Re: [T3] Primer Removal

["Jim Adney" <jadney@vwtype3.org>]

On 16 Oct 2000, at 22:03, William Whitaker wrote:

> Recently I acquired a '71 Squareback on which the PO had apparently
> decided to start a color change. The complete exterior of the car is
> painted with putty-grey primer. Being curious and feeling I had little
> to loose, I lightly wet sanded through a small area on the roof which
> revealed the factory yellow paint. (I believe it's Shantung Yellow.)
> Some hand buffing and the old yellow paint didn't look too bad. Now I
> want to remove all the primer to revert the car to its original color.

There are 2 problems here: first, you don't know exactly what the 
primer is, that means you can't be certain what kinds of paint might 
be compatable over it; second, you don't want to do anything to any 
of the stuff that is on there now that might come back and haunt you 
after you spray on your overcoat.

I would start out by trying to find out what the primer was. If you 
can do that, then a good paint shop can tell you what can and what 
can't be sprayed over it.

I would NOT use any kind of solvent or chemical stripper on this 
unless you plan to go down to bare metal. I agree with John that the 
OE paint and primer is very good, so there is no reason to want to 
take it all off, and lots of good reasons not to. The problem with 
chemical strippers is that they can leave residue behind that may not 
affect the paint that is on there now, but may affect the paint that 
you spray on top of it.

My recommencation: Just wet sand it by hand until you are sure it is 
smooth and then spray a paint over it that is compatable with the 
primer. Keep in mind that 99% of the work in a good paint job is in 
the preparation.

-
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Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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