Paint Stripping vs. Sanding

[mfiazzo]

All,

I have a 1978 911SC Guards Red. I have owned the car for about 4 years, when I bought the car, the paint was already cracked and is peeling.

My question is, can I sand down the entire car and paint it, or do I have to get the car stripped? It is not going to be a show car, I just want it to look better.

Thanks for the advise.

Mike

[Willem Fick]

If it was my car, and the paint was already crackin and peeling, I'd be worried about what might lurk underneath. If you have the time/patience/money I think stripping it completely would not be a bad idea. Aircraft grade stripper makes the job a lot easier, but still don't underestimate the size of the job! Maybe an idea to post some pics, so that the guys with experince can chime in!

[Tippy]

I have stripped many cars when I was a teenager at my dads restoration business. Never sanded one down, but it looks like it may actually be faster than paint strippers. If you go with paint strippers, I prefer Tal-Strip since it is very thick and will stay on the sides and underside nicely. Aircraft Stripper is not as good since it dries too fast and is less viscous.

On resto shows I've seen, guys tag team cars with DA sanders and knock out the stripping part really quickly. Always wanted to try sanding since it doesn't burn you like paint strippers!

To do a permanent job, you gotta get down to the bare metal because you are gambling with not knowing what kind shape the metal is in.

[surfdwn]

I have done both and prefer the sanding method. The stripper makes a gooey mess and the chemicals get in every crack imaginable. I am currently working on my '70 911T and I sand down one section at a time and finish it. I will then do an overall block sanding and paint the whole car.

Each to his/her own, but I feel I have better control with sanding.

David Nolen

[Prairie Lizard]

I'm in the middle of taking my 73 down to bare metal everywhere. Some stripping, some sanding. But some of the past posts I've read on other threads from the pros mention sanding can drive up the heat which could warp some of the body panels.

Does that sound right?

[NeedSpace]

Stripping is a gooey mess, it works well, but a lot of elbow grease.

I used to work in an autobody shop. For most vehicles, we sanded to smooth and left the good paint as a primer coat. Again, if the plan is not concours but looking good, why bother? I would be careful to find all the rust, heavy bondo and the really poor paint. Sand to bare on the usual rust suspects, then prime all metal, bare and previous coats. A DA sander is the way to go, don't skimp on the sandpaper, get a lot. Make sure your aircompressor packs a lot of pounds as you'll be waiting a lot for the tank to recharge. Actually, what size compressor would you guys recommend for this? Mine blows.

If you are considering making it very nice, you might check into the price for a media blast.

[rattlsnak]

Rule of thumb at our shop: If its factory paint and in good shape with owner just wanting a refresh or color change, etc, then sanding is fine. If its cracked and peeling, with an unknown history, (possibly resprayed before) then that section gets stripped.

[56 nomad]

hello,

+1 above

cracking and peeling can be the result of many things, if the car was resprayed before, it could be improper surface prep causing it to craze and peel. you might try sanding the respray to the factory finish and see if its sound and if so you could seal and respray(factory finish was baked on and is tough).

i have never heard of sanding warping a panel unless you use a grinding disc and really go at it...sandblasting can warp a panel if you have an inexperienced person doing the blasting, leaving the nozzle in one place too long. some people use walnut shells to strip paint, but i find this leaves an oily residue and you have to carefully wipe down the exposed surface....my personal preference is baking soda. it is environmentally safe and is easy to clean "off" and "up".

just be sure to metal prep after stripping and seal right away.....and don't use primer as a sealer as it will let moisture in a rust will form underneath the surface.

JM2C regards, ben

[Canada Kev]

Also consider that sanding the bare metal will likely remove any remaining galvanizing. If you're just after a "looks good" paint job, I'd just sand what's needed and to see what's under the existing paint. If it's original, yo can count on it being a top notch finish (both top coat and primer), so I would be hesitant with removing that unless you're doing a full resto.

Stripping chemicals can be pretty nasty and still require a fair amount of DA work after it's all done the stripping job. Sanding with the proper tools and technique is likely quicker. Do watch heat buildup if sanding, especially on large flat surfaces like the hood and roof. Good luck.

[dad911]

I'd suggest reading the Freddie Hernandez' 101 series, top post over at:
Paint & Bodywork Discussion Forum - Pelican Parts Technical BBS

[porschenut]

Don't sand through the factory primer either, unless you absolutely have to. If it's just the color that's peeling, only sand that and leave the factory primer in place and use it as the base for the new paint job.

[Targalid]

56 Nomad mentioned baking soda. Does anyone have any comments about soda blasting? My body repair guy recommended it as a way to remove all the paint without hurting the galvanizing? Is this true?

[mfiazzo]

Thanks All. I appreciate the help. I am going to try sanding.

[56 nomad]

Originally Posted by Targalid

56 Nomad mentioned baking soda. Does anyone have any comments about soda blasting? My body repair guy recommended it as a way to remove all the paint without hurting the galvanizing? Is this true?

not sure about the removal of the galvanizing, i have soda blasted in the past with excellent result no warping . ben

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by mfiazzo

Thanks All. I appreciate the help. I am going to try sanding.

You can strip your car in one long day with stripper and some razor blades. I wouldn't sand all that to save my ass.

[T77911S]

it depends on how far you are going to take the car apart.
i stripped mine, but i took EVERYTHING off the car. it is a mess and it burns when you get it on your skin.....and you will. the other thing is stripping takes off one coat at a time.
the bad thing about sanding is if your cra is galvanized, it will remove that, if you sand it down to metal. you will then need to prime with a self etching primer.
you could do a combination of the two, sand it then strip the last coat.

another option is to look around for a shop that can blast the car. not sure of the proper material, walnut, soda, etc, but i have seen the results, very nice. some materials take off metal, like if its rusty, some will not.
i took a bicycle frame to a shop that did that out in oklahoma. very nice results.

[Justin@Athens]

+1000 on the soda blasting--it is the more expensive route, however it will save you TONS of time and will not damage plastics or glass if you decide not to remove some pieces--however you are better off removing as much as possible--bagging and tagging everything as you go.