Time to say good-bye to the red.

[thirdmanj]

Oh this should be exciting!! Looking forward to seeing your progress!

[Kenny_Z]

I don't think there's any more tension on the door with the brick than there is if the door is closed. The brick is sitting on the ground, not swinging from the door. It shouldn't be for too much longer. I'm only using it to do the bottom of the door. Once I get passed the rubber strip the door will be closed.

I purchased some plastic safe stripper for the front and rear fascias. I'll be testing it on a small area behind the grill just to make sure it doesn't screw up the fascia.

Yes, she'll always be Red to me. I'm thinking of including some red accents somewhere on/in the car like I did the brake calipers. Nothing gaudy, just a touch of red.

I found those plastic scrappers started to melt pretty quickly. Once they lose their edge they're useless. The cards are rougher on the hands but don't melt. I'm using a TSP solution to neutralize the acid in the chemical stripper once it's completed its work. I don't want to use too much water because I'm afraid it might splash the stripper onto other parts that it might damage.

I'll definitely take a lot of pictures. I'd like to put together a process book for car shows.

[Patrick C]

Once I get passed the rubber strip the door will be closed.

Make sure to take off the rub strips down the side of the car. They are only held on by adhesive tape, and your car will be much easier to strip bare without them. You can always re-attach them with 3M VHB Emblem tape once the project is completed.

[TripleZeroFilms]

I'm looking at doing a very similar job to my red D a little later this year. (VIN 781) We're still trying to decide on a method. It's either going to be this type of stripping process or Soda Blasting. Both seem to have their pros and cons so I'll be excited to see how this goes.

Any helpful hints/tips/information you find along the way will be invaluable to me! (Even things as small as what brands of stripper you're using)

[pezzonovante88]

Nice to hear you're stripping the paint off! Good luck!

[Nicholas R]

Make sure to take off the rub strips down the side of the car. They are only held on by adhesive tape, and your car will be much easier to strip bare without them. You can always re-attach them with 3M VHB Emblem tape once the project is completed.

Agreed, you should be able to carefully remove them all with the plastic putty knives.

Also do you have to strip the fascias? Why not just sand them down and reprint them. Just curious. No special grain on the fascias!

[Kenny_Z]

I'm looking at doing a very similar job to my red D a little later this year. (VIN 781) We're still trying to decide on a method. It's either going to be this type of stripping process or Soda Blasting. Both seem to have their pros and cons so I'll be excited to see how this goes.

Any helpful hints/tips/information you find along the way will be invaluable to me! (Even things as small as what brands of stripper you're using)

I wanted to go with the chemical stripper because the grain is intact under my paint. As delicate as soda blasting can be I think it will still mess up the grain causing the entire car to need regraining. Red's grain has been protected by that paint since before she left the car lot so as long as I don't find any more of this I'll be one happy geek.



I'm using a product called Superstrip by Savogran. It's not doing a bad job so far but that primer is tough to get through. I wish I knew what primer they used on this car because I'd use it on every car. Even with multiple layers of this acid it's barely hurting the primer. The red paint comes off on the very first brush. In fact it starts to come off on the brush as I'm applying the chemical.

I've found that if I cut a small inch wide brush down to short bristles I can work the chemical into the grain a little easier and it pulls a lot of the stubborn primer out. I was going to try a toothbrush but this method seems to work just as well.

I'm going to pull the rubber strips off when I start to work above them. For now I'm going to go from panel to panel all along the bottom. I want to see a two tone DeLorean

[Kenny_Z]

Also do you have to strip the fascias? Why not just sand them down and reprint them. Just curious. No special grain on the fascias!

You know, that never actually dawned on me. I might do that. Thanks Nicholas.

[Kenny_Z]

I only did another small section. During the day I put on the stripper and then made lunch. When I put it on it was overcast but when I went back out the sun was out and dried the chemical. It made shell of hardened material that was difficult to melt off. So, note for future reference, do not let this stuff dry out.



I wish I could find some original forumla Aircraft stripper. The stuff they sell now is just weak. When I stripped my Nova's fenders the old formula cut through the two basecoats, primer, and ate the bondo in no time flat. This stuff has a very hard time getting through the primer/sealer that is on Red.

[Nicholas R]

I am by NO means an expert on automotive paint, but doesn't heat usually help loosen paint/primer? Maybe you could let the stripper set on the paint/primer then use a heat gun in conjunction with your scraper when actually removing it. Just a thought. Keep up the good work!