1985 corvette

[Henry S.]

bought this 85 corvette with the clear-cote peeling off in many spots on the car. want to repaint but wondering how much sanding to do. do you just sand loose clear-cote off in the bad spots and feather it into the paint or do you have to remove all the clear-cote before primer?.

also am looking for a new fan motor if someone happens to have one?

[Mark E.]

Re: 1985 corvette

If the clear coat is peeling off, that's a sign it's failing due to improper surface preparation or using incompatible materials. It needs to be removed or else it will continue to fail under the new paint.

I admire your intention to do this yourself. But know that properly refinishing a car takes considerable know-how and some experience. I encourage you to seek direction from an experienced painter or have the work done for you.

[David H.]

Re: 1985 corvette

bought this 85 corvette with the clear-cote peeling off in many spots on the car. want to repaint but wondering how much sanding to do. do you just sand loose clear-cote off in the bad spots and feather it into the paint or do you have to remove all the clear-cote before primer?. ...

Henry

Significant effort with a paint job. Get familiar with what is going to be required. Community tech schools may have classes, etc ... Link below to example of training videos. Compressors, paint guns, material, paint booth, safety equipment, etc ... are all necessary and can be expensive. Ask a question and your likely to get as many different answers as there are folks responding.

Your car has SMC body panels - earlier Corvettes had fiberglass body panels. SMC and fiberglass may need different adhesives/body fillers/techniques/etc. Some responses you'll find on various Forums (CF) will be directed towards fiberglass because that's what that respondent knows. May be the wrong approach for your situation (SMC). Money spent on education will pay future dividends.

Your local NCRS Chapter members is another good information source.

What do you plan to do with your car? Have it judged? If so, familiarize yourself with NCRS standards - if possible attend one of John Ballard or Tom Ames' Paint classes at a Regional or National.

https://www.paintucation.com/

Dave