Removing Paint

Afternoon everyone.
Hope you are all well and enjoying your oil leaking money pits just as much as I am.

Im just about at the point of a rope around ones neck regarding paint removal on Noel, my 1975 S3.

Unfortunately, at some point it looks like he was enlisted into the forces and has received a coat of paint, applied very very badly.
This first coat just about comes off with Nitromorse (green tin)
However, the original paint wont budge. Not even with cellulose thinners.

Any ideas on how to get back to bare aluminium?
I dont have access to a shot blaster, and anyway, im betting the paint is harder than the ally!
Sanding down is not an option. Its impossible to sand a rivet without it looking ****e!
Also, it would cripple my carpel tunnel ridden hands/wrists

There must be a paint remover out there that removes car paint?

Why not just sand the bad areas and then re paint, I hear you ask?
Because I dont work that way.
If a jobs worth doing, do it properly.
I have a serious hatred of paint on top of paint on top of paint and so on.

Thank you.
A frustrated Shirl.

codfather79 said:

Afternoon everyone.
Hope you are all well and enjoying your oil leaking money pits just as much as I am.

Im just about at the point of a rope around ones neck regarding paint removal on Noel, my 1975 S3.

Unfortunately, at some point it looks like he was enlisted into the forces and has received a coat of paint, applied very very badly.
This first coat just about comes off with Nitromorse (green tin)
However, the original paint wont budge. Not even with cellulose thinners.

Any ideas on how to get back to bare aluminium?
I dont have access to a shot blaster, and anyway, im betting the paint is harder than the ally!
Sanding down is not an option. Its impossible to sand a rivet without it looking ****e!
Also, it would cripple my carpel tunnel ridden hands/wrists

There must be a paint remover out there that removes car paint?

Why not just sand the bad areas and then re paint, I hear you ask?
Because I dont work that way.
If a jobs worth doing, do it properly.
I have a serious hatred of paint on top of paint on top of paint and so on.

Thank you.
A frustrated Shirl.

Click to expand...

Wire wheel on a grinder very gently?

80 grit on an orbital sander...dont forget to acid etch bare alloy before priming...

Problem is that paint stripper available to the DIYer is pretty weak - years ago Nitromors was a 'go to' but not any more.
Might be worth seeing what a motor factor that does paint has in stock as more likely to be 'professional' grade.
Might be worth giving this chap a ring to see what he says: Paint Stripper - Strip Away Pro (professional users only) - Paintman Paint

if it's proper camo paint theym good luck, whatever you do

kermit_rr said:

if it's proper camo paint theym good luck, whatever you do

Click to expand...

No, it's a sort of white semi gloss.
Possibly a UN vehicle?

Just an update.
Strip away pro is the k 9s spheroids
Back to ally in no time.
Word of caution, wear overalls and elbow length gauntlets, it burns like feck!!

I've used dronco coarse fleece disks to strip paint. Can be effective. More noise, less chemical

codfather79 said:

Just an update.
Strip away pro is the k 9s spheroids
Back to ally in no time.
Word of caution, wear overalls and elbow length gauntlets, it burns like feck!!

Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, did they ask for any documentation to show you were a professional?

I've found that I can buy real creosote merely by telling the seller I'm a professional, so it's relatively easy. Not that I creosote my Land Rover, but it's useful stuff for other things.

DOT4 makes good paint remover but you have to pretend not to spill any or it won't work

Brown said:

Out of curiosity, did they ask for any documentation to show you were a professional?

I've found that I can buy real creosote merely by telling the seller I'm a professional, so it's relatively easy. Not that I creosote my Land Rover, but it's useful stuff for other things.

Click to expand...

No, it was purchased on a trade account.