paint chipping off to fibreglass
I am the original owner of a Riverside Red '64 coupe, and am finishing a frame-off restoration. Since day 1, silver-dollar sized chunks of paint flake off right down to the fiberglass, mostly on the hood and front end. The car needs a paint job, and to cut expense, I thought I would strip the paint off to ready it for some one to paint it. Do you think the chipping might be caused by mold release or other contaminant on the fiberglass? Any way of removing the problem. Maybe the glass was to smooth in spots to hold the paint?
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Re: paint chipping off to fibreglass
Diane,
It's definately a adhesion problem, that factory primer was good stuff and probably did it's job well given the way these cars were prepared for paint at the factory..
Strip it and make sure all the striper is removed well and use epoxy primer to seal the body then sandable primer. Everyone will give you a different procedure but that's how I did my 63 and it looks as good now as the day it was painted..
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Re: paint chipping off to fibreglass
Generally, the factory primer is not easily stripped and has to be manually wet sanded off the car with 220-240 grit paper using flexible or hard sanding blocks as required.
Chemical stripping is something most restorers can do themselves and save a bundle. It will seem very messy and a lot of work at the time (about two days of butt-kicking physical labor), but if you follow some simple steps, you can't mess it up. You also get quick visual reward for your effort.
I would not, however, strip the car until the next step of the restoration process is paint. That will mean that the interior is out of the car or protected, and ALL exterior trim is removed. Stripping it early like I did only leaves the surface of the fiberglass vulnerable to dirt and oils while the restoration is in progress.
Work only a limited area of about four square feet until the entire stripping process is finished, then move on to the next four square feet, repeating the process until you're done. Apply the stripper as directed, let it set the prescribed time, then scrap off as much of the curdled paint as possible. More than one stripper application may be required to get down to the factory primer, which is generally red oxide.
Once you've removed everything except the primer, wipe the surface down liberally with lacquer thinner, then scrub the area thoroughly with soapy water. Wet sand off the factory primer with 220-240 grit sandpaper, then move on to the next "four square feet" until the entire car is stripped. Give the car another good thorough soapy water wash when you're finished.Comment
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Re: paint chipping off to fibreglass
I would like to add a trick I have been doing for years in stripping cars. After the stripper has removed the paint to the primer. use lacquer thinner and red scotch brite to remove the primer to bare glass. It will take some elbow grease but works like a charm. And the added bonus is that washing the surface with thinner will neutralize any left over stripper.
But from your first post I was unable to figure out if the car has been repainted or is original paint. I sounds like it was repainted in the frame off if so more info would be needed to determine why you have an adhesion problem and if you can spot repair it or it all has to be removed.
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