Magna86

I have a set of S grilles that I am restoring and need to strip black paint off of so I can repaint them silver. Has anyone had any luck using brake fluid to remove the paint? I have soaked them in a Super Clean solution which has helped loosed the paint but I can not get all the paint off using steel wool in the tight areas. None of the threads I have found mention anything about removing old paint. I've heard if you use brake clean on plastic it can ruin it or make it really hard for paint to stick to it again.

501Paratrooper

I would try 1000 or 1500 grit sandpaper or some scotchbrite. Scuff it and use adhesion promoter and then whatever silver you want.

hookem horns

Cannot vouch for it in this application, but oven cleaner works well for removing paint from plastic. Basically it's spray-on lye so be careful. Like anything else, try on a scrap or inconspicous spot before going all-in.

dc2x4drvr

I think there is thread here where the poster used drain cleaner to remove paint from his tailights.

Mikes442

Are you using the NON silicone old style brake fluid? I believe it is for tractors.
Mike

costpenn

X2 - sometimes the least destructive method - especially if you are trying to preserve the original sharpness and surface finish of the overlying structure, is to simply clean and lightly scuff it and then paint over the old paint. These old plastics can behave unpredictably to sanding or cleaning with chemicals.

oldzzy

I vote for using scotch brite pads as well. That's what i will be using when i do mine, and also what i used on my tail lights when i did them.

Allan R

Brake fluid on plastic will damage it. I thought the 71 grilles were pot metal. I know the 71 CS grills are. Aren't the S grills metal too? If they are both metal, brake clean will do the job same as any paint stripper.

Mikes442

That's how I/we take paint off of old model cars.
Mike

Magna86

No the S grille's are plastic. Yes I was planning on use non silicone brake fluid. I'm afraid that you will see the old crappy paint under the silver and they won't look smooth.

RetroRanger

heres the taillight thread w drain cleaner...maybe ping greg and see how his tailights are holding the paint ?

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...storation.html

rroth01

Shoot them with Easy Off Oven Cleaner and Wrap them in Saran Wrap or a Commercial Plastic wrap.Let them sit for a week.Rotate and or flip them every 2 or 3 days..Hose them off..Bingo.

Magna86

Thanks for the tips guys will try them tomorrow.

Allan R

Ah HAH!! part of the Roth secret ingredients for dash restorations seen for the first time in public!!

Greg Rogers

Yep, Drain cleaner worked great on the plastic tail lights and paint is still looking good, though car has only been out of garage once since doing the tail lights. (Been a long, hard winter...)

rroth01

I have the right to remain silent .Especially when I walk in the door after a had days work.Im taking the Fifth ..

rroth01

As for tail lights I watch all the restoration shows.Graveyard cars is the worse.Too much Drama .BUT..I did get a great tip form them.They soak the tail light lenses in diluted Muriatic Acid..It doesn't bother the plastic. Just the Oxidation.

jensenracing77

X2. I just tried it with an old junk tail light lense. I put it in and was going to look at in in a couple hours but forgot about it. 4 days later i found it will ALL paint removed and the plastic unhurt. I don't know if a grill is the same plastic but you may try it on a junk one if you have one.

rroth01

Anything ABS ..

Magna86

I started to strip them but haven't gone back to the project. The oven cleaner trick seemed to be working well but need to pickup another can. Drain cleaner is expensive to buy enough to fill a big enough container for a grille.

Magna86

Ok I finally got back to the project of the grilles. I ended up actually media blasting the grilles in my cabinet. I turned the pressure down to 60psi and hit them with my medium glass bead. Worked great with no effects on the plastic. Then I rinsed them off and applied primer. I went with gloss black for the grilles as the silver just looked wrong to me and I finished them off with some clear. Then I proceeded to strip and polish the trim. The 3 horizontal pieces had some kind of coating/oxidation to them that I had to wet sand off before I could get them to polish up. It took me most of the day to get the pieces polished and the grilles assembled. I still has to get some good adhesive to hold the border trim in place to the grill body. The little nubs on the back are only good for the original install after that you are lucky to remove and reinstall the trim without breaking everyone off. I have most of them intact but they don't the trim securely so I'm going to zip tie the trim in place and them use adhesive at each place the nubs are located.

IMG_20140525_144811395_HDR_zpsgpwlppy9.jpg
My polishing station

IMG_20140525_164538123_zpsncwv5fb6.jpg
Before and in process of polish. Quite a difference

IMG_20140525_204429749_zpsrnxyxrsg.jpg
IMG_20140526_240705693_HDR_zpslwcyrgzx.jpg

Done

oldzzy

Really nice work

Allan R

So now it's time to restore those 72 eggcrate grills and sell them to pay some bills...

Magna86

Actually the 72 grille's were parts donors for the S grilles. since my hood has the 72 grille trim. I took the surrounding trim and installed them on the 71 S grilles.