paint stripping

[Not_Anumber]

Ive finally started on the paintwork of my 1979 BGT and have decided it needs to go back to bare metal. The person who had restored this car back in the day was a very good panel fitter but not such a good painter. Im not sure what went wrong as it looked moderate when i got it aside from a handful of freckles but then micro blisters appeared and multiplied all over the paintwork.


I made a start on the n/s front wing at the weekend using some normal strength paint stripper that is supposed to be strong enough for automotive paint finishes. This proved to be hard work. I had to apply it 3 times to remove a single layer of paint and 2 primer layers from one panel which has used the best part of half a litre, needed some serious scraping activity and is still not finished. I wished I had known before i ordered it that the active ingredient in all paintstrippers available for domestic use was changed a few years ago. That effectively downgraded their effectiveness in return for reducing the risk of injury from using them. Any paint strippers bought from a DIY shop or Ebay have this formulation- and they dont tell you.

The ingredient that was banned is DCM (Dichloromethane Chloride Methylene) and I found paint strippers containing it are still available for industrial use. After signing a disclaimer that i was aware of the dangers and will only use it in a workshop area I now have 5 litres of the stuff being posted to me for the same cost as 2 litres of the DIY quality. Hopefully this should make lighter work of it.

[Ian F]

I agree, the new formula paint strippers are pretty useless compared to the original formula.
I have always found using paint strippers on major panels just too messy to bother with, and was always concerned about leaving residues behind.
I favoured mechanical means every time, doing it outside if necessary. If avoiding dust is important then coarse wet and dry with water works well even if a bit slow.

Ian F

[Not_Anumber]

Thats a winning idea Ian, Id not considered rough wet and dry paper as a way of doing the job without causing dust but its obvious now youve said it.. The weather here has been so bad for so long I have given up any hope of being able to sand down the BGT outdoors. .

[Ian F]

Good quality 120 grit from a paint factor (not Halfords!) is the way to go. Use a bar of soap and plenty of water, and lots of elbow grease!

Ian F

[Ian F]

This is the paper I use:

"Rhyno - Wet and Dry 120 Grit pk25" https://www.hmgshop.co.uk/index.php?rou ... uct_id=138

Ian F