Diecast newbie question

[the goon]

Howdy,

I've decided to take a try at redoing a diecast. Picked up this 1/24th VW type 2. Disassembly was easy, now comes the time to strip off the factory paint. What is the best way/product to remove this paint? I sure this question has come up/been answered before, but any info will help.

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[Gramps46]

I tried brake fluid on one and  it took days to remove the paint.  Have not tried Super Clean or Easy Off yet.

[the goon]

Thanks for the reply. That paint is super tuff, like baked on refrigerator paint.

[cobraman]

I used to use a gel paint stripper I bought at an ACE hardware. It worked great , sorry I don't recall the name of the product. I wonder it EZ Off in the yellow can would work ???

[Snake45]

Why strip it at all? Remove the tampo graphics with Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover, then just sand the paint with #800 Wetordry, wet, and it should make a perfect primer for whatever you have in mind--especially since it's already white. 

[ibj40]

I use a product called Klean Strip.  It is an aerosol, and comes in a couple of different strengths, including one intended for airplanes.  My experience is that they all work the same.

Spray it on, the paint will bubble up, and you wash it off with high pressure water.

Make sure you get all the plastic pieces off before your strip diecast, most solvent will turn plastic into unrecognizable goo.

One caution on repainting diecast is that the tolerances between pieces is a lot closer than on real vehicles, and paint doesn't understand that.  If a paint supplier tells you two coats of primer and two coats of paint, for example, that is for a real vehicle.  On pieces such as doors and hoods/trunks, on diecast (I work in 1/18 scale, for example), that will use up all the factory room between these pieces.

Good luck on your first one, and keep us up to date.

[the goon]

Thanks for the replies guys. I thought about sanding the factory paint/painting over it, but would like to try stripping once. I will post which way I go, and do a build thread.

 

Mark

[Gramps46]

I have to ask.  What is the red and white car in the background?

[cobraman]

Looks like a Metropolitan

[the goon]

You are right; it's a '59 Met hardtop. A good friend who owned it for 40 years (he's 86 now), hasn't driven for a few years, and gave it to us as the next caretakers. We got it running, and mechanically sound. I've been driving it for almost a year now. Put on 301 miles on it since we had it worked on.

Edited February 26, 2019 by the goon

[ewetwo]

Nice Metro. I had a 1954 convertible given to me. Campbell's soup red. One color from the factory. It actually had a Nash emblem on the front.  Ran great. It looked good from the outside but the floor and rear frame needed repair. Along with some body work. Seeing I didn't know how to repair it myself. I didn't take it. Now I could kick myself in the but.

[the goon]

6 hours ago, ewetwo said:

Nice Metro. I had a 1954 convertible given to me. Campbell's soup red. One color from the factory. It actually had a Nash emblem on the front.  Ran great. It looked good from the outside but the floor and rear frame needed repair. Along with some body work. Seeing I didn't know how to repair it myself. I didn't take it. Now I could kick myself in the but.

Thanks. This Met runs good, but has cancer in the lower doors. We have a '64 Comet Caliente in restoration now, so the Met will have to wait.

 

Mark

 

 

Edited March 14, 2019 by the goon