Strip or sand it? Which is more gooder?!?

My car's finish is el stinko. Cracking, peeling, rust through, and poor bodywork. It's got to go!

Should I strip with aircraft stripper? The car appears to have 2, maybe 3 layers on it.

Or should I use a 7" buffer/sander like they did in r&c last month?

Any guesstimate on how long I should schedule to do it? It's a '51 Ford.

Mitigating factors are of course time, money, and there's bondo, lots of bondo that needs to come out while I'm doing it. I don't trust anybodys work but my own. It's in a industrial location so fumes and noise are a factor, but not a deal breaker, I can work around either.

Blasting is not an option.

As an aside what should I shoot on it to keep it from flash rusting till I can do the bodywork, or while I'm doing bodywork? High fill primer? I admit I haven't searched the forum yet for an answer to that, but if there's a stock answer I'd love to hear it.

What's your recommendation based on experience?!?

Thank you in advance!

 

If you think the base primer coat is good, you might consider sanding down to that coat, and leaving it on. Prevents surface rust.

 

That depends. IMO, if its panel by panel (strip it, do some rot repair, move on) might as well just sand it if its not layers and layers thick. If it is layers upon layers, employ some stripper but make sure you clean and wash and clean and was and clean and wash and clean, and don't forget to was the panels before this next step.

You will get 2 answers here. My vote is for epoxy primer, the other will be for etch primer. Both roads lead to town, but everyone has their way of doing it. Either will be fine.

Why is blasting not an option??? That would be the best chioce.

 

if you have body work to tend to, then stripping wont get to where you need to go anyway.

 

The task you are about to perform is long and tedious , that being said here are my thoughts. Aircraft stripper 'aint what it used to be and would require ALOT to get through all those layers. I like the 7" grinder pad (THAT'S WITH THE PAD!!) and 80 grit sticky back sandpaper. NEVER tilt it up on the edge to avoid digging into the metal. You can't get nooks and crannies and that's where the fun begins. There are alot of 3" "rolok" sanding discs available as well as scotchbrite discs to get in tighter areas. THEN, as much as it isn't reccomended, I buy the little 1 1/2" or so wire wheels and put them in a hand drill to get at the really tight stuff. Most of that stuff at the hardware store is junk but I recently purchased some at LOWES that seem pretty good. Be sure to wear eye protection, or better yet, a clear face mask , those little wires look awful jutting out of your forehead! It takes a really long time to do it right but I feel the pain is nessessary. After the metal is REALLY clean, you need to treat it with a product called METAL PREP, I prefer PPG brand, follow the instructions! DO NOT PRIMER IT WITH FAST BUILD PRIMER...YET... After taking care of the rust issues and are ready to do bodywork, primer it with EPOXY PRIMER, Now you can let it set without the concern of surface rust and do bodywork at your own pace. You'll have to RE apply epoxy primer before using the fast build primer though. I hope that helped some!

 

You want to find some 3m "metal prep" pads and the velcro backer pad. fits on a 4 1/2 inch grinder. whatever it is that isn't metal is coming off quick.

they are this bees knees. they are much friendlier to the steel than any other option You have listed.

fastenal has 'em.

 

DONT USE STRIPPER! It has a way of finding its way onto the fresh paint! I agree with chezwiz, sandpaper on a 7 " grinder with 3 m 8" 80 grit psa discs. But My Favorite are the 4 inch "Strip n discs by 3m.They go in a air die grinder and have 1/4 inch shafts.I think i use 10 all total to strip a 20 ft Ford Galaxie. If its gonna sit in bare metal( better be winter time unless your in Arizona Or else. RUST!) Use 50/50 distilled water & Phosphoric acid( Its cheap and u can get at Home Cheapo(home-made metal prep).If your gonna prime right away use EPOXY PRIMER( Etch primer is yesterdays Technology. And thats all i have to say about that! Mike

 

They make those stripping discs that look like brillo pads and they work real good. Takes about 3 or 4 for a full size car but they don't destroy the metal and dont' generate as much heat.

 

I use 3M bristle discs. They're made out of some sort of rubbery abrasive and the color denotes the hardness. I use green on a body grinder and can generally do a large panel in about 45 minutes. The nice thing is, they don't harm the metal, they don't leave sanding or grinding marks, if you run into filler, you can either take it out with the disc or leave it and at about $20 per disc, it's an affordable way to strip the car. Dusty, yes so wear a mask of some sort and safety glasses or goggles. I can do a decent size car in a day and about 5 discs.

 

I agree with the epoxy, cures out and forms a barrier from moisture, even tho etch is a 2 part product it still a 1k product, which sucks. The end of that. And you arent sposed to put filler on top of etch. You can over epoxy given the right filler and sand paper.

 

Having a goal to "get down to bare metal" is just not realistic to me. Even then, the rougher I leave it the better the paint will catch hold.

I start off with block sanding with 180 until I get to a sound/smooth/well bonded base. Of course there will be spots where bare metal shows. If there is bondo, I use the same judgement, if it seems solid and unchecked I don't remove it all.
Then I start with high-fill primer, blocking with 360 after each coat until I'm happy. Then a coat of seal-primer compatible with what the top coat will be. One or two final coats of primer, with last rough-up with 360, ready for paint. I used to prefer Imron, now I use Acrylic Enamel.

 

if its just a few layers of paint sand it. the stripper will not do much to the filler unless it is true aircraft stripper. and as far as sealing the body i use ppg's dp epoxy primer. it not only etches but also seals. a simple metal etching primer WILL NOT seal the metal or protect it from the elements and rusting. the dp is a very good primer once you do your bodywork you can also seal it. this helps ensure your bodywork stays good. btw this is what i do for a living and as long as it is done correctly it will outlast all of us.

CK

 

+1 for 3M stripper discs. I use the one that fits in my 4" angle grinder.

 

Hey,

My vote is for a good stripper, followed by a good clean up with 80 grit on a DA, with removal of all the old filler prior to any repair/reprime.
Given the cost of today's automotive refinishing products, painting over old filler or paint is just dumb! Different types of products, of different ages, under todays paints equals trouble.

Too, spending many hours and dollars on sanding through several layers of old paint jobs/repairs is foolish as well. Filling your shop and lungs with the lead, cadminum,barium and other heavy metals contained in old finishes is no way I'd go about this. 'just wish I had thought about this fourty years ago!

Swankey Devils C.C.
" It's time for another Tea Party ! "

 

Forgot about mentioning strip discs. I haven't tried the 3M bristle discs yet because Flop got me stuck on these strip wheels from Lehigh Valley Abrasives. They work great and when paired with some 80 grit after the fact, they;re unbeatlable both in price and final product. Their 2" roloc wheels are also 3M quality at about, oh I don't know, 1/4 of the price!!!

lehighvalleyabrasives.com

 

Ive tried using a chemical stripper before. Took forever! It only takes off 1 or 2 layers at a time and takes about 5 or 10 minutes or so to work each time. I only use sanding disks now.

 

I use the bristle discs followed by 80 grit on a dual action sander. Don't try to do the job in one sitting, you will go crazy. Approach the car in sections, trunk, quarters, etc... over the course of several days so you don't loose your mind.

 

I've got a friend that strips cars using a razor blade in a holder (or should I say, LOTS of razor blades). It actually works pretty well and makes a minimum of a mess and no toxic dust. Works well on flat panels, obviously, but not too hard to master. The most efficient angle of the blade and amount of pressure applied has to be learned, but it's actually pretty efficient.

 

The goodest method could weigh heavily on the substrate that is to be stripped. The strip discs can create heat which causes distortion, vintage thicker sheet metal may not be affected, I found the clean and strip discs work great for pre-welding cleaning of metal, using them for overall stripping will require a sanding with 80. Razor stripping works well on brittle lacquer paint. I've also used a good aircraft stripper with hard plastic knife to start, then continue with a mixture of thinner and stripper with steel wool to take it down to virgin steel. This method leaves a nice finish but is messy, do it outside or fry some brain cells. An 8" soft pad with 80 paper works well but can also create heat. Any way you choose it labor intensive, I agree pick a panel and stay with it. Work safe and use PPE, especially eye protection. Sand, plastic media, and soda blasting are other alternatives left for another thread for answers.

 

Discs are "gooder"! Especially the ones they sell up in Echo Park! Right near the 4CV's!

 

Work some overtime at your day job and send the car to the mdia blaster and have it base primed there or the paint shop. I know we like to do it all oursevlles but if I had it to do over that is what I would do so I could get right to thge build.

 

If you use chemicals then ALL the old bondo has to come out. It pulls in chemicals like a sponge then releases slowly under the new paint.

The reality of most guys doing something like this at home is if old filler/repairs are stable you go over the top. I'd vote for mechanical stripping. Invest in a powered longboard and the sanding process can double as blocking (a little, but every bit helps).

Good luck

 

I would consider soda blasting unless cash is tight then stip pads

 

I buy 3M clean n strip discs in both the 3 inch roloc and in larger 7 and 9 inch discs. I don't know if the big ones are made by 3M but they are the same purple or black stuff. The little discs are good for detail work and the big ones remove material quickly from flat panels. These will go all the way to clean bare steel, they will even remove lead.

If the old topcoat is lacquer, its probably better to sand with a soft disc and psa green corps or equivalent. The lacquer seems to clog everything and I find it beter to waste sanding discs than strip wheels.

I use chemical stripper with coarse steel wool in door jambs because they are usually so hard to sand.

If a car has questionable bodywork, I would prefer to strip it myself rather than have it blasted. I would rather discover problem areas one at a time than have the shock of seeing that your car is a piece of shit when you pick it up from the blaster.

Dave

 

i would sand it

 

3m "metal prep" pads are gooderest.

 

I am planning on using the 3M pads or disks because I have heard so many good things about them, but I have only heard iffy or bad stories about the aircraft stripper. I only want to do mine once!

 

Aircraft stripper is guuud shit, but it's not a universal solution. When it's the right situation, coupled with a methodical user, sanding can't compete.

 

try the forums on these sites:

www.autobodystore.com

www.autobody101.com

lots of good help and information.

 

I dont know what brand/type they were using, but I rememder seeing a car stripped on "American Hot Rod" and as soon as they brushed it on, the paint began bubbling and blistering behind it. I mean INSTANTLY!! Any idea what it was? BTW, I wouldn't blast a car, simply because it seems that no matter how much you clean, some crap remains inside and always comes out at the worst time, like during paint.