Best plan for stripping and painting a 72 Corvette?

[20mercury]

Ok and got some great advice from Porchdog, but still am confused on a couple of items and need some feedback.

I have a 72 Corvette Bryar Blue metallic that I am going to paint, never painted an auto before and here is my plan, please let me know what you think:

1. Strip off the old paint with heat gun and razor blade (plus lacquer thinner/scotch brite pad where needed).

2. I already glued a new hood surround with Ecklers restoration formula, used 3M short strand fiberglass filler where needed and now plan to use Vette Panel Adhesive as a filler where needed

3. Coat with SPI epoxy

4. Slick sand or polyester primer (skip this per SPI rep)

5. 2K primer (block sand block sand, etc)

6. I am thinking lacquer might be easier for a first timer, but BC/CC might be better for a metallic and hold up better. Or what about color lacquer and then clear lacquer? (Go PPG BC and SPI Universal clear)

Feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

Much Thanks!

 

[Brad J.]

I'd delete the laquer thinner/scotchbrite step. Putting bad solvents into fiberglass. Sand only

Skip the laquer paint. Waste of time and hard to spray metalics in laquer or any single stage paint. Laquer was replaced for a reason and modern urethanes will last much longer.

Sounds like a decent attack but add several more prime/block cycles with epoxy or turbo2k after the slicksand.

Guys on here have better luck with the razor blade approach than me. I get pissed off everytime I try it. You might need to sand the paint off if the razor blades don't work.

 

[20mercury]

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. Good to know I am getting in the ball park with a plan.

Yep, I have struggled with the razor blade approach too. First attempts looked like a high school football freshman's hair cut! I have discovered on the internet using a heat gun and then razor blading is supposed to be the trick. Will try that too.

Thanks again!

 

[shine]

lacquer being easier is a myth spread by people who never used it. there is no place for cheap lacquer thinner on a vette. period.

 

[shine]

if you just have to do it use urethane reducer .

 

[20mercury]

Think I will do the BC/CC, thanks for the good advice.

I thought if you use automotive grade lacquer that is supposed to be more pure (called virgin lacquer?) and you can remove old lacquer paint with it and a scotch brite pad and that is ok.

Appreciate the comments!

 

[Carshinebob]

Here's two pictures of a 65 that left our shop two weeks ago. About 30% stripped with razor blades. the rest was sanded off carefully with 80 grit and a DA. and then finished by hand sanding. Our experience with chemical stripers and solvents on old Corvettes is that almost always some sort of contamination will get into the surface and come back to haunt you weeks, months or years later. We finished with SW tinted urethane primer surfacer, chromabase and SPI universal clear. ~BOB

 

[20mercury]

Looks super! Great work!

Thanks for the good advice too.