I have a set of RX-3 fenders and doors including trunk and hood. However, there have rust. I would like to strip it down to determine if rust is minimal. Whats the easiest way to do it as I have minimal free time. once stripped to bare metal, I will prime it with rus-oloeum (sp??? bbq grill paint) and it will hibernate for future use.

Sand it down (long and painful process)
aircraft paint remover (stinky)
sand blast

thanks

 

I've had good luck sanding with a pistol grip type high speed air sander/grinder. It will usually take everything off in one pass without warping or removing a lot of metal. I use about a 60 grit disc if its only original thickness paint. Sometimes a 36 grit is needed for multiple layers.

Sand blasting can lead to warping if the person isn't careful. The best way if you can find it locally and are willing to pay would be soda blasting. I've seen the paint removed from a Coke can with soda with no damage to the aluminum.

If you go the stripper route get some plastic to cover it while it works on the paint, it will save you a bunch of money and time.

As for primer, be careful what you choose. Primer itself usually won't stop rust unless its an epoxy type. More experienced body guys may know of some that I don't but I like the "DP40" series from PPG and it has a built in rust inhibitor. Rustoleum may cause trouble with future top coats.

 

Have someone else do it

Seriously, see if there's a shop that can acid dip them to strip em and then just have them zinc coated ( I think thats what it is). Then you can store em until you need em. Not sure if its within your budget, but thats the fastest way I can think of.

 

Dont sand blast!!! It'll kill the old metal, warp it all to hell and when/if you ever use them again they will need soooo much filler to make them straight again.

Sodablast them. Find someone in your area who does sodablasting. We just ordered a liquid Sodablaster for doing exactly what you want to do.

We had our RX-4 wagon completely sodablasted, it doesn't harm any glass or chrome trim. It also leaves a protective film on all the bare metal. The car has been sitting untouched for over a year in our shop and still doesn't have any surface rust on it.

Heres what it started out like



Heres what she looks like

 

thanks for the input guys. Im not a body & paint guy but I was once good with spray cans doing something else

 

poor about 3 gallons of brake fluid on the car and let it set overnight. That'll do it.

 

Aircraft stripper. Spray/brush it on, wait 20 minutes and with some gloves and a putty knife, you can just brush it off! Works great!

 

really thick and long gloves, and some good ventilation (outside is best) and some sort of mask, some of the chemical strippers stink very bad, and on thin gloves, you will literally feel the glove heat up and sting and if left for long enough can eat through and start going after the skin

 

spoken like a true professional. i have been doin body and paint for 14 years and this is what i was gonna say pretty much word for word. hah

 

Take it and have it dipped! That's what they did to my Dad's '63 Porsche when it was fully restored.

 

Jasco Paint Stripper from Home Depot. And a good epoxy primer.

 

dang, there is no easy way out.

 

As an aircraft engineer I would recommend aircraft style paint strippers, something like tergo strip you would only need 1 litre to do 2 gaurds maybe even half a litre, just paint it on with a cheap 2" paintbrush leave it for 10minutes and scape it off, sometimes you will have a few patchs you will need to go over again, and for the last bit finishing it off use scotchbrite bads and MEK (methyl ether ketone) That will get rid of the last of the paint and bring it up to mint bare metal, you will just need a set of gloves and a cheap gas mask with charcoal filters as specially for the MEK otherwise you will walk round in a daze for the next hour, I wouldnt recomend putting grill coating on panels either I can just about bet that the paint wont stick and look like crap! Use a good etch and it wont rust for years

 

stripper: best bet
sanding: time consuming
basting: Warpage issues
Dipping: crud creep from seams

 

Im looking forward to a long and stinky process. lol

 

Hmmm..... from the look of those two pictures your just showing off the wheel in the back ground.

Don't let him fool you guys notice how he took the cover off the rx4 so the front and rear wheels are showing.......Your such a show off bring those fenders over and try them on for size and you don't have to strip the paint....

 

thanks bro for taking the task of stripping the paint. Too bad you switched to 4x114 bolt pattern. I was gonna give you them rotas.

 

you can give them to me if you like

 

Rota's...I would'nt take them even if you pay me. Those thing are boat anchors

 

You should strip the fenders with air craft remover, them spray the bare metal with a self etching primer that you can get from most any parts store. That will keep the metal from rusting before you have it painted or primed.

 

aircraft paint remover it is and cheap *** paint brush from harborfreight.

 

I would have been done by now with a toothbrush! Pull your skirt up an get er done. BTW- once you get it down to a science you can do my duece next.

 

How did this project turn out wacky? Any pics.....