[Pontiacdaver]

Does anyone have any experience stripping paint from the plastic lower panels? When I got my 74 back from the guy I sold it to, he had switched the lower panels. The panels were originally tan but were painted white. I was wondering if something like Purple Power cleaner would remove the paint but not damage the plastic? I have used it before to strip old paint off of model cars, and it didn't hurt the styrene at all.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Dave

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Pontiacdaver

Does anyone have any experience stripping paint from the plastic lower panels? When I got my 74 back from the guy I sold it to, he had switched the lower panels. The panels were originally tan but were painted white. I was wondering if something like Purple Power cleaner would remove the paint but not damage the plastic? I have used it before to strip old paint off of model cars, and it didn't hurt the styrene at all.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Dave

(Baking) Soda blasting @ low pressure may, perhaps, be the least damaging to the original parts vs chemicals?

[77 Canamman]

Brake Fluid then wash with dish detergent.

[rexs73gto]

You can use laquer thinner on the painted panals without hurting the grain or the plastic . Just put the thinner on the rag your going to use & just wipe it off. On the spots where it is thick on the panal you can let it sit on the panal for a short time, then just wash it off with cold water. I've done this to several plastic panals from the cars I have parted out. Also if you want them really clean the thinner will do that to, then just wash it off with dawn dish soap & water, the paint will come off & the panal will look new.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by rexs73gto

You can use laquer thinner on the painted panals without hurting the grain or the plastic . Just put the thinner on the rag your going to use & just wipe it off. On the spots where it is thick on the panal you can let it sit on the panal for a short time, then just wash it off with cold water. I've done this to several plastic panals from the cars I have parted out. Also if you want them really clean the thinner will do that to, then just wash it off with dawn dish soap & water, the paint will come off & the panal will look new.

Sounds good.

[Pontiacdaver]

Thanks for the input, guys, I am going to try a small section.

[rexs73gto]

Don't ever use any kind of blsting device on your lower door panals as it will destory them the old plastic can't handel that kind of abuse ,, you will end up with a bunch of plastic pieces in your hand if you ttry that.

[Alvin]

That could be very true rexs.

I'd also like to mention that ANY solvents, stripers, thinners will leach out essential oils from the molded parts...drying them out. Look at the effects on your hands using Citrus hand cleaners for a perfect example...some mechanic/techs use hand lotion to keep those body oils from being pulled out and cracking the skin.

Put some on a test area to see the reaction to product used.

Regardless; good luck and keep us posted.

[rexs73gto]

I've used the laq. thinner with very good results & the last panals I did are now on my car. The ones before were on there with a painted surface for over 10 years. The reason I changed those panals were not because they were bad, but because the ones I got were closer to the color I needed. My interior is white & the panals I got were in the baige color & a lot easier to change to white with much better color change results. But I also have some black panals in the car that are now white which have been in the car for a very long time. The original white panals like most when I had to leave the car outside when I first got the car back in 73-75 had to sit out & they started to fall apart because of the sun. I now have panals in the car that are all different colors underneith & are now white & look great. I have always used laq. thinner on them to clean them & it works great. Just make sure there claen before you paint them. I've always taken them in the shower & washed them in as hot of water as I could stand with Dawn dish soap, & then wiped them down with ahachol(spel sorry) that has worked well.