A few weeks ago I posted a question about undercoating removal. I tried every different suggestion. It turned into a giant mess with slow progress. Today I tried an electric heat gun. Hands down the fastest,cleanest and easiest way to remove the undercoating. For anyone who has not done this, it is probably the worst part of the restoration. If you are buying a Corvette to restore, check for undercoating. It will make the restoration much more diffucult.
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Re: undercoating removal followup
Been there, done that!!!!!!!!!! -
Re: undercoating removal followup
Someone once told me that Easy Off oven cleaner worked very well. Spray it on and after 20 minutes, the undercoat came off easily, supposedly. I've never tried it though so I don't know how well it works.
The heat gun method sounds good too though.Comment
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Re: undercoating removal followup
Will be there - soon doing that! What did you use to clean up the surface after taking off the base undercoat?Comment
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I tried the easyoff oven cleaner. It did nothing. I have not done the final cleaning yet, but mineral spirits and will probably do it.Comment
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Sounds like the way to go. Did you use an industrial heat gun or something more like a hair dryer?Comment
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Eric, Lowes sells a Wagner paint removal gun. $24. Hair dryer is not hot enough.Comment
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Thanks Benjamin, I have been putting off cleaning the oil, undercoating, grease and anything else stuck to the underside of the body while I work on the chassis. This has given me some momentum to get going on it!Comment
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I can vehemently vouch for the umpteen number of extra hours of misery and frustration that are associated with the removal and cleanup of bitumen-based undercoating. The imbecile that performed the dastardly deed on my car in its infancy even applied this dreck to the underhood. I have often fantasized of tarring and feathering the misguided creature!Comment
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Re: undercoating removal followup
A few years back I cleaned off the undercoating on the underside of my car. Tried many things but as Bert has stated the heat gun worked the best to remove the majority of the undercoating. I then used a rattle can of paint remover from Home Depot that had a orange base and came out in a foam, making adhesion easier on a horizontal position. After 3 months of working on this project after work and on weekends, I finished up with a pair of sore shoulders. It seemed like 3 months before I could lift my arms above my shoulders w/o pain. I don't wish this project on anyone.
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Kerosene
After heat scraping, using a non-metal implement, spray on some kerosene and wipe with a scouring pad --the copper kind that is used for scrubbing expensive pots/pans. The surface will look like new. And kerosene is safer than mineral spirits. Cheaper too these days.Comment
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Acetone and a scotchbrite
Wear some rubber gloves because it gets a little messy but worked out great on my '61. Used it for fiberglass and metal parts but be careful on plastics.Comment
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Re: undercoating removal followup
I am currently doing mine with a heat gun and mineral spirits. I was very impressed with how fast the heat gun gets the job done; however, because of all the various tight spots, I am sometimes forced to soaking the spots with mineral spirits and scrubbing them with a soft-bristle tooth brush.
Caution: heat guns get very hot and will melt the rubber floor plugs - don't ask me how I know this. If you are lucky like me, the undercoating will preserve some neat stuff - in my case I was lucky enough to find most of my frame stenciling intact.
Good Luck!Comment
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Re: undercoating removal followup
Harbor Freight has a heat gun with a high and low setting for less then $10.00, usually on sale. It works great.
I have also used Scotchbrite with mineral spirits, kerosene or lacquer thinner as a final cleenup and they all work great. Just be aware of the potential fire hazzard.Comment
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Re: undercoating removal followup
It does seem a bit silly to spend all the time doing this in the wheel wells and then needing to re-apply undercoating to protect the fiberglass. I believe there was an initial factory application of an undercoat type product, and in the case of the front fenders, to protect in case a stray rock can pop or star the paint if it strikes the bare fiberglass.Comment
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