Tar-like undercoating on 63 Valiant...any way to remove it?
- Thread starter B-i-n-g-o
- Start date
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I used a propane torch. It is easy to control, you know when it is soft enough. I used a paint scraper when it was hot enough from there with some care. Gum-Out carb cleaner easily took the remaining residue off. I followed that with a zinc (yellow) Rustoleum primer and smoke gray enamel top coat (rattle can). I did the whole underside of the car on my back with car on jack stands. Girl friend had just kicked me to the curb and so I took on the job. Between the beer and solvents, I probably lost a few brain cells on that job for sure. : )
That's hilarious... EERILY similar story for me. I went Eastwood for the base coat.
340sFastback
Well-Known Member
I am going to get some of that Goo Gone Gel and give it a try.
thesiren74
Well-Known Member
Needle Filer.
Needle scaler. Did the first 3 with a torch and scraper. Never again.
You are kidding, right? You can never get there with that. Right???
Hard to hold the phone and run the scaler at the same time, it is heavy and a two handed tool. Once you get in the groove you can knock the undercoating off in big chunks. I had this Valiant totally stripped of undercoating in a few hours.
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Wow Jim. I stand corrected then. If I ever do another one, I'll have to try your method. Does it remove the paint also or just the undercoating? Thanks.
Just the undercoating, I went after it with a media blaster afterwards. Note here my cars have all been Az cars where the undercoating get cooked and dried out more than most any other places so that may make this method work so well. I have been wondering about that. I see a few other here have used the scaler as well. I know a couple people tried it after I suggested it and they thought it worked great. Note that it can leave small dimples in the metal if you are not careful (notice I try to hold it at a 45 degree angle not straight on, which works way better BTW). If this was a rare high end car I may not do it this way but for your average restoration you would never notice it.
B-i-n-g-o
Well-Known Member
Goo Gone working well, but areas where the undercoat is thicker (corners, and nooks and crannies) are more difficult. Second coat of GG left on till next evening worked even better! May try scaler on the frame, especially those thicker spots, but I'm discovering rust spots in the floors, so probably won't use the scaler on those.
I'll be doing the primer/spray bomb on my back, as well...if I took it down enough for anything else, I'd never get to drive it!
I'll be doing the primer/spray bomb on my back, as well...if I took it down enough for anything else, I'd never get to drive it!
I would use the scaler... if it pokes through that tells me that metal needs to be replaced.
B-i-n-g-o
Well-Known Member
You know, that's right on it...thanks!
What does it do to the good metal, does it leave and marks etc?
mentioned that above. #35.
340sFastback
Well-Known Member
I sprayed that Goo Gone Automotive Gel on frame rail, let it sit 4 hours or so, sprayed it again, then used metal putty knife. About 5 minutes of scraping and it broke free and left surface looking pretty good. Mine is a factory undercoated car but I think I spray bombed some more under coating over top of it back in the '80s to hide that fiberglass patch in the floor (full floor replacement soon).
Mine is an original Formula S car so I can't use Needle Scaler cause it might leave dimples
Mine is an original Formula S car so I can't use Needle Scaler cause it might leave dimples
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
On my 1964 and 65 A's, I just pried off loose chunks under the floors, which was just a few spots which likely took impacts from road debris. Those areas had light surface rust underneath. Where I pried off secure undercoating, the metal was shiny and the undercoating well-bonded, so just left the rest on. Same on the splash shields in the front wheel wells (worked off-car). I only removed all undercoating around the UCA pivots (mostly loose so came off easy) and the lips of the fenders where I used a wire-brush (undercoat makes fine rubbery "dust"). I cleaned and painted the UCA's off-car and installed Moog offset bushings for more caster (different than instruction sheet).
I do not get the dimple thing. This is mine after using a HF mini scaler and blasting with coal slag.It looks bo different than the spots in the engine bay that didn’t get scaled and just blasted the paint off. Same texture.
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cudajoedart
Well-Known Member
I have been doing these cars for years that tar like coating you refer to is factory undercoating/sound deadner propane torch and a scraper warm it a little and scrape it off
Joe
Make sure and wear PPE, I also have a 63 valiant and someone told me years ago to be careful because a lot of 64 and back cars had asbestos in the undercoating for insulation properties.
As far as I know by the late 60s the rubberized stuff replaced the asbestos stuff.
I'm pretty sure that was in an old thread here on fabo when I bought my 63 valiant wagon, maybe a decade ago.
Even without the asbestos, PPE is always a good idea
As far as I know by the late 60s the rubberized stuff replaced the asbestos stuff.
I'm pretty sure that was in an old thread here on fabo when I bought my 63 valiant wagon, maybe a decade ago.
Even without the asbestos, PPE is always a good idea
B-i-n-g-o
Well-Known Member
Best luck has been heat gun and power scraping where I can, hand scraping where it's tight. I'm using a reciprocating saw (use for cutting under door molding for flooring) with a scraper blade. Just scraped it off like running a hair trimmer through it! GooGone several hours and scraping worked well, but thicker coating was difficult. Needle gun just bounced off...I think the coating is still too rubbery, especially where it's thick.
Yeah, nothing easy about it. Since I had a rotisserie and it was winter, I went at it with a torch and various scrapers, then wire wheel any excess. The undercoat heats up and becomes pliable/scrapable quickly
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