How to reveal original paint?
 

Hi Everyone, THE PO got a really bad paint job - Some areas look like it may have been rattle canned, and others look like it may have been rolled on. There is a really cool green color that is under it which I believe is original (when I remove the headlight bezel, Its around the headlights). I would like to remove the crap paint which is the top layer and reveal the original paint - or whatever is under it.

Can anyone provide any advice on what I should do? Should I wet sand with 600 grit? DA Sander? Dry sand? I really don't want to use chemicals as I have a small garage / alley to work with and disposal is a pain. Also - the exposed paint is so bad, and so poorly bonded that if you brush up against the truck, it will leave a white mark on your clothes (the truck is white).

Also, when sanding - any advice on what respirator I should wear? Here is the link to the one I currently wear for other things - will this work?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Mediu...A1-C/202080144

Thanks in advance!

Re: How to reveal original paint?
 

That respirator will work just fine..just make sure the cartridges are clean..
As for the paint..that is tuff...what are your plans once you remove the outer layer?
Sanding will be the best way, but needs to be done evenly...if your gonna leave a patina look to it you can do most anything to it...but once you get under that outer layer theres no telling what kinda mess you may find...if you'll post this in the paint and body section you'll get better answers...
Maybe Martinsr or some of the paint/body guys will see it here..

Re: How to reveal original paint?
 

Thank you!

Re: How to reveal original paint?
 

I've watched a super skilled soda blaster remove one layer of paint at a time without disturbing the layer under it during a demo. That kind of skill is rare and not cheap when you are intent on saving one specific layer of paint.

That said you don't currently know why it was painted the first time or every time after that. Body damage? body panels replaced after a wreck? Previous owners just decided to have a fresh coat of paint thrown on down at the local Les Schwab every year or two.

You might try pressure washing it with a hot water pressure washer.

If you look past my wife sitting in the T bucket, and the Barracuda fast back you see my 48 just after I got it back in a trade after having sold it a year and a half before. Truck was sold with a gold lacquer paint job on it and came back having been painted about three times with different colors of cheap enamel with some real tacky flames on it. Most of that came off one night at the local car wash with about ten bucks worth of quarters. I actually blew sheets of paint off it and had to go back with a broom and dust pan to pick it all up to keep the old gent who owned the car wash from raising a ruckus.

If you sand it use a sanding block and not just the palm of your hand and don't get carried away sanding on spot. That original paint if much of it is left sands through real quick.

Re: How to reveal original paint?
 

if the PO just sprayed on primer or rattle can paint, you can use the original formula Easy Off oven cleaner on it. do a panel at a time, its tough to do a whole truck, but it peels new paint off old paint pretty well, I did it on a 65 that had been rattle canned black and was impressed, there were some old school graphics on one fender that said Ghost Ride but unfortunately they also counted as new paint over old paint and came off mostly with water pressure.

be sure and get the yellow can, my wife was on the way out the door so I asked her for 2 cans of the yellow can easy off, there will be a blue can for fume free and it doesnt have the right chemical that I need so ONLY GET THE YELLOW CAN. uh huh, yes, yellow can, right.

she came back with 4 blue cans of easy off. "Yes I know you said yellow but the blue cans were buy one get one free." that was 5 years ago, I bet those blue cans of Easy Off are still under the sink.

Re: How to reveal original paint?
 

I have tried to remove original paint from a '55 and from a '57. In my case the original paint was baked on and couldn't be removed with anything but abrasive. Aircraft stripper didn't do a thing. You might try a bit of stripper on the green paint under the headlights to see if it lifts the finish.

Re: How to reveal original paint?
 

Any updates on trying anything outside of very careful sanding? A longboard and some 220 might be your friend there as you can smooth those layers out while taking them down one at a time and keep a better eye on the progress.