Just wondering whats the quickest and most effective way to get panels back to bare metal ready for primer? Grinding discs or flap discs? Am new to this

chemical dipping is the best where you have no hiden seams but expensive

will suit those type 3 panels best

I do it at home using houshold chemicals and farm feed for perfect bare metal.

Soda blasting would be the quickest.

To do at home, I would use paint stripper on the paint if it was more than two coats thick. Then I would use a Clean & Strip unitised wheel on a drill. We use large 200mm ones on a large quality drill that wont burn out. Cheap $50 drills can last only a couple of days, they overheat. You can also get them in 150mm and 100mm. You can also get them on angle grinder backing pads.

Google Clean & Strip and you will see pictures of them. There are plenty of different brands, have a look at them at the paint store.

Thanks alot guys. very helpful.

My method is.... have large enough animal feed troughs or make a wooden box and line it in pond plastic for those on a budget.


Now for quick action use paint stripper and pressure washer for the first step, this will speed up the 2nd step to only a day or so otherwise skip to step 2.

If you are lazy and have lots of time 2nd step is... fill a trough with water enough to cover the panel.

go to a chemical supplier and buy heaps of sodium hydroxide. mix into the water say 1:50-1:20 ?? I just do it but how reactive it becomes to skin and other organic substances.


Soak the panel in the solution for about 2-4 days normally, much better on warm days like now.

rinse in water. you should have a bare metal panel now but rust is still there.

now make up another trough with water same amount, take note how much water. now go to a farm supplier and but real molasses.
Mix it in about 1:10.

Drop your panel in that and leave for 2 weeks. rust now is just a sludgy residue.

take it out and have you caustic water ready, make sure the chemical is active otherwise make a new batch.

Drop your panel in that for a few min. this neutralizes the acidic molasses and lifts off the residue. Sodium hydroxide is also a rust preventative, so flash rust will not occur until contaminated.

Take it out and rise in water real good. use gloves, not to protect your hand from the caustic but to protect the steel from your hands as the acid and salts on your skin with cause flash rust where you touch.

After you rinse and dry, as long as you don't touch the steel or contaminate it, it will stay bare shiny metal for about 6 months+ provided its kept dry.

If using the strip disks, I would defientely recommend using a grinder instead of the the drill disks. I found the grinder disks alot better. I also used a wire wheel on the grinder in tight spot but wouldnt recommend them on larger areas as they heat the steel up too much.....
The above method sounds great if you have large enough troughs.

I just took my squareback to bare metal, I used about 6 strip it disks at a cost of $18 each from bunnings. I also used a small tin of paint stripper prior to stripping it. Very dirty work though.....If you had a mate to help, it would definitely be do able in a weekend.

I used these they work great.you can get other brands from Bunnings.
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Marine/Home/Products/Catalog/?PC_...

Paint stripper and then 80 grit on an air random orbital.

As my name suggests its grinders only for me , preferably a 125mm. I start with 36 grit discs just faintly scuffing off the heaviest of the paint (shouldnt be many sparks visible yet). Then its time for the 60 grits which should clean off the last of the paint and finally a 120 grit flap disc to smooth the metal out. You have to keep the grinder moving and let the paper do the work. It should cost you about $30 in discs and about a days work to bare metal a kombi so probably only 4-5 hours for a bug.

Hi Guys,

I have to get my car to bare metal and not going to do it with chemicals...so I appreciate Grinder's advice!!! I am going this week end to buy the grinder andthe disc also I have been told that once the metal is bare I need to protect it. I am planning to work by steps. So far I have 2 doors to do, bonnet, hood and fenders!

What product should I use? and if somone could give me the steps I will really appreciate it!!
I'll get the body in two weeks and that will have to be done as well...by me

epoxy primer

Thanks Vlad so step is to get a grinder + disc then get some epoxy primer ad then I can leave that until I paint it...

I am getting my car in 2 weeks will get all my new rubbher and other stuff in 2 weeks as well so still a lot of work to do!!

Make sure you rub down the epoxy primer straightaway before it sets.