Advise on stripping interior plastic quarter panels

[Corey Bowcutt]

I have read on this forum many times how people use oven cleaner to strip the paint off the fiberglass interior quarter panels.  So I gave it a try today.  I did it three times in total on one panel and it certainly removed a lot of paint but not all.  Do you folks that have done this in the past get all of the paint off?  If so what is the technique?  I doused it pretty heavy with the cleaner and let is sit for maybe 30 minutes or so then scrubbed it with a plastic brillow pad type thing.  Again removed a lot of the black but there is definitely a coat left behind.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Corey

[corbins]

Cory, try a scotchbrite pad. Also I found a orange/citrus based stripper in aerosol cans that worked pretty well and was relatively mild. Cant remember the name, but Im sure I got it at Autozone or Advance auto.

[J_Speegle]

Lye like is found in many spray oven cleaners.

Wearing gloves and hand protection you can work the surface once loose in a circular pattern with a fairly soft rush or green pad. Too much pressure or passes can diminish the pattern which you don't want to do 

[Bob Gaines]

Lye like is found in many spray oven cleaners.

Wearing gloves and hand protection you can work the surface once loose in a circular pattern with a fairly soft rush or green pad. Too much pressure or passes can diminish the pattern which you don't want to do

+1 . I have striped ones that had 4 coats of paint before. First and foremost you must us a oven cleaner with Lye. I use easy off brand and they sell one variety without Lye and heavy duty one with. I put on let it sit for about 30 minutes and then go back and work it in with a stiff plastic brush. I let it sit a little longer and rinse off with water. I dry after rinsing off between coats of easy off. It sometimes takes me 4 or 5 times of doing the process.

[Corey Bowcutt]

Thank you all for your replies. I am using heavy duty Off, I will check and make certain it has lye. I Will give all this a try today.
Corey

[CSX 4133]

This product is far less toxic to the user and disposal of the end product is easier. Follow the directions, as usual, and it does work.

http://www.citristrip.com/product/paint-varnish-stripping-gel-non-nmp

[JohnHouston]

When I have wanted to strip something fairly gently, I have used brake fluid.  I figured it works on the paint I WANT to keep, so why not on the paint I don't?  Slow, but won't bother plastics, cheap and doesn't smell.  Then a couple of detergent washes and a quick blast with solvent . . ..

John

[JWH]

I used the Easy-Off Oven cleaner also but as Bob points out, you have to get the right product. If I recall, they make a cleaner in a yellow can and a blue can. You want the yellow can. It took multiple applications to get the layers of paint off of my panels so be patient. On a couple of panels, I sprayed them with a good heavy coat of oven cleaner and then covered them with plastic to keep the cleaner from evaporating. I let them sit overnight and then sprayed them off. I also found that using a high-pressure nozzle on the hose helped to knock of some of the more stubborn paint. To help things along, brushing with a soft bristled dishwashing brush like you would use at the kitchen sink is my recommendation. Don't use anything abrasive as the point of the whole exercise is to preserve the grain texture.
              Once the panels are stripped, I like to clean with Simple Green and then use the SEM Prep and SEM Dye but that is for another thread.
              Stay patient and you will get great results.
Jeff

[Corey Bowcutt]

After 3 or 4 cycles using the heavy duty Off oven cleaner getting probably 80% of the paint off I decided to go buy some of the CitriStrip.  I read the directions carefully and they say do not use on fiberglass, vinyl or plastic.  Well this is a little scary but I am going to try it on a small corner at the recommendations of a few on this forum.  If it worked for them it should work for me just makes me a bit nervous.  I will report how it goes. 

Corey

[davez]

We have used the citrus strip  to remove old cracked decals and wraps from vehicles. Most times it does not affect factory paint bc/cc. It will damage clear headlight plastic as well as plastic trim pieces. A test would be wise.

I've used basic laquer thinner with a scrubby pad being careful not to leave it on too long.
Dz