can be pretty good. Tiz a bit costly though. Also sometimes there can be some difficulty cleaning or removing all the corrosion and in some areas of your car you still might have to resort to mechanical removal. The risk of the blasting method (if you are after concours) is that there can be some distotion of thin metal panels and sharp creases and there often is some surface roughness which needs to be delt with prior to painting. The common method of correcting the surface finish (which is not satisfactory to me) is the very popular spray-on filler. Once again for a concours finish the alternative is hours of sanding which brings you back to somewhere close to method 1 but still with a big bill.
After all removal of coating and corrosion you really only have hours if not seconds to re-coat the metal again before rust (an unavoidable chemical process) can start. The best product that I know of is RS1 (a Glasurit brand I think) that is splashed on with a rag. It protects bare metal almost for ever and requires minimum preparation prior to panel repair and painting. If simple primer is used, it then often requires removal once again prior to metal finishing and final paint.
In summary my advice would be to work in with and get advice from who ever you plan to use to do the final paint finish, to avoid the argument if problems arise later.

[GTAM1]

A rough guide of cost;
A friend recently soda blasted his Karmann Ghia for $2,500.
He provided the car as a completely stripped shell on a rolling frame so they could do the entire shell including the hanging panels(doors boot bonnet). As Colin mentioned they throw a bit of etch primer on as short term protection. If you're going to store it for an extended period of time i'd suggest applying a more primer but if going from the blasters to the paint shop then no probs.
The most time is taken up breaking the car down to a shell which is costly if you have someone else do it.
Soda does a reasonable job of removing (thick)filler and rust but some 'mechanical' removal methods maybe needed to finish. It does save time at the paint shop when a nice clean shell is brought in too and it gives you a good idea of the amount of work that needs to be done.
Cheers

[Henry Goodman]

Soda or bead blasting sounds the go for my situation. My anti-chemical wife (would not tolerate paint stipper on site) and my crook shoulder/wrist (left over from the trail bike prang years back) will be grateful for the sanding reprieve.

Guys, you've been a great help.

Cheers,

Ric.

[Ash Gordon]

Thanks for all the feedback -

The plan was many hours of elbow grease to save some $ for the panel work and respray. Will call around and see what the costs are for soda / bead blasting. I had a quick search around and there seem to be a few options for soda / bead blasting in and around melbourne.

I have read stories about dipping and the acid not fully draining from the shell and seeping out later only to damage all the paint work. Also it can "attack" the softer more reactive metals that might be attached to the bodywork. i.e dont leave and hinges  / catches on the body.

GTAM1 do you have the details of where your mate had his Karmann done ?

Thanks

[GTAM1]

I'll get back to you on that. Probably worth googling and having a shop around as well.
Cheers

[Gary Pearce]

This could be of interest to you. 'Quick Strip' Specialist Soda & Abrasive Blasting. 0418-440131