Hey gang,
I'm about to send my car in for a repaint and like a few of the new car colors that are out there. The few that I have looked into all turn out to be 3-stage paints (I seem to have expensive taste!). Anyway, I'm concered about laying down that much paint (& solvent) on the existing paint. The car currently has a laquer BC/CC paint job on top of the original paint. The current paint is in pretty good shape and I'd rather not strip it if I don't have to. I have blocked it down to the last color coat, though.

Does anyone foresee any problems with this? Thanks in advance!

------------------
Jim

"You're not afraid of a little mouse, are you?!"
My '69 (http://www.geocities.com/jimschevellepage/)

Don't sweat it.It will be fine.

You really shouldn't have a problem except for excessive film build. If you have one of those "thirty hand rub coats of lacquer" jobs, you will have much too much product. If it was a sensible few coats color and a few coats clear lacquer job, go for it.



------------------
1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

I wouldn't take a chance. You are talking about putting an expensive paint job over a sub-standard base. I think you will be sorry soner rather than later. Strip it.
Gordon VM
Restoration Motorsports

Leave it.Most guys have more mils than what you have with three coats of high build prime.If you strip it your going down a whole new road you may not be prepared to travel down.

boomhauer, I do see Gordons point, the lacquer is a poor base next to urethane primer. But the fact that striping the car will add three to 10 times the (read that TIME) work makes it a very serious decision. To strip or not to strip should not be based ONLY one or two different reasons. ALL things need to be considered.

------------------
1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

I agree.Telling a guy who may not know what is involved to strip his car is not a good thing.Any previous bodywork would have to be ground out and redone.I'm assuming he just wants a basic repaint not a show winniner.He did say he sanded it down to the last color coat,that makes me think the original color?

Thanks for the responses guys!

I'm trying to be honest with myself about my intentions for this car. I do show the car a couple of times a year but mostly it's a driver. I can accept not having a 100% flawless body and with 2 new babies in the house, I'm trying to keep this paint job under a couple grand. For me, at this time, stripping the car is a last resort. The car has had some good, minor bodywork that I'd rather not recreate.

When I said I have it blocked to the last color coat I meant that I've pretty much removed the topcoat of clear and am well into the most recently sprayed basecoat. I've sanded a little further (into the original paint or to bare metal) near the door edges and other body edges to reduce the ultimate thickness and, hopefully, prevent chipping.

If there's a serious risk of a 3-stage paint job not coming out right or not lasting for a while, I'll settle with a 2-stage job.

Thanks for the input!

------------------
Jim

"You're not afraid of a little mouse, are you?!"
My '69 (http://www.geocities.com/jimschevellepage/)

I don't think you are going to have a problem. However, if you are doing most of the sanding yourself (as stated above) I'd say get it down as far as you can. If you DA it you should NOT have to redo your body work (IMHO) and you will be a little more comfortable with the buildup. if you figure on average you do 3 coats per stage, you will have a minimum of 9 coats of paint and most likely 3 more of sealer or primer (you sanded to bare metal in areas) thats 12 coats total. to be on the safe side you should try to dig down as far as you can go. If you can get it down your paint job shouldn't cost much more than it will without stripping it.. Just something to think about. You might not have problems if you don't, but why take the risk if you can do it yourself?

------------------
X-Ray View of my Chevelle :D (http://www.normieschevelle.com/sideview.jpg)
Getting Closer (http://www.normieschevelle.com/passfull.jpg)
my baby in primer (http://www.normieschevelle.com/prime/primerdrv.jpg)

Something to think about while cutting all that old paint down is leaving the body wavy.
Improper sanding techniques can leave that new paint waving at you. I'm sure we've all seen it a time or two. I think your better off in the long run to get rid of some of that paint to keep the layers down but you have to take care not to leave high and low spots in the body.

RandyB..

Good luck