For those of you who have done it, what's the best way to strip the paint off of the front and rear fascias? I've been trying Aircraft stripper, but it doesn't seem to really attack the paint. A friend suggested sand blasting, but I'm afraid it'll pock-mark the urethane.
Use sandpaper only.... You don't need to remove all the paint. Everything roughed up and feathered with 220 sandpaper will do the job. Aircraft strippers were made for paint on metal and leave a residue on plastic that may ruin the new paint job.
[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 01-07-2020).]
Actually, I DO need to remove all the paint. The bumper was hit and "repaired" at some time in the past without using a flex agent, then hit again, so there are spider cracks in the paint that need to be taken down to the substrate. Sanding won't feather it out cleanly.
I;m right there with ya. Been there done that a couple times. This is the first one. I got a bit carried away with mods but everything is there. It was cost prohibitive but 9 years later not a single spider web except a couple edges where i got the high build urethane to thick and it shrunk but nothing to note as a driver show car. https://images.fiero.nl/2010/3_(640x480).jpg https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...130314-2-112286.html
I;m right there with ya. Been there done that a couple times. This is the first one. I got a bit carried away with mods but everything is there. It was cost prohibitive but 9 years later not a single spider web except a couple edges where i got the high build urethane to thick and it shrunk but nothing to note as a driver show car.
Thanks! Those are great links and I like your bumper cover. I'm working with a Formula, so haven't decided if or how I'm going to mod the F&R. I just spoke with a local company that does media blasting with sodium oxide that can remove the paint without damage,(he says he has done a lot of Corvettes) so I'm going to take it over there next week to get a quote. Ballpark about $60, it may be worth it, as I tried sanding some of it last night with 220 and it was slow going and difficult to get into curves and corners.
have it blasted with either walnut shell or bead glass. they will removed nothing but the paint. NEVER use "paint remover" on urethane, it will ruin it.
Originally posted by Habanera Hal: I just spoke with a local company that does media blasting with sodium oxide that can remove the paint without damage,(he says he has done a lot of Corvettes) so I'm going to take it over there next week to get a quote. Ballpark about $60, it may be worth it, as I tried sanding some of it last night with 220 and it was slow going and difficult to get into curves and corners.
Will he be doing the blast on or off the car? That seems like an excellent price that saves you tons of time and surely must produce a more uniform result than a DA and hand sanding (at least in the hands of someone who doesn't do paint prep every day.)
Hope they didn't use actual sand on sheet metal? Blasting companies don't hire from an elite pool of candidates. You have to spend several minutes with the manager to get comfortable with his abilities to deliver and communicate your concerns to his employees. There's got to be a lot of turn over and language barriers in that line of work. Give them a small test piece to redo before giving them the real thing--but still make sure the same manager understands your concerns. I sent some steel A pillar pieces to be blasted once. They used sand and blasted away all weakened material. These couldn't be warped since they were thick, contoured and had a leather grain pattern embossed, but whatever they used was too much on them. No more work for those guys.
Even when standing over someone that tells you they understand and will do what you want you often won't get what you asked or paid for. Everything is corporatized now. No pride in craftsmanship.
