Undercoat removal

-

circlepilot

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2014
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
941
Location
El Dorado, Arkansas
Removing 55 year old undercoat from your restoration is, to say the least, something that can be time consuming and just "sucks canal water." I've watched videos and read articles about it. I've used an air scraper, (fair) heat (fair) paint stripper (nope) and even oven cleaner to try and expedite its removal. I would like to share something I discovered by doing something "just for the hell of it." (of course I may not have discovered something that has already been discussed on the forum, if so, I haven't seen it.) I "generously" sprayed (wet) my fender wells with "Goo Gone Automotive Spray Gel," just to see what would happen. It was late in the evening so I decided to let it stay on over night. The next day I was blown away about how easy it was to remove the under coating. I was so impressed I had to make this little video to share. (Let me add...I did a final clean up with my pressure washer, mainly to get rid of the residue) https://youtu.be/oKbSTv_IFM4
Norm
1965 Barracuda restoration.

goo gone.jpg


clean fender well.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hell yeah I’m going to try it. I got so much of that under coat on my car it’s 1/4 to 1/2” thick in spots. Unreal, problem is that it’s all cracked and now trapping water and cause problems.
 
Hell yeah I’m going to try it. I got so much of that under coat on my car it’s 1/4 to 1/2” thick in spots. Unreal, problem is that it’s all cracked and now trapping water and cause problems.
If it's real thick, just make sure you soak it down well and let it sit. You may get a layer off at first, then do it again. I had one side that was that way. I did both of my rear fender wells in little over two hours, (after letting it soak over night) that includes a final cleaning with my pressure washer. BTW, I did my front fender wells the old way, I worked on them on and off for a week and still wound up finishing them with the Goo Gone.
Norm.
 
Hell yeah I’m going to try it. I got so much of that under coat on my car it’s 1/4 to 1/2” thick in spots. Unreal, problem is that it’s all cracked and now trapping water and cause problems.
Wish I had known that a few months ago! Removed the undercoating on my 67 Dart with an angle grinder and wire brush attachment. I just kept spraying it with water mainly to keep the dirt/dust factor down but found that wetting it made it easier to remove. I’ve never been dirtier in my entire life.
 
Goo Gone is good ****. Dollar Tree sells it in little bottles..The power of Citrus oil and D-limone.
 
Goo Gone is good ****. Dollar Tree sells it in little bottles..The power of Citrus oil and D-limone.
I'm not sure if there is a difference, but I have a small bottle of Goo Gone, it doesn't have a label that says "automotive gel" like my big spray bottle does.
 
No gel at .99, just the little liquid bottle but I bet you can thicken with corn starch.
 
I have always found a propane torch makes it fall off in big chunks, really easy.
 
I just used oven cleaner then pressure washed it off, down to bare metal!
 
I just used oven cleaner then pressure washed it off, down to bare metal!
I couldn't get the oven cleaner ('Easy-off.") to work on my under coat. I let it stay on over night, didn't even soften the stuff on my car. Maybe the undercoat you were dealing with, must of been a different compound. The stuff on my car was probably "Ziebart."
 
Wow that's amazing thanks for sharing. I gotta clean off some masking tape that has been on my door panels for 16+ years you can imagine how its stuck on there (my stupid fault) I'm gonna try that. I'm gonna try and save them even tho there not perfect I can always upgrade them later.
 
Update, with all the running gear out of the car from trans mount backwards I decided to go to war with the undercoat. I got a needle scaler and it is a fantastic tool. Fast and easy, it peels that **** off like a hot knife through butter. Well worth the price!
 
The Goo Gone does work,I tried it a few days ago.
Update, with all the running gear out of the car from trans mount backwards I decided to go to war with the undercoat. I got a needle scaler and it is a fantastic tool. Fast and easy, it peels that **** off like a hot knife through butter. Well worth the price!
I'll try the needle scaler also.
 
So who wants to come remove it from the inside of my trunk?? Yep, prior owner thought it was a good idea to spray the entire inside of the trunk area with the spray can stuff.. I havent even began to try to remove it. Just so many different curved surfaces, nooks and crannies to get it out of.:mad::mad::mad:
 
But remember the black light psycadelic poster on the seat back area for the full effect!:rofl:
 
Yep, prior owner thought it was a good idea to spray the entire inside of the trunk area with the spray can stuff.

I would ALMOST trade you headaches. But not quite. My PO spray bombed everything - and I do mean everything - under the hood and in the trunk a solid flat black. It looks like **** and will take forever to get under control.
 
-
Back
Top