Get to the Bottom of it

Earlier this week, I came to the realization that I don’t post on the main board enough. I have so many questions and I know all you out there have the answers. The post was going to go something like this:

Thread title: The Best Stripper? (In retrospect, that’s some serious clickbait. But if you’re not on the clock at work, there’s really no harm in opening it…)

Category: Technical

Hey guys,

 I know I don’t post on here all that often, but I recently came across some sheetmetal that I’m curious about. Right now it’s painted metallic silver, but I can tell that there’s old—potentially more interesting—custom paint beneath it. I want to remove just the top layer without damaging whatever may be hiding underneath. Rumor has it that Klean Strip is the way to go, but I’ve never used it, so as you can imagine, I’m a little apprehensive. Any input is appreciated.

 Thanks in advance!

Joey

Right as I finished drafting the post the post in my head, I remembered the famous phrase that I knew would come into play sooner rather than later: “The search function is your friend.” I know, I know. I survived my fair share of “FNG” embarrassments, “Grenade Inspector” issues and whatever else came my way as I learned the ropes of the H.A.M.B. “Roll with the punches and keep studying,” I’d tell myself. In lieu of posting, I hit the search function. As you can imagine, I found a wealth of useful information. I also stumbled upon one hell of a custom car story.

Ironically enough, the thread is titled “Never Know What You May Find” and it isn’t all about paint stripper. Instead, it chronicles a decade in the life of a long-lost ’55 Chevy convertible. The tale starts when @rebstew187 finds the car in a trailer park. He posts a few pictures, vocalizes his plan to speak with the owner, and opinions start to fly. Pro full custom. Anti full custom. Let it rot. Bring it home. This was in early 2007.

Through the power of the H.A.M.B., information starts surfacing. Magazine articles are pulled from archives and past owners get involved. The car becomes much more than a tired old ’55 forgotten by time. It gets a name (The Marvelous “Mozambique”) and we learn more about the builder (Robert Horn of Cincinnati, Ohio). Sixty-plus year old photos help paint a picture of the Chevy in its prime. By the end of the thread, the car and its winding back story have grown on me—and it looks as if I wasn’t the only one.

Two closing remarks: First, I won’t spoil the ending, but I highly recommend you check out the thread. Second, it looks like they ended up using paint stripper on the last page of the thread. I wonder what kind it was?

—Joey Ukrop