# Stripping paint from JL/AW cars



## slotrod65 (Dec 4, 2005)

I want to strip the paint from several of my JL/AW cars.... So I soaked them in my usual formula: Superclean degreaser. This stuff typically takes the paint right off other prjects, but it will not touch the JL/AW paint. Has anyone has success stripping these cars? If so, what method did you use?

Thanks!!

Phred


----------



## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

*AW Striping*

Use 91% isopropyl alcohol. It will take the AW/JL paint completely off the plastic. Make sure to remove the chrome and windows first as it will haze them. Soak it over night. Do not use this method on resin bodies, they will get soft. Undiluted cloudy ammonia will strip the chrome pieces clean.

-Paul


----------



## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

It depends on the JL/AW body. Some colors have come off in Airbrush cleaner, Easy Off and or Alcohol after a overnight soak. Some colors take forever and a variety of stripping agents and elbow grease before you ever see the white of the bod. Stand by, others will be here soon to enlighten you on their experiences.  rr


----------



## slotrod65 (Dec 4, 2005)

Thanks guys... I have the bodies in Alcohol soak right now... so we'll see what happens.

Ph


----------



## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Someone tried a Bazooka on that later AW paint....it didnt work either.










It can be done! See prior to being murderfied....this was an A-dub navy/white two tone fiddy six 'burban.

First came the the bobzilla pickle jar of pinesol. After a few days this allowed me to garge the sludgy paint off with my finger nail. The gnarley residue was buffed off the bulk areas using a well worn scotch brite and airbrush thinner (some guys like Zilla use ELO) Careful ya dont overdo it and over scuff the molded detail... you'll wanna keep that :thumbsup:. The final detail picking was done with airbrush thinner and a sharp wooden toothpick of the pointy round variety.


----------



## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

I like trucks!!! Never thought about cutting the top, doh!!! I've thought about cutting the hood and stuffing it, does that count??? Looks good Bill!!! I need one of those, if I can get the courage to cut, lol...RM


----------



## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Thanks Hill, 
She's been back burnered for over six months. Ya might wanna barf Randy but I was gonna go t-jet turqouise for the top coat and have the ickey painted bumpers plated. Maybe an ivory tonneau and accents. My neighbor friends dad had a Cameo in that scheme....sold it for $1800...it was nineteen hundred and ...seventy eight.....sonny! 

Gotta deal with dumbass purple glass as well

Whats with the darn glass? Were they all dropping acid that week?


----------



## SuperFist (Aug 7, 2005)

When I'm soaking them in 91% isopropyl alcohol, I'll periodically take them out and use a old tooth brush to get the paint out of the areas you can't wipe off.

__________________


----------



## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Turquoise blue sounds good to me. That would look good with a ivory cover. I had the same problem with the purple tint, just spray some flat black on the inside of the glass, that'l tone it down...RM


----------



## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

*Turquoise 'n Ivory White sounds alright!!*

That sounds good. I myself like the new mopar cool vanilla in a two tone with an dark aqua/teal..a shade bluer than Model motoring's green candy. I always liked them two side by side. If ya get that Cameo casted I want some!! Just out of curiosity, what did you use to bond the body back together with??

UtherJoe


----------



## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

Some of the JL and AW bodies are a pain in the arse to strip the paint off. I have used PineSol, turpentine, etc. etc. When I come across a really stubborn one.....when all else fails......I get out my weed burner (mini flame thrower).....takes the paint right off......so what there's nothing left....at least I feel better.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

I would buy more AW cars if I could get them uncoated. Call them an AW Kit, uncoated bod and a chassis. Think of the $ they could save. 

Tom, what do you think? 

Bring 'em on! rr


----------



## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

Bill Hall said:


> Someone tried a Bazooka on that later AW paint....it didnt work either.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a Way neat truck from a suburban, Bill. I like that ole school pick em up look! :freak::dude:


----------



## GoodwrenchIntim (Feb 22, 2005)

I use denatured alcohol on tyco bodies, it works great


----------



## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

roadrner said:


> I would buy more AW cars if I could get them uncoated. Call them an AW Kit, uncoated bod and a chassis. Think of the $ they could save.
> 
> Tom, what do you think?
> 
> Bring 'em on! rr


It looks great on paper rr. Sure would be nice to save all the hassle of stripping and get straight to prep and paint.


----------



## slotrod65 (Dec 4, 2005)

OK, I soaked my suburban and a 'snake eyes' for 1.5 days in alcohol. The white peeled off the sub's roof, but the blue paint is being a real bugger... I dunked it again for tomorrow. The cobra went a little better. Most of the purple paint came off, but there are still some areas where it is stuck, even after toothbrushing with my wife's toothbrush. (I used my own toothbrush to strip paint once, but it makes the brush taste terrible!)  

More later....


----------



## slotrod65 (Dec 4, 2005)

Well, I soaked both cars in alcohol for another day, with no effect. Right now they are soaking in ELO....

Phred


----------



## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

pshoe64 said:


> Use 91% isopropyl alcohol. It will take the AW/JL paint completely off the plastic. Make sure to remove the chrome and windows first as it will haze them. Soak it over night. Do not use this method on resin bodies, they will get soft. Undiluted cloudy ammonia will strip the chrome pieces clean.
> 
> -Paul


 
I found this out the stupid way, and it didn't take overnight :freak:

I was cleaning a chassis and the body, a JL Teal/Black Stripe Nova, was sitting in front of me....

One drop splashed on the roof, and by the time I picked it up and wiped it, the roof was white 

I have heard the later paint is a little tougher.


----------



## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo*



slotrod65 said:


> Well, I soaked both cars in alcohol for another day, with no effect. Right now they are soaking in ELO....
> 
> Phred


Phred I know you probably know about soaking times in ELO but, others who read this may not? Love your decals!


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

sorry but when you said soaking in ELO I freaked out a little...lol

ELO is very harsh stuff. I use it but, only after a soak and scrub in Pine Sol to remove most of the paint. 

I wear plastic disposable gloves and pour a cap full in my ELO lid. I toothbrush it on and let it soak for only 5 min. and then scrub, scrub with an occasional dip for more ELO. after about 10 to 15 min. total soaking in ELO take the body and scrub it down with soap and water to remove any ELO from it. 

If needed repeat this step again to remove any stubborn paint jobs. Also have found that a toothpick scrubbing helps for some reason. Just rub toothbrush into ELO coated area and then brush once the plastic color starts to appear.

ELO will eat window post or worse if soaked in ELO for any lengthy periods of time but, as stated above just rinse in soapy water and then you can go back and do it again.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew didn't know that stripping slot car bodies would get me so worked up. I have been typing like a mad man. hahahahahaha

The important part is to get the paint out of the door lines and such to bring the detail back into the paint job you are getting ready to spray.

Bob...they don't call me a crazed painter for nothing...zilla


----------



## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

Are you using ELO from the "New World Record" era or the pre-sell out stuff like "Eldorado"?


----------



## slotrod65 (Dec 4, 2005)

Sorry my off hand comments about ELO... I have destroyed my faid share of plastic over the years using ELO. I just spooned some ELO on the cars and let them sit. After about 1/2 hour, I was able to scrub the rest of the paint off with a toothbrush. The only stubborn areas were the door seams. Between a toothpick, and the back of the point of a dull exacto blade and I was able to scrub out the paint. There is still some 'shadowing' of the original paint color, that I just cannpt seam to get off the car body.....

Phred


----------



## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I soaked my JL/AW Ford Fairlane in PineSol for, Oh, a week to get the cream yellow color off it. It was like wiping banana pudding off a slot car with a toothbrush. It worked good and didn't melt the plastic. 

So this ELO stuff is like dropping an alka-seltzer in water, huh?

Rich


----------



## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*My Pine Sol short story...*

Phred,

Didn't mean to go all APE on you man. 

Don't worry about the shadowing as paint will cover that up. Saving the detail is the main thing.

Rich,

I recently soaked 8 Sand Vans in Pine Sol and forgot about them for over 2 weeks. They now have a bump in the hood area.....oooooh man. Well I guess they will need to be cut out for blowers now? lol

Pine Sol for a week is good and then as rich says "Alka Seltzer" it....plop plop...fiz...fiz... Have 4 pickle jars of Pine Sol on my garage workbench with a large backup bottle for changing it out once in a while.

Bob...painting is fun...zilla


----------



## slotrod65 (Dec 4, 2005)

Hey, no problem... I should have been more specific about how long the cars went for a soak in the ELO. I dunked a 1/32 model once... and forgot about it.... found it about 6 months (!) later, and it looked like something that went through the transporter backwards... all horror movie swollen, melty, you name it. Ugh!!

I am now painting the bodies I stripped, and will post some photos when there is something worth looking at.... Thanks guys!!

Phred


----------

