How to gently remove a color change
 

This truck got a blue respray by the original owner sometime before 1991. Inside and out over the beautiful vermillion red exterior and fawn interior. It looks pretty straight with original sheet metal. I see the original red everywhere the blue has flaked off. Bondo only to fill the dimpled trim holes.

Has anyone had success removing something like this? I've had success on another car with the aircraft stripper I got from my local auto parts house. However on this truck, the blue is so well bonded to the red. Ive tried some spots under the cowl and inside the bed. Anything I use that dissolves the blue also softens the red. Ideas other than wet sanding?

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

I also tried these two products. Both just melt thru both colors.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

I'm reading maybe EasyOff over cleaner will work. Gonna a try that next.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

I've stripped a number cars with air craft stripper. Typically takes at least two applications to get all of the paint off and then another to remove the primer down to bare metal.
Keep it away from seam and cracks. It can leak back out after painting. I do the big panels with stripper and then sand blast all the edges.
Be careful with air craft stripper, it's nasty stuff. Full face shield, heavy rubber gloves and good ventilation if you doing it inside.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

Unknown thing is what's under the blue?..is the red worth saving?

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

The red looks like primer to me. If you use any type of solvent it will soak into layers of paint or primer below it. That's not good.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

Maybe I wasn't clear. I want to take off just the blue.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

I'm fairly certain it's not in any worse shape than the blue

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

It looks like primer to some in person but it's the original vermillion red.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

There is no way you’re going to strip the blue and not remove the paint underneath even sanding your going to have sand through in places

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

^^ true statement^^

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

I successfully removed all the body color from the underside of the hood and hinges on this 61 Chevy. Was it because the repaint was a different type than the original? Forgive me but I never attempted to learn all the chemical wizardy. I don't have the patience for body and paint work.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

Not knowing what you used on the hood it’s hard to say why it took the color off and left the black but more than likely the black was OEM and more resistant to the chemicals you used

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

I used the aircraft stripper on the hood. I was hoping that the original red paint on the truck would also be more resistant than the blue, as was the case on the Bel Air. However, this is not the case. I'm searching for a product that would break down the blue but not the red, as was the case on the turquoise and black on the car hood.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

LOL, no, you were clear :haha:

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

Hey Stomper, that would be a very difficult task to accomplish. There is no specialty products that address this. Paint composition has changed dramatically through the decades and now were heading into new territory with the Low VOC and waterborne stuff. It gets quite complex.

I am a beginner, but after doing some research I ended up listening to some very experienced people on this website and decided to tackle some areas of rust repair on my truck.

Check this product line out: https://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/

Barry the owner will speak to anyone wanting to do his own paint job. He is not arrogant, and has a high quality product with consistency. He does his own QA before it leaves his plant. Competes extremely well with PPG, Dupont and puts some shame on them.

His Epoxies for primer and hands down easy to work with, they can be brushed also for spot repair. That stuff sticks to metal if you follow his instructions to a T. Its a fun thing to do and the costs are affordable comparatively to the high end.

Something fun to get into and with patience you can end up with a dynamite job.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

Probably crazy expensive and may not work a bit but maybe try some B12 Chemtool rub.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

You cannot remove the blue without ruining the red.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

And I'm here to do my usual rant every time someone mentions aircraft stripper. This is dangerous stuff. Breathing the vapors and getting on you skin messes up your liver. No over the counter gloves will protect you.

Ask me how I know.

Paul

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

Wet sanding is you best bet labor intense though
Your results depends on what bodywork was done for the repaint..

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

My truck looks as if it came from the factory blue. Had another blue repaint that was slightly different. Then topped off with white.

Paint remover with Methylene-Chloride will work but getting harder to find due to toxicity and EPA concerns. Take it from a guy living in LA who used to use it for everything.

Still going to take it down to metal at least in spots. No way to get rid of the blue only.

Take it to the soda/media blaster, strip it to metal and rebuild it OR straighten what you can, clean up details like overspray, take 320 grit to it until it looks like red underneath is paint worn down to primer. Matte clear it and enjoy the heck out of it. Then you won't have to fret when you get a chip, nick, or ding.

Re: How to gently remove a color change
 

I like the 320 grit option - or try some different sanding methods and see what works best. This will probably take me years, doing sections occasionally.