74ls1tr6 Calvin Grannis Elk Grove,CA (1151 posts) Registered: 11/10/2007 10:05AM Main British Car: 74 TR6 / 71 MGB GT TR6/Ls1 71 MGB GT/Ls1 |
Your thoughts on removing old under coating?
I'm at that point of resto where I would like to remove the old tar type undercoating. What would be the best or easy way to remove this nasty looking stuff without the cost of dipping the whole body?
Was thinking of using a hot putty knife with alot of elbow grease, a blaster won't touch this stuff? Any ones thoughts on this that went through it?? Calvin |
rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Re: Your thoughts on removing old under coating?
I had my car stripped by someone so can't offer any first hand advice, but what they did on the bottom was first scraped it with putty knives -- most came off w/o any heat or solvent. Then after scraping 90% off, they sand blasted they bottom. They used airline stripper for most of the body surface & followed up with soda blasting to get in the corners, along the beading seams, etc.
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BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6468 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Your thoughts on removing old under coating?
A pressure washer that puts out 3500psi or better will remove it. See the early pages of the Roadmaster thread.
Jim |
V6 Midget Bill Young Kansas City, MO (1337 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 09:23AM Main British Car: '73 MG Midget V6 , '59 MGA I6 2.8 GM, 4.0 Jeep |
Re: Your thoughts on removing old under coating?
I've had good results removing old undercoating, body tar type sound deadener, and bondo by heating the reverse side of the panel with a heat gun or propane torch and then scraping with a putty knife. What seems to happen is that the layer next to the metal starts to swell or out gas and that lifts it away from the metal. You see small bubbles or heaves appear at the surface then scrape away at that area. Cleans off pretty quick. A wire brush will usually clean out the tight spots and a little thinner will get all the remaining tar residue and you're ready for blasting or what ever. Take it easy with the heat, this stuff will burn, so have a wet rag ready and keep any other flamables away just in case.
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74ls1tr6 Calvin Grannis Elk Grove,CA (1151 posts) Registered: 11/10/2007 10:05AM Main British Car: 74 TR6 / 71 MGB GT TR6/Ls1 71 MGB GT/Ls1 |
Re: Your thoughts on removing old under coating?
Thanks for the responses Rob, Jim and Bill.
I posted this just before going out and trying a few things that came to mind. I first tried to heat a putty knife and then dig in, thought to myself this will take forever. OK get out the 2500psi pressure washer, hmmm if this stuff comes off it will be all over the place, no to much mess,but will use pressure washer to clean all loose areas. Ok what worked was to hold my welding small tip torch about 4" away from the tar, waving it back and forth quickly in about a 6" square area, not heating to much to melt. Took 1" wide putty knife and pealed off in 6" strips all the way to bare metal without having melted tar on the paint. I have about 8lbs of tar for 1 side of body tub + rocker panel and differential area. It took about an hour and a half to do. I was thinking another way for our old cars to go up in flames with this tar, not very fire retardent. Took a 4" striper wheel, installed on my 4" angle grinder and took down to bare metal. I have a soda blaster coming within a few days that can use soda media or other blasting media. It goes to show members here think alike in some form or another. Thanks again for posting. I will post some pics in the Triumph section. Calvin |