To strip the old paint completely or not

Question. Does everybody strip the paint to bare metal even though the 50 year old paint is still adhering well?

Just looking to see what opinions everyone may have.

Thanks!

 

Lots of old body guys had a saying, "Old paint is the best primer." Might not be 100% true nowadays, but unless the paint (or the metal underneath it) is having some problems, I don't usually strip it down all the way to bare metal.

 

not needed lots of the time---it seems that bare metal has become a vanity thing...

 

I always try to, just to make sure you know what's underneath the 50 year old paint. Scuff it real good, prime it, and you know you have good adhesion.


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I am stripping down my 54 F100 to bare metal. Finding all kinds of dents and dings that I'm gonna try to fix. I've talked to a few guys about this too, and was told to take it to bare metal to see what's underneath

 

If I'm going to paint it, I want it to last as long as possible. I'd go down to bare metal, but I'm not you and you're not me....

 

You CAN NOT put a catylized modern paint over lacquer or acrylic lacquer PERIOD

 

Lots of 50 year old paint has rust underneath. Take the paint off a small area and you will probably see dots of rust underneath. It is just a question of when it decides to pop the paint off. It might never happen.

 

Seems you can

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=783475

 

You can also put it over ****.

On a hot sunny day , you will still be able to smell the ****

After many hot sunny days, if it is over lacquer, it WILL crack, and then look like ****.

 

So there is no polishing a turd, but painting them is an option?

 

Thanks for all the quick responces . It seems that half say no problem and the other are contrary minded . I will probably go all the way on the exterior panels but the dash and window trims will get sanded , primed and painted trim color . Thanks again .

 

strip old paint...less chance of reaction...newer paints will react......

 

You paint job is only as good as what's under it.

I've never had the balls to risk all that time and money.

 

I just had to strip my firewall and paint it again because I had reaction...

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Now theres another way to look at things as well . Not so much the time thing but the money is the kicker for us all !! Murphys law would come into play right about the time you were cleaning your gun . Stuff may start happening , there goes $$$$ right out the window !!

 

i have painted over old paint jobs, i have always thought of them as temporary.
strip it.

 

You actually CAN polish a turd! They did I on Mythbusters!

But my opinion, if you can, start it fresh like they do in the factories.

 

I go to bare metal on every car I do.

 

and make sure to use electrostatics like the factories and the chem dip also...

 

You can do it but like said above it could cause problems later, might not but could. Iv done paint jobs over old paint before but they have always been temporary. In the long run its not that much work to take it down to the steel to see what's underneath.


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Ok lets put it in perspective here. Yes a bare metal rinde is a vanity thing, nearly all of what we do is to make up for a small ***** when you get right down to it.

Now stripping to bare metal depends entirely on what you are painting with as a rule. For instance let us supppose that your car has the original factory paint on it not 75 coats of whatever because it got repainted by every owner in the last 50+ years and you are going to use a single stage enamal. No reason in the world to not scuff it and paint it as opposed to taking it back to bare metal.

Now if you are going to go for the full monte and paint it with a modern paint job the ting to remember is that the full monet is bare as naked showing it all. In that case bare as naked is going to require removeing all the paint isn't it.

 

I agree with pork n ****** about putting it in perspective. It all depends on what your goal is for the car. If you are going all out for a show type finish, most definitely strip it down. If there are multiple paint jobs on it, strip it down. If its the original paint and you are doing a driver quality paint job, da it or sand it down and put down a good epoxy primer (like ppg DP series or comparable) for a base. If you would give a little more info and some pics, you will probably get a more accurate answer.

 

I gotta ask, was the old black lacquer paint job cracked or checked and did you use some type of a primer, or sealer or barrier of any type between the old and new ?

 

My experience with garnish moldings is that lots have no primer under the paint and lots of rust under it, I always blast them just to be safe...

 

Ok lets put it in perspective here. Yes a bare metal rinde is a vanity thing, nearly all of what we do is to make up for a small ***** when you get right down to it.
Now that right there says a lot now don't it fellas . I thought I was alone with this mindset LOL !!

 

Yeah your right on that I suppose Steve . Will have to take the paint off anyways to cut them down to fit the new openings anyways . Andy..

 

+100.....I stripped the original painted over lacquer to bare metal last winter on my '38 and found rust bloom under the paint.....Stripped the whole thing to bare metal.....blechhhh...
Tom

 

If I'm getting paid $80 per hour , Hell Yes , I'm stripping it to Bare metal, But, This is just me , on my own rigs , I will go down to metal , ***ess the condition of metal , (I'm in Montana where we don't have rust issues near as bad as other parts of America) in lower , prone, areas . And decide what is needed , I have painted over 50 year old paint many times , BUT, IT MUST, MUST BE SEALED FIRST , Then a last thinned prime coat over the primer surfacer , then tacked and squirted , this has worked good for me , I did a 55 bel air 12 years ago and the paint looks great still, BUT,BUT, where I put in new headlight eyebrow patches , I must not have sealed the bare stuff , BAD PREP, and they look like they are exploding off the car , I will make this right with the owner , take 'em down and do it again , correctly ,
Point being , the rest of the car was smoothed over 1955 paint , and it's nice, where it was bare I must have forgotten to properly prep it , over bare metal, and it bit me in the ***...so SEAL IT UP..
I am not making any excuses , My Dad always said, "if you don't make a mistake , once in a while , ya ain't doin' nuthin'"
OK , I lied , Here's the excuse I have , the 55 went from a 235 /6, 3 on the tree , with lotsa rust , to a fully restored , 350 (410 HP) 700r4 , in 28 long days ,,, I did it all , and my wife did the upholstery,,,
But, take the good out of the responses of the HAMBers above, and use your judgement , The Prep makes the finish ,,,, my opinion,,, Joe

 

Strip it bare is the only way your gonna know what is underneath,rust never sleeps and if you are going to lay down a lot of hard earned fun tickets for a premo paint job it is a smart move. HRP