I tore my 66 apart to do some motor work and not that it is apart, I have decided it to go ahead and paint it before I put it back together. I have a different front clip for it that I am going to patch and use. I also plan on welding the quarter panels myself. My uncle is going to paint it for me. My question is what is the best way to get the paint off? there is a lot of sanding to do if I do it that way. I have access to a sandblaster, but will that warp my panels? I just want to strip the paint. What is the best way? Thanks
Josh

Get some good aircraft stripper with a thick brush and have at it.
Put it on thick and let it sit til it lifts.
Then scrape it off.
You might need to do this a few times to get it down to metal.
The stubborn areas you can get with a 80grit DA sander.
You could strip it with sand but it's a mess and will take some time. It gets everywhere, and not done properly you can damage the body..

Good luck RandyB.

Cool. Thanks. I think I will do that. Will make it easier than I thought.
Josh

The Chemical stripper method works good, I've used it on a few cars. Lately though I have switched to using these pads that look like melted plastic, they are about 7" round and fit on a buffer or a air grinder. They remove the paint very nicely and just leave you a dust instead of those nasty wrinkled up paint chips you get with chemicals. The only bad thing about doing it this way is you will run the heck out of whatever you are using. I solved this but putting a pad on an electic buffer and putting another on my father's air grinder. This way, I was able to let the compressor play catch up as I was using the electric one. The air worked much much better, but took longer becuase the tool is an air hog. I think these paint removal pads are availible at local auto body stores. I got mine at a swap meet for about $5 or $6 apiece. They last a good while, so you would probably only need about 12 or so to do the whole car (maybe more, this is just a rough guess). You will need some chemical stripper to get in the nooks and crannys.

Good luck with whatever method you decide, it's not a fun job either way.

Oh, BTW, normal sandblasting will warp the sheetmetal panels.

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Bryan Shook
My website with lots of classic cars (http://www.geocities.com/elcamino_1972)
1972 Chevrolet El Camino Options, Codes & Pricing (http://www.geocities.com/elcamino_1972/elky-options.html)
Favorite Quote: Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.

Will sandblasting warp a hood or front fenders? I thought it might. My plan was to just stay back away from it. The doors and trunk lid and the top of the car I was going to sand or use stripper. I am replacing the quarter panels with the 95% panels. Oh how much of a discount do team chevelle members get from Ground Up Restoration?
thanks
Josh

Sand blasting will warp metal regardless of where it is.. They make other media types soft enough for our cars.. Paying Team Chevelle members receive 10% discounts from Ground Up!