Paint: Lacquer or Enamel 55 Pres C Body

[3x2stude]

Is a 55 Stude painted with lacquer or enamel? Sooner or later I need to strip the car and just wanted to know what to expect when I hit it with a DA, ala GM lacquer or Ford'esc enamel?

JK

[SN-60]

If it still has the original factory paint on it,.....Ford'esc enamel.

[52hawk]

Get a gallon of aircraft stripper,available at most autobody supply stores. The stripper doesn't care what kind of paint it is.[be careful with this stuff,and follow the instructions!]

[Warren Webb]

Why are you stripping it? Have you confirmed the paint is the original? Have you measured the paint thickness? If the original paint is not flaking off or showing signs of delamination, then it is suitable for painting over it. Unless the car has 2 or more repaints on it then it should not need to be stripped. I would suggest going to your local paint jobber & ask them to measure the paint thickness or let you borrow their gage & go around the car & see if any area shows it was repainted at some time. It is possible to take a car to bare metal & refinish it but unless things are done absolutely correct, then future problems will occur.

[3x2stude]

Its all original paint right up to the rust holes . I know how to strip paint, I just wanted to know what it was. Give me a little credit here.

JK

[Lamar]

You have a little credit here! Sorry, I just couldn't help myself, you made it too easy. Lamar

[jclary]

One of my (too many) careers was selling paint equipment. Everything from a simple hand held spray gun to complete automated systems with multiple spray booths, automated color changers and robotics. I never sold paint. I just sold the stuff that made paint..."better."

I don't know about what years Studebaker used Lacquer VS Enamel. However, if your 55 is enamel, I'm guessing it is alkyd enamel. I believe it was in 1955 when GM began to use Acrylics and probably everyone followed sometime after that. In the 1960's, Ford went back to alkyd (stoving) enamel because it yielded a better gloss than Acrylics.

Anyway, I'm not sure I understand your question if you are going to strip the paint anyway. Any quality aggressive paint stripper should attack and loosen the old paint. Of course, lacquer thinner, will dissolve lacquer. There are a number of solvents that will attack enamel, but, I believe MEK will break down either lacquer or enamel.

On paint strippers, the key is to lay it on thick, but do not brush it back and forth. Doing so, will cause the lifting solvents to evaporate above the substrate and not attack the paint. I've even covered surfaces with cheap plastic to keep the solvents in contact with the paint longer. I have also encountered situations where paint stripper will take off only one coat, and another application was required to remove multiple coats. Funny how paint that is flaking off will hold on tenaciously when you purposely attempt to remove it.

You could remove a small painted part (gas door) and take it to your local automotive paint supplier. They could test a couple of solvents to help determine which coating you have.

[3x2stude]

As I stated earlier I know how to strip paint, I would not use chemical strippers, 36 grit until almost gone and buzz with 60 grit. Enamel grinds nice and lacquer is gummy if you dream around in one spot too long. But again I just wanted to know what I have .

JK