I'm getting ready to do a complete color change and the local paint shops are telling me that they can't paint over the original finish with their new "polyurathane" paints. They want to strip the car to bare metal and apply this "new" paint system. What ever happened to the good ol' Acrylic Enamel we used to use, is it and the clear still availible?? Is the "new" system that much better??? Got to figure out what to do pretty soon, it's getting warmer each day http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

Well at least in California Acrylic is illegal. Pollutes the air, blah blah, environmentalist whiners got it banned. But head to Mexico or somewhere and you might find a place that will do it. I dunno. Problem with new paint is that if you dont sand down the whole body really good, after about 1-3 years it starts looking like a spraypaint job, instead of a professional paint job.

That's what I was afraid of. I had a feeling that paint would be too soft for my liking. I'll dig around and find some ol'timer that can still paint the Acrylic color, but like CA I believe the clear has been outlawed here too. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/frown.gif Can anyone verify if the new clears can be put over the Acrylic color...?

If the body is in good shape and the paint their now isn't lifting you could have the body shop of your liking spray a sealer over the old paint and then add the base coat clear coat system on top of the sealer. But keep in mind your talking about adding quit a bit of paint. I myself would strip the car and really do it right. The shops most likely won't do it without stripping because of the risk of lifting later on. The new urethane systems are no doubt better than enamels ever will be. Urethane lends it's self to taking chips in the paint better than enamels because it won't get rock hard. They will last just as long provided it's done correctly. I would use a PPG urethane system. I've used almost all the names out there and PPG seems to give the best results working with it. Good luck RandyB..

Acrylic enamel is a cheap way out. It chalks out and fades after a while. Todays urethanes are far superior than laquer and enamel used 20 years ago.
Although you may be able to go over the existing finish, " sometimes you can", you are still putting more material on the car, and that means more of a chance of paint problems later on.
The best way to go, is strip the entire car to bare metal, and use either an epoxy primer or self etching primer.
Then go with single stage urethane or the basecoat/clearcoat urethane system.
You get a better shine and it lasts longer.

Jeff Litka
72 Chevelle SS
72 Montecarlo

JSL is correct. Putting any type of Enamel on a classic car should be against the law! Do you know how much paint is on the car now? if you have two paint jobs or more, strip it. And strip it good. Use the new urethanes.

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Triple Black 69 SS 396

it should take them 8 hours, and 80 dollars worth of # 80 grit to strip the car --- it's well worth it --- do the jambs have to be stripped as well -- are they still lacquer ???

Junkvette, maybe I'm doing something wrong since it's taken me much more than 8 hours to strip down a car to bare metal with my DA using 80 grit. How does a shop do it in 8 hours?

There are Califonia legal acrylics enamels in most brands of paint. But a urethane basecoat clear is the only way to go.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

one of the fastest ways to strip a car is use liquid stripper.
It is very messy and smelly though, but works well, run some tape over the door gaps so the stripper wont go in.
Also a sticker scraper with a new razor blade works well. If there's laqquer primer underneath,which im sure there is, the paint will come right off.


Jeff Litka
72 Chevelle SS
72 Montecarlo

[This message has been edited by JSL (edited 03-06-2001).]

1969, they probably use 36 grit, then 80 to finish the metal. That is how I stripped my jobs and my 70, which the paint job is 10 years old now, 21 line single stage Glasurit. I would advise stripping, the paint job will last much longer, especially if there are more than 2 repaints.

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My70ChevelleSS (http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1551080&a=11764957)

I own a body shop and the way I take a car to the metal is by using a buffer with a velcro backing pad and 80 grit velcros paper,, take it down till you see metal lightly showing thru the factory primer( i would suggest staying off any style lines) then run back over it and carry it the rest of the way down with a DA... and be sure to use either an etching primer or epoxy primer before you start using a filling primer,, use the urethane primer and block sand it, block sand, block sandn till your arms wear out then you will have a good looking paint job,,, and i would definetley recommend a basecoat clearcoat after its wet sanded and buffed it will be deep and last for years!!!!

Cool Stuff guys. Well I talked to a Shop that's going to do it. The original paint is still in good shape, just some small spidering on the rear deck and fender. They talked me into a base coat/clear coat urathane where they'll strip the bad sections(horz. surfaces) and epoxy the rest. After the 2nd coat of clear is where I get to add my stuff and wet sand the thing with some 1500. I'm gonna love that, get all wet and rub all over a freshly cleared paint job http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif. Then they add the final coat of clear (with the appropriate pearls http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif). I sure am excited, and don't even ask me what color cuz' you'll only laugh and tell me I'm an idiot. just kidding, and thanks for all the info, it helped... http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif