Topic: Removing undercoat
in Forum: C3 Body
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My painter thought he needed to undercoat my 68 after it was painted. I thought he was only doing the wheel wells for looks. He did a half ass job and sprayed this undercoat on the frame and shocks, wheels and even some on the oil pan. I had a nice painted, and rust free Texas car frame, and it now looks like i am trying to cover something up like rust etc. How can I remove this without having to sand or media blast the frame. I don't want to screw up the new paint job. I have heard that gasoline will get it off, but that could be very dangerous.
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Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
How long has the u-coat been on there? If it is fresh, some mineral spirits(varsol/naptha) on a rag should get it off. It's gonna take a while to do it, tho, no matter how you do it.
When I took the u-coat off my '74, I spent about a month crawling around under it with a razor blade, carefully peeling the stuff off. I just did the underbody and chassis, and left it on the wheel-wells.
When they did it at the factory, some undercoating did get sprayed on the storage wells, and the spare tire carrier, but it wasn't supposed to....they were just usually in a hurry. This was done before the body drop, so there would have been no u-coating on the frame, or other chassis parts.
Hope you can get most of it taken off easily. One thing you need to check is if ANY got on the driveshaft, or the halfshafts....that's a definite NO-NO!
Adams' Apple 2010-12-10 20:27:49
When I took the u-coat off my '74, I spent about a month crawling around under it with a razor blade, carefully peeling the stuff off. I just did the underbody and chassis, and left it on the wheel-wells.
When they did it at the factory, some undercoating did get sprayed on the storage wells, and the spare tire carrier, but it wasn't supposed to....they were just usually in a hurry. This was done before the body drop, so there would have been no u-coating on the frame, or other chassis parts.
Hope you can get most of it taken off easily. One thing you need to check is if ANY got on the driveshaft, or the halfshafts....that's a definite NO-NO!
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"
Oh geez whats next with this body shop..I hope the paint at least looks great..removing that black gew is like Joel says like a month doing it..thats really a shame..and why do they under coat in Texas anyhow..were they worried about some salty winter roads???
Rich
My first parade at Carlisle 2010
Lifetime MemberHOWELL, NJ - USA
Joined: 5/18/2004
Posts: 6812
Vette(s): 1979, Targa Blue (72 Color), Pace Car rear spoiler, L88 hood, Dark blue factory interior, 525HP 406, HD 700R4, 370 gears,Steeroids, composite rear spring, TT IIs wrapped in T/A Radials.
That stinks!! I'd go with the mineral spirits or some parts cleaner. Then I'd undercoat the goat the did this!!! 
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I found out during the process of this whole painting process that the painter was not familar with fiberglass bodys and he was mainly into restoring old metal cars. Neither the painter or the soda blasting company had much experience in the process.
You look over the body shops, look at their paint jobs, and make a decision if this shop is right for you. They give you a good line of BS until they dive into the job. Then all they want is more money, and to get your car out of the shop. The paint job really looks great, but just some of the ignorance in putting it all back together is unacceptable. My main objective was to just get it out of the body shop and fix and reinstall what they did incorrectly, before it got any worse.
I don't recommend Soda Blasting, I do recommend a Corvette paint shop even if it cost several thousand dollars more.
This undercoat has been on the car for the past couple of months, but it will probably be two more months before I can get started removing it. It is already flaking off the spare tire cover.
Lifetime MemberManteca, CA - USA
Joined: 11/20/2005
Posts: 3623
Vette(s): 1978,two tone,Metalic Rootbeer & gold
1975 L48 4 speed
Hi Richard, Your painter sounds very familiar. I have a good friend who painted 2 of our vettes. He's been painting for 20 yrs. and can do a great job (when motivated). I was really surprised at the number of issues we were faced with in the aftermath 
. I would never take a vette to anyone else, but if I could ever afford another paint job, I would do all the disassemble / reassemble myself. Who'd have thought.... it is rocket science. As a matter of fact, I think I'll try to paint one myself.
. I would never take a vette to anyone else, but if I could ever afford another paint job, I would do all the disassemble / reassemble myself. Who'd have thought.... it is rocket science. As a matter of fact, I think I'll try to paint one myself.Jimmy B.
Just can't wait to get on the road again. 
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I did paint one myself 21 years ago. Base coat, clear coat, Glassurit paint. The same car I have now. It cost me $350.00 back then. With my labor being free. however it was time to do it again with all the stress cracks nicks etc. I had some military experience in painting.
Base coat clear coat is very forgiving. It just takes a lot of sanding between coats and a real clean paint booth, and lots of buffing. Most any runs can be worked out with clear coat. I wanted this time around, to take it all down to the bare body and start over with professional repairs and painter. But I think if I were to have had some help and a clean paint booth, I could have done it myself and been very happy and saved a lot of money. Paint and materials are so much more expensive these days. These body shops just want your money and then want to get onto other jobs when they have got most of your job prepaid. Every week there was progress working on my vette, the shop wanted money. finally when they got close to the $10,000 they were just in a big hurry to throw the car togeher and get it out. Find a shop who will do the work with no upfront money, or any draws, and has corvette experience.
I'm sorry to hear of your experience with the painter. Although one thing I found about Vettes quickly is that you never take a Vette to a shop ( mechanical or paint ) that does not have experience with Vettes. All the mechanical work I had done when I first got the Vette had to be redone by a Corvette shop. The guy thats painting my Vette now only works on Vettes. I dropped off the Vette today and I don't have to pay until its done (with a certified check). I've seen some of his other jobs and I hope my car turns out as well.
Barry
Yes I agree, my wife is giving me hell because I was going with a vette shop in Dallas, but thought I would try and save money elsewhere. So now I have to deal with the crap form both sides.
Again only go with those who have painted many corvette's, not just like maybe one other like my shop did. I thought his paint jobs were great on the metal cars he did. And he did a great paint job on my car, but sloppy elsewhere.
Don't go with a vette to Mainstreetpaintandbody.com in Randolph
Texas.
Texas.
Deisel fuel will take off the undercoating and is not explosive like gas. The fumes will linger a while. But It works well and a little goes a long way. The trick I found is that you have to keep it wet once it starts coming off, and work small areas, so that you finish the area you are working once you start.
in Forum: C3 Body
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