I am about to remove all the paint on my 78 308; I have read about several different options on here on how this is accomplished. It seems that the acid dipping/ removal process has the advantage of leaving the metal unharmed which when done with rough grade sanding equipment may not be guarranteed. I thought I would have the doors, the trunklid and the enginelid removed and acid dipped. The rest of the car would be stripped with paintremover, that would at the same time take all the rust off as well which is a big plus. I was curious what you guys think about that idea. Next thing I am curious about is what you guys would recommend in terms of primer out of a can. I have to immediately apply primer to the stripped metal surface just so that it is protected from surface rust. Any recommendations as to what the best primer out of a spray-can would be? Thanks, Helmut
Wow big job broken out! I have stripped cars for painting and only ever use paint stripper and steel wool ! The only times I have used acid dip is on competition cars ! Once the paint is off I used an etch primer and then a normal high build primer before top coats ! Good luck. Don't forget pictures
Helmut, I remember a recent thread about chemical dipping. The 308 (all years) front trunklid is made of aluminum, and from what I remember if you dip that in acid you will be lucky to retain 25% of the lid. It just gets eaten away!
Two things to consider here: 1. It is important to immediatly protect the metal once it is stripped to avoid the formation of oxidation. Go to an automotive paint supplier and tell them what you are doing. They can then give you the product you need. If all you are doing is protecting the panel until the bodyshop fully preps it, then a metal prep applied with a brush is all you need. Remember this is all going to get removed when the body prep begins so you do not need to worry about the look. 2. VERY IMPORTANT!!!!! If you are using paint stripper be sure to mask off every single seam and area where panels meet. These areas need to be stripped mechanically once the stripper has been removed from the panel. Reason being is that even if one drop remains in a seam or join (and it always does no matter how much you prep the car) it will remain active and leak out later ruining the paint. When I paint my 308 next year I will disassemble and re-assemble it myself. I considered stripping it but I opted against for 2 reasons. First, it is a messy and awful job. Much harder on a 308 then other cars because of the filler primers used. Second, if the shop that paints the car strips it, then they have no way of denying me warranty on the job should their be a problem down the line. This extra security is surely worth the upcharge to have someone strip the paint.
Something else to consider when using chemicals such as strippers... The 78 308 body panels were all hand fitted back then. Which means there were variations from panel to panel, so they used high build filler to smooth over all the rough areas. Taking it to the metal with chems will require a substantial amount of labor to provide a smooth finish.
Also take the time to read this: http://www.ferraris-online.com/Articles/SCM_0006.html An EXCELLENT article on re-painting a 308 vs a normal car.
The short version is that chemical stripping these cars is a BIG MISTAKE........ But go ahead........ You'll be thru resealing it years from now.......the fillers are also LEAD on the doors and quarter panels...the EPA and OSHA will be interested in how you handle that.......
Uhm, if there are any bubbles, you'll need to do more than just strip it. You'll have to fill those holes by welding in new metal or ----- BONDO!!!! sorry, had to say it. Could you give us more details please? And what about Saturday AM?? It's supposed to be cool and clear and I need to drive my car once more before I dive into the winter maintenance.
Sorry Big Tex, cannot agree, I can only speak as a DIY'er but I have chemically stripped many cars and never had a problem, including a couple of Astons and E types. These have alloy and steel panels,lead and high build everywhere. Just remember to take great care with your preparations and it will be OK.If you use a buzzer to remove paint be veryyyyyyyyyyyy careful.You can damage swage lines. As a Limey, I know nothing about EPA and OSHA.
The chemicals will soften and destroy ALL the various fillers, put on by the factory! So it COULD be argued a "bare metal" resto DESTROYS the original factory workmanship of these areas to be replaced with 'modern' rework.. Where is the originality, or even improvement, in THAT????????? So a true professional would know WHEN to stop the removal process, IMO. And it is WAY before seeing the gleaming of bare steel and the original weld/grind marks of the original body fabrication. But hey, what do I know?.......spend the money! It's theirs, not mine! There are some pics of the extent of leading along the fenders and doors used by the factory. My shop DOES have the expertise and would even be willing to do it, based upon my long time patronage, but you'd have to totally remove ALL items from the car to allow for the heat of the process. I have heard of only one other shop here that handles lead any more..the 'chop and channel' guys with the lowriders still do it.
Good point! But here in the pollution Capitol of the World they've started to take a keen interest in what you dump on the ground or the sewer. Can't say as I blame them! Paint booths here have become a considerable expense to operate within all applicable guidelines.........$$$$$$$$
Thanks for all the input! From all the above it appears that I should stay away from the joints in between the panels and do those by hand. One interesting point was the trunklid.... is it really aluminium??? To remove the paint on the entire car by sanding seems to easily scratch the panels, is that paranoia or would you guys agree on that? Thanks again, Helmut
Personally I wouldn't do the chemical remover thing - messy and as pointed out potentially dangerous to other parts and things. If you do sand (which is a good method) make sure you use a DA sander with only the grit necessary to remove paint and don't grind holes into your metal, and yes no matter what you are probably going to scratch panels. If you are doing a class job - no matter what method of paint removal - you will seal and spray a primer surfacer and block sand out any minor scratches and frankly improve many of the imperfections that came stock out of Italy. Alternately you may consider a media blast, but make sure you have a skilled operator (not Rambo) and use a fine media with only the pressure needed remove paint. Many stories of warped panels etc using sandblast, but it is not a problem with the method - it is typically commercial guys who want to blow the hell out of it in a half hour, get their money and leave. Lastly, the trunklid is aluminum on at least the 308's I have seen. Good luck and have fun
