Getting to original paint

J

J Wade

Senior Member
My 28 Tudor was painted with a brush at some point. Has anyone tried to remove paint like this to get to the original paint. It appears not to have any rust, and I would like to go to the original paint without damaging it. Is this possible. Thanks
 
J, if you want to really find out what the original color looked like, use a small drill bit on two of the four rivets on the little metal plate above the sediment bowl. Lift it up to see what shape the original color (black) is in. It very well might look like crap because Ford didn’t hold paint in real high regard.

Mike
 
It depends on the type of base material for the brushed on paint. If it's water based, then isopropyl alcohol and some rubbing may do the trick. If its oil based you will need to test several different solvents in small areas.

Something like acetone or MEK will definitely work, but its tough to stop stripping before you damage the original paint that you want to save.

Color sanding will work, but its a lot of work and tricky too. Your original paint will be very thin and unforgiving.

I've removed top coat paint in small patches, but never an entire car. Bottom line...its tough to do.
 
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3m makes a safe paint stripper - sposta not be as nasty to get on you or breathe. Its a gel based stuff that slowly peels back layers. Being safe its weak compared to those really nasty things so it should peel a layer at a time. Some of that ford paint is stuck ridiculously well. Id imagine the brush paint doesnt have a good bite and should come off easily.

Get a small jug and test somewhere inconspicuous.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002NCJK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
 
Razor blades (new single edged) work well and so does Easy Off Oven Cleaner. It’s a time consuming process, and requires patience. A little at a time.
I’ll post some pictures latter today showing the car in my avatar. I’m still not done, however I very pleased with the results so far.
 
I would suggest that if it was painted with a brush, that it wasn't just because a previous owner didn't like the color. My guess would be that the original paint was shot.

If you just want to find out what the original color(s) are, the above are worth a try.

If you want to remove ALL the brush paint so that the car is back to the original paint it will be a huge task, the original paint is bound to be damaged in the process and what you find of the original paint you will probably not be very happy with.
 
A guy in our club used fine sandpaper to remove the repaint, and get back to the original paint.
He did a great job and the outcome was nicer than the repaint.
 
I removed brush paint that was put onto my 1914 Maxwell with a citrus based paint remover that i got from home depo -water based not too harsh and did a good job -
over-paint really helped preserve the paint on the fenders and hood as they are shiny
 
Bikejunk is right. I used the citrus remover from Home Depot to remove the paint from my fenders. Enough coats took it right down to bare metal. It even softened the bondo that was packed in. It smells good and was not harmful. You can get it in a spray or a brush-on.
Marty
 
I read an article in the Model A News or the Restorer where someone did exactly what you are asking, on a model A. I believe they sanded the whole car over a long period of time, so it is possible, but a lot of work.
 
Duct Tape.


If the adhesion between the brush paint and the original finish isn't strong, try this;


Clean the brush painted surface to remove all dirt & grease. Using a piece of duct tape a foot long pressing down hard on 10"of tape and fold the last 2" back upon it self, creating a tab. Steady yourself, grab the tab and with one strong 'yank' pull the tape off in one motion. Faster the better.


This might work best on the lower parts of the body as well as between the louvers where the brush painter didn't clean the surface well.


Experiment.
 
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