1976 280Z Restoration Project

[wheee!]

Hmmm. Didn't try. I had been told the bondo would take forever to soften. The EZ strip wheels do a good job too. I have more to strip so I will try it. Quarters and rockers, doors and fender, hood and hatch....

[Patcon]

FWIW, Don't get it on you! It gets HOT quick... splattered it across my face one time with a power drill and wire brush...

[Captain Obvious]

It's not temperature hot. It's a chemical burn.

That stuff (like many other paint removers) is methylene chloride. Nasty stuff. Be glad you didn't get it in your eyes with that wire wheel on the drill.

[Patcon]

Oh, I know but your skin just tells you hot. Good ventilation is a prerequisite. I was 19 at the time, live and learn...

Amazing I have lived this long...

[siteunseen]

We used to get basketball/gym floor stripper. It'll swell up and blow the top off if you don't keep it in a shaded cool area. Had a five gallon can in back of a paint truck one day, BOOM, stuff went everywhere. Worked great though, smelt sweet but really caustic. Local chemical company made it. 

[wheee!]

Yeesh. Maybe I'll stick to the EZ strip wheel

[Martzedcars]

My painter say's don't use paintstripper on cars..(We want a perfect paintjob.) because you will find it back IN your paintwork later..(Even after a good clean) Now he's sanding and sanding... my car only has primerpaint no bondo.. under his older paintjob. (I'm restoring a 280zx 2+2  without that (flexing, front glass breaking) T-bar!)

[sweatybetty]

warm up the bondo with a small propane torch and it scrapes right off

[Patcon]

Aircraft stripper neutralizes easily with paint thinner. Sort of "pills" up as little rubber bits. I haven't every had an issue with bleed through later from it but I also don't goop it all down in the seams either

[EuroDat]

I have heard similar advice from a threw painters. They seem to agree on using paint stripper, but stay a least an inch or more away from any seams.

[Namerow]

Some recommend laying down 1"-wide masking tape around all edges of a panel before applying the stripper.  This keeps the stripper from finding its way into any edge seams.  Afterwards, they remove the tape and use mechanical means to remove the paint along the panel edges. Hadn't heard the tip about using paint thinner to neutralize/remove residue.

There was a good review and how-to of paint stripping that appeared in a British resto-mag a couple of years back.  Key points made:

• They found a noticeable variation in effectiveness across the 7 or 8 brands tested.  The best worked in a single application and in a matter of a hour or so.  The lest effective had to be left overnight and required a second application.
• Effectiveness was improved by scoring the paint with a dull razor blade before applying the stripper.  Cross-hatch, one-inch spacings.  Try not to score the underlying metal.
• Effectiveness was also improved by laying a sheet of poly over the panel after the stripper had been applied.

They also noted that, in Britain (maybe the US too), environmental issues had forced a change in stripper formulations ~ 10 years ago, so they're not as aggressive as in days gone by.

[EuroDat]

I can remember that article as wel, but I can't find back again. I think its also in a thread here somewhere as well.

Taping seams was the advice I got from the painter that did my air dam a couple of months ago. Good tip Namerow.