Media blasting(walnut shells, etc) will damage the fiberglass....even with a skilled operator. Soda blasting is safer, but that stuff will get everywhere...and I do mean EVERYWHERE.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
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(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I saw a guy use a pressure washer to strip the paint off his vet.  Wonder what type of damage that would do to the fiberglass?

As Joel stated above soda blasting works but gets everywhere. It won't hurt your chrome, windows or plastic lens. When completed all residue needs to be cleaned and washed or you will have paint issues. Even if you do the soda blasting there's a good chance you'll need to do work on the seems which means filling and sanding. I can't say what the cost of blasting would be but for my 72 we went the old fashion way and sanded since it had to have other work for him. No matter which way you go the key will be the block sanding and prep before the paint. Best of luck Rodney

|UPDATED|7/9/2013 9:35:06 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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A pressure washer? Musta been a bad paint job....or there was some chemicals involved.
Don't know that a pressure washer would damage the 'glass, unless it was held in one spot too long. Bet you could burn a hole in it pretty quick, if ya wanted to! I guess it kinda depends on how MUCH pressure is involved. And...where does the paint go?
It's a neat idea, I s'pose....might be a good deal to get it down to a sandable surface quickly, with no powder residue to clean out of every nook & cranny(what the heck IS a "cranny", anyway?) for the next 20 years.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I will see if I can find the video again it was on this forum that I saw it posted.  I believe he stated it took him only a couple of hours to do it.

What about using a mild paint stripper?

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I saw a TV show where they used dry ice instead of soda blasting. There is no mess and reportly leaves a very clean and smoth finish . I think it would depend on the " technician " using the equipment . Somebody sacrifice a boat . Just my. 2 cents . I would. Stay with sanding or soda blasting. Paint striping chemicals will most likely effect the gel coat and the fiberglass resin. Big Al

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That sounds pretty intriguing.......(Nice seeing you Big Al......)




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ok..here goes, I used a pressure washer for stripping off my 76's paint. I used the No. 15 nozzle to remove 95% of the paint, just found some chipped areas and started away. The washer did not hurt the primer. The rear deck area had some problems and would not strip. Any area that would not peel away with the washer was left alone for the body shop to hand sand! I must mention that this as a second paint job...so might have stripped easier...due to poor work on last job and this was not done in one day. It took several 4 hour sessions to complete.

|UPDATED|7/11/2013 6:42:35 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Ron 

I do believe that it was the org. primer. I could even see were areas were marked for additional repairs. (at factory) My body shop noted that the back deck area had been repainted additional times. I have read that the factory often repainted areas or even the whole car during this time period. POOR painting at factory...so repainted there. Yes I was very pleased with the water stripping. Another vet owner used razor and sanding...and now has a real mess on his hands. He is down to glass in many places and will need several layers of primer to correct the damage. He went to paint trade school and they work metal...not glass!!! The light gray you see is the gel coat. Water had gotten in between the primer and gel coat.  My hood had water in between the layers????? Drilled holes on underside to drain it. Hope this helped.  

|UPDATED|7/12/2013 5:25:24 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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