Excellent results with Lacquer thinner, green scrubby pad, toothbrush and Dremel tools (wire brushes & 180& 280 buffing pads). I'm halfway there and am very pleased with the results.
Firewall Paint Removal
- Thread starter The Rebel
- Start date
Ok, so what would you do.
gkent
Well-Known Member
You know he's not trying to strip bare, right ??
R413
Well-Known Member
Yes I’m well aware, but his results are getting him to bare metal. This brake clean will not remove paint with hardener, it removes cheapo rattle can paint.
gkent
Well-Known Member
He seems to be doing just fine. Almost all of the black is gone and almost all of the red is still there. What more can you ask for !!
Thanks, guys, for the input. I spent a lot of time searching the web with various google searches but never found a post or video that showed using lacquer thinner. Many sites just said use this, use that...etc but never showed any before & after pic's, or how they achieved the look they were looking to get.
Now, I will say that using the various chemicals probably got me some of the bare metal in spots and I know that I may have been too aggressive in some areas, but it definitely was trial & error. I will say it is possible that some of the bare metal may have already been there from back in the day when it was repainted Red. Then someone came along and put the Black on top of the Red. No idea what that Black paint was but it's definitely hardened as well as getting baked on with the engine heat.
At the end of the day, I like how it's come out and hell if I decide to paint it with a rattle can someday at least I have a better surface to work with. That Black firewall looked like hell.
Now, I will say that using the various chemicals probably got me some of the bare metal in spots and I know that I may have been too aggressive in some areas, but it definitely was trial & error. I will say it is possible that some of the bare metal may have already been there from back in the day when it was repainted Red. Then someone came along and put the Black on top of the Red. No idea what that Black paint was but it's definitely hardened as well as getting baked on with the engine heat.
At the end of the day, I like how it's come out and hell if I decide to paint it with a rattle can someday at least I have a better surface to work with. That Black firewall looked like hell.
It's waaayy better than flat black.
While I'm in the process of removing the firewall paint I'm already getting ready for my next project to paint the master cylinder black. Were they flat, satin or gloss?
gkent
Well-Known Member
More of a satin. Your standard underhood black.
Thanks!
Hew guys, will be back at it this weekend and need some pics of 68 Chargers firewalls to get a sense of what was body color and what was not. I think the bolts were not body color & were natural but need to verify. Also from what I've seen looks like the master cylinder boosters were all black.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
gkent
Well-Known Member
Nothing is body color except the sheet metal. EVERYTHING was installed after paint - pedals, heater, and everything in the engine compartment.
gkent
Well-Known Member
!!!!
Spent a wet raw dreary rainy day in the garage tackling the other side of the firewall. As the area is much tighter to work in, used a small spray bottle with lacquer thinner in it. Really worked out well to spray/soak the black paint & continued to use my Dremel brass wire brush to scuff off the black thick paint.
Pretty much have it all done but have some areas to touch up and hopefully will be sunny next weekend so I can work outside & wash the engine bay down to clean it all up & then shine up the firewall.
Pretty much have it all done but have some areas to touch up and hopefully will be sunny next weekend so I can work outside & wash the engine bay down to clean it all up & then shine up the firewall.
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