[spookabilly]

My "new" '59 Rambler has already partially been sanded down to bare metal. I was wondering if this is the best way before priming and painting, or if I should just get the surface rust off? Also, does anyone know if sanding with a wire wheel (grinder w/ metal brush on) is a good or appropriate way to sand? Thanks!
-Levi

 

[Gr8 '48 bow tie]

NOOOO........NOOOO....Spook, A wire wheel will get the rust off but you will also get swirls on the body that you will have to grind out with a DA grinder. Why not just do it with a DA to start with.... one step instead of two?

BTW I love the '59 Rambler. I had a'59 Ambassador 327 650 Carter with auto trans and posi. I sure surprised a lot of guys with the so called HOT cars ['57 and'58] Chevys. Rambler was a very underrated car.

 

[spookabilly]

Yes, it was and still IS a very underrated car. Even in styling. Mine is only a 6 cylinder, though, but I'm not into racing or hot rodding a whole lot, plus cash for performance equipment is not abundant for me (I'm only 17 and am working 4 jobs!) I'd just like to get this rambler fixed up, because I think it's awesome. I really love the size, too. It's not as huge as a caddy, but still has some good styling and some fins. Not that a caddy isn't awesome (just too expensive to get parts!) My brother has a '60 cad and it is great fun.
-LEvi
-Levi

 

[Gr8 '48 bow tie]

What model Rambler do you have? Is it the American, Ambassador or some other?


***********Good Luck To On Your Project***********

 

[deuce_454]

never never use sanders to strip a car. the heat generated can actually warp a panel, plus you inevitably take the sharp edges of of the body, leaving you with a car that looks less sharp when painted.
Just use a chemical striper, like airplane stripping agent. it takes about two houre to completely strip a car and you have no swirl marks what so ever. then leave the sanding on the bare metal to the painter.

[ August 18, 2002: Message edited by: deuce_454 ]</p>

 

[Kevin45]

Well which one do ya own? Wetsand with some 220 grit, then with some 320. Clean, prep, and prime.

Kevin

 

[spookabilly]

It's the one on the left. It's a Super 4 Door Hardtop Series 10. OHV six-cylinder w/single-barrel carb, and three on the tree w/ overdrive.
-Levi

 

[[email protected]]

Deuce; Wow! you are a FAST stripper! I have been working on my '53 Chevy pickup cab for 6 hours and am not even half done!!!!!!

 

[big dreams]

A da or dual action sander is an acceptable way to strip a car.You really only have to be worried about warpage if you are grinding.If you have a small amount of surface rust 80 grit will probably do the trick,if the rust is to much for the 80 grit try 40.If the rust is to much for the 40 grit then you`ll probably be better off to have it sand blasted, but from your description it`s probably not that bad.also when you go down to bare metal,say you strip the whole fender, you`ll want to spay on athin layer of self etcing primar before applying regular primar.This will help everything stick to the metal.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

I use brass wire brushes with straight wires. It doesn't overheat the metal, warp it or leave swirl marks once the first coat of primer goes on. I just use a wire wheel to get at the places a sander cannot. I also use a 5" random orbit sander to bring down the paint using 150 grit disks.

deuce_454: Where exactly do you get strippers that can strip a car in 2 hours? What name brand did you use? I tried stripping and it barely penetrated the top coat and I had to sand it off anyways.

 

[Madd Syntst]

Duece, you need to let us in on your tricks. I stripped a 64 Ford and it took me the best part of an 8 hr day at the shop. I do agree with nusing chemicals. I strip it first, scrubb it with Comet,wash the metal with a muratic solution, air dry and prime.

 

[[email protected]]

Ron Covell uses a Scotch-Bright disk on an air grinder in his metal working videos. If it is good enough for him I'd say it's good enough for anyone! I haven't tried it yet but plan on it. I imagine he gets them at Eastwood, he seems to have close ties with them and they have a lot of specialty items like that.

Johnny B. I'm surprised you have such bad luck w/ chemical strippers. My experience is that they almost completely take the paint off in two coats except some primers they don't touch at all. Luckily, primers sand off with little effort. Key to them is to get the good stuff at the hardware store, epoxy grade is best and expect to pay around $20/gallon. Spread it on fairly thick with as little agitation as possible. Stirring it up with too much brushing breaks the vapor barrier it builds and ruins its effectivness quite quicky. The wait . . . . ten minutes or so should result in the paint totally bubbled and surprisingly dry and scrapes right off with a putty knife. Usually need to repeat the process for every coat of paint on the car. All that is left is thin primer, some stubborn patches of color that I am baffled why they won't come off, and rust. I wash the whole thing down with a Scotch-Bright and lacquer thinner while the stripper residue is still fresh. All that is left is a little sanding with a random orbit sander and it's done.

 

[pinstripebob]

POR-15

POR-15 has a new chemical paint stripper that works almost instantaneously. All you do is spray it on with a bottle it comes with and scrape off the paint with something like a piece of old sheetmetal or a Ford logo . It's called POR-Strip and comes in a quart or gallon.

 

[philPKP]

I GOT TOLD "HOOTERS" HAVE THE BEST STRIPPERS
OTHER SIDE OF DE POND WE HAVE THIS STUFF "NITROMOORS"
COSTS ABOUT £15gall -$20, JUST LOAD YA BRUSH + STIPPLE IT ON,SO YOUR NOT THINING IT BY BRUSHING,TIME IT TAKES TO HAVE A ***! WHOOPS! CIGARETTE THAT SHOULD BE,JUST GO TO IT WITH A METAL PAINT SCRAPER.ANY SUBBORN BITS I USE A GRINDING WHEEL ON A DRILL,DON"T KNOW WHAT THERE CALLED,MADE OF SOME KIND OF FIBER,I ALSO USE THE WHEEL AROUND MARKER LIGHTS ECT THAT WON"T COME OUT.
AT PRESENT I"M STRIPPING MY 71 RANCHERO.WHERE DO YOU GET THESE SO MANY HOURS FROM? I"VE BEEN ON MINE FOR A WEEK + A HALF,STILL NOT HALF FINISHED?:sweat:
STILL THEY SAY IT"S ALL IN THE PREP! JUST GETTIN WORRIED I"LL BE TOO OLD TO DRIVE THE F/N THING WHEN IT"S DONE:laugh:
CHEERS GUYS.....PHIL

 

[troy-curt]

Spookabilly,

You can warp any sheet metel with a power sander if you leave it in the same spot long enough.
As with any kind of stripper, be sure you clean every crack and creves. I`ve seen it ruin paint jobs. And wear good protection
And a resperater. HTH

Good Luck;
Troy: