'87 SWB originally laquer?

[gearhead]

I was told it was advisable to strip my truck down to bare metal if my truck was originally painted with a laquer paint. and that GM used Laquers until the late '80's. Can anyone vouch for that? (That my truck has a laquer base...)

Thanks

Gear

[jerry79]

I think they did, but if the paint is not too bad and you can sand down to get a good base without going to metal. Then you can lay some epoxy primer on top, this will seal the the old paint and wont have to worry about a reaction.

jerry

[jveik]

every source i have ever read says if the existing finish is not messed up you can just scuff it and paint over it.

if it is, its not too hard to take it off.  just go to autozone and get a can of paint stripper and make sure to get the brush on not the spray can because the brush on is more potent.  let it sit for 30 minutes at least then most of the paint should come off with just a wire brush.  then i suppose you would scuff the metal with a d/a sander and put a self-etching primer over it.

[jerry79]

www.autobody101.com ask these guys too. not to argue but i would not use "autozone" striper. and orbital with a 36 grit flapper will give you better and faster results. and i would go with epoxy primer due to the fact is there is me metal wash needed and also acts and the perfect sealer, proventing dye back or a reaction with the old finish.

thanks
jerry

[jveik]

it isnt autozone brand lol its some other brand that the wire brush works great with.  you just let it turn liquidey and it takes almost no effort at all

[gearhead]

Thanks guys....I think it was on Hotrodders.com where someone suggested the laquer base would "suck out" the gloss over time. Someone repainted my truck years ago, now its so bad it almost looks like basecoat without the clear.....I think in the end I will strip it to bare steel (Exterior paint anyway) and definately use an epoxy primer.  

[roundedline]

The factory didn't use laquer on the trucks, it was either acrylic enamel or Basecoat clearcoat.  The '87 should have been the later if it is factory paint.  The paint process/procedure on several of the trucks I have looked at have the clear coming off the truck.  The base coat will still give the best coverage and base for a paint job as it is already coating the hard to get to areas.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[SUX2BU99]

Didn't the peeling paint problem of 80's domestics have something to do with using a water-based paint that was new at the time? Someone told me that long ago.  

[DnStClr]

No, it wasn't the water-bourne paint that caused the peeling problems. It was elimination of the primer coat. All the big 3 auto companies found out about an improved electracoating process that increased the panels' ability to guard against rust, and when they started using the new electracoating (actually a dip tank), they thought it would do so well that they could eliminate the primer coat. This assumption was a huge mistake. Thousands of vehicles began to lose their paint. After a year or so of owning the vehicle, You could run your hand over the surface and paint chips would come off! When it would rain, paint chips would come off and get all over the windshield from the wipers!
Obviously, the elimination of the primer was a very costly goof, so the automakers started giving 6 yr. warranties on the paint jobs, and man did they lose $ on that one. So the primer coat was added back to the paint process and has been there ever since. Turns out that the primer is probably the most important process in the paint job. They shoulda dipped some of those paint engineers in the new electracoating to help clear the rust out of their brains!    

Edited by: DnStClr at: 11/3/05 5:16 pm