Hot Rods What Is The Best Paint Remover For Fiberglass????

Made a “UGE” mess today…kinda like the election…

Anyhoo…I am FINALLY getting around to installing a fresh air scoop and twin “power bulges” on my fiberglass engine cowling so I figure I need to remove the paint and get down to bare fiberglass.

I tried Klean-Strip Fiberglass Paint Stripper and the existing paint just laughed at it and I could hear the paint taunting me with “Is that all ya got…is that the best you can do…sucker?”

I gobbed it on thick and let it marinade for about 25 minutes and yes it did bubble up a little bit of the paint however for the most part it was a complete waste of $30.00 and half the day. I thought I would be cleaver and use the pressure washer to wash off the goo however all it did was splatter paint debris all over my neighborhood street and the cleanup of the neighborhood wasted the other half of the day.

So the question is…what is the best way to remove paint from a fiberglass engine cowling?

I envision a paint stripper that will gob on thick, attach the paint, I can scrape it into a garbage bag with a plastic scraper, and minimal wash up so I do not have to pressure wash the neighborhood…again.


THANKS for your help!!!

 

Unfortunately some brands work better than others and experimenting is the only way to find the one that works for you. Some finishes soften only and must be scrapped off in a time window. Other finishes curl and lift off the panel and dry out. Scratch the finish thoroughly with 36 grit before applying the stripper. I like spray can stripper because you can pile it on easily. Luck.

 

Dad's Stripper has always been a good product. HRP

 

I have a friend who is currently stripping the paint off of a 60 corvette and he's having good luck with a heat lamp and a razor. I don't know if it will work for you but it's coming off really clean on that 56 year old vette.

 

A razor will gouge fiberglass, don't recall the brand name stripper I used a long time ago but it said Aviation somewhere on the can. It worked great but I think like a lot of the products today that are user friendly and safe are not as potent.

 

You can use a razor on your face too if you are halfway careful.

 

The guy who soda blasted some parts for me used walnut shells on gel coated 'glass. This was 10 years ago. Possibly ask a local media blaster. The soda blasting can be done to an assembled car.

 

The original gelcoat on the fiberglass parts is based on the same polyester as they use for matrix in the fiberglass laminate, so if you find anything that dissolves it (I don't know of any such substance) it will dissolve the fiberglass laminate too. I'd suggest a big box of sand papper and a suitable machine to put it on.

 

Here's what we used on some ancient (1953) fiberglass fenders. Worked great.

 

That's the one I used as well, couldn't remember the name brand.

 

OP, don't know where you are located but stop in a marine supply store and they will have the good stuff.
I have used the Aircraft ^ stuff and it works great....

 

I have had great success with Klean Strip. The gel doesn't run off. I have found that some enamels are really tough to get off fiberglass. I use #4 steel wool as a removing tool. Scrappers damage Corvette skin. Air temperature of 70* is perfect and avoid direct sun. Might take 2 or 3 applications on multiple paint layers. The aircraft stuff is what you want.

 

https://www.dumondchemicals.com/home-peel-away-marinesafety-removers.html

This works well and wont affect the the fiberglass body