My $500 '69 Valiant

If your talking about before applying Rust Bullit? You don't have to, I just scuffed the area's with D.A. with 80 grit, however directions say you only have to scuff you could even use green pad. I did take engine compartment all the way down to bare metal. If you are talking about car we stripped it with chemical stripper it had to come off it had the original paint on it so it all had to be removed.