# Removing JL's Pesky purple paint???



## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Hey guys, I'm in the midst of reworking a JL purple pullback Chevy Nomad body for a good friend of mine. The problem is, I can't seem to strip this friggin' paint! :freak: I have some "Castrol Super Clean"....which I soaked the body in for a while last night....and not a darn thing happened. I've heard of people using this product to strip model car paint from styrene.....but no luck for me right now.

I'm thinking about trying brake fluid........anyone else have any suggestions?


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

*Stripping...*

TX,

For stripping I use dollar bills..  
I to use to super clean also and found the same thing.. I went to brake fluid and have tried pinesol cleaner..They seem to work the best on the JL paint.. If you still can't get the paint off micro mark sells a stripper for plastic models that dissolves even old Lacquer paint. I believe it is called STRIP EASE.
The brake fluid works on the AW cars well. Takes a little longer due to the clear I found on some.. :freak: 
Hope this helps..


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

gear buster said:


> TX,
> 
> For stripping I use dollar bills..



ROTFLMFAO..... Dude, that was hilarious.....

I'll go grab some brake fluid and get to strippin'.....the Nomad that is :wave:


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Well, so far the Nomad body has been submerged in the brake fluid for a couple hours now......and this friggin' paint is STILL holding on tight!!! :drunk: 

Hell, next I may go with Carb cleaner....lol


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

If I recall. I used the Testor's airbrush thinner for the purple and pink JLs from their pullback series. Would set it in for an hour or so then scrub it with qtips. That color was a pain. rr


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Pain is an understatement......this Nomad has been soaking since this morning....and STILL no movement on the paint....

Tomorrow I stop by the garage and pick up a can of Carb cleaner....lol


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## boss9 (Apr 19, 2002)

Careful with that carb spray, Tex... 
We don't want you to end up with a tombstone or in a ghost town jest yet...:drunk:
You try rubbin' it with some of that scrub-grass you got out there? I bet that would take er' down! 

Seriously, there tumbleweed:
Jest mosey down to the local general store and pic up a can o' Easy-off...

That'll that'll put spikes on yer cactus!  


Giddyap'...
phil


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Beltsander Dude


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Woaaah Brian, Carb cleaners have bad nasties that can really do a number on certain plastics! Can you say Smeltorama? Easy off and patience like the Boss says. 

BH


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

gear buster said:


> TX,
> 
> For stripping I use dollar bills..
> I to use to super clean also and found the same thing.. I went to brake fluid and have tried pinesol cleaner..They seem to work the best on the JL paint.. If you still can't get the paint off micro mark sells a stripper for plastic models that dissolves even old Lacquer paint. I believe it is called STRIP EASE.
> ...


So pinesol wont hurt the JL/AW plastic, huh? I heard it would soften it. Thats good info, since Ive got a few repaints in mind for some of those pullback bodies...


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Yeah, Carb cleaner is a last resort....lol.... I do have a can of Easy Off somewhere around here....... I'm just ready to get this paint off....so I can begin working...lol :tongue:


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

I;ve used easy off oven cleaner on a few JL bodies and that pulled the paint off, bit you have to be careful not to let it soak too long. It tends to soften up the plastic


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

Aren't the Purple pullbacks purple plastic?


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

micyou03 said:


> Aren't the Purple pullbacks purple plastic?


None of Tom's cars were ever molded in color. way to expensive these days. 
Looked into that myself


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I've always used Pinesol and it always worked, however I never stripped a purple car. I can't understand why someone would, but I guess that's just me. I like purple. I have soaked JL cars in Pinesol for up to a week with no ill effects on the plactic. However you must remove the chrome and glass as it will cloud the glass and blacked the chrome.


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## Omega (Jan 14, 2000)

Micyou03 is right. Pinesol will not hurt the car. I stripped one of the purple chargers. It took two different baths in the Pinesol plus using a new stiff toothbrush before all the purple came off. 

Omega


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*Oh, but the smell....*

I had a JL Superbird that I stripped twice with pine sol...
After that the front screw post broke on it.
I don't know if it was related to the Pine Sol or not.
But the plastic took on the odour of Pine Sol.
Whew.....
Scott


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

micyou03 said:


> I've always used Pinesol and it always worked, however I never stripped a purple car. I can't understand why someone would, but I guess that's just me. I like purple.QUOTE]
> 
> 
> Well, this Nomad is going to be a custom that a friend of mine has commisioned me to do. He fell in love with a Nomad custom that I built a few years ago where I screw posted a Tjet chassis.....and used some RRR wheels. He wants one built in similiar fashion....hence why I'm stripping the purple paint.
> ...


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## krazcustoms (Nov 20, 2003)

Just throwing in my 2 cents here. I have tried pretty much everything to strip these puppies, and have settled on Pine-Sol as being the most consistent, least sloppy, and least likely to damage plastic. The trick is to soak the car (probably about a day for the old JL pinks and purples), then scrub it with the toothbrush IN the Pine-Sol jar. If you try to scrub it under running water, you will just make a big mess. I also have another jar with 50% Pine-Sol/50% water that I transfer the bodies to after the first scrub. This jar also has it's own toothbrush that stays with the jar. These two steps should get it completely stripped of paint and once that's done you can finally rinse (and scrub with ANOTHER toothbrush) under running water. Of course, if you're only stripping one body, you can use the same toothbrush throughout, just make sure you stick with that order and don't get water on it until the paint is all gone.
Also, AVOID BRAKE FLUID. It will take paint off, but I have had a couple of cars crumble in my hands after using it, and will never use it again.


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

I just peeked in on my Nomad again a few minutes ago. It sat all night and all day in Brake Fluid....and has began slowly removing the paint. The paint is all hazed/cracked up......and some of the paint was removed with a toothbrush.....revealing a beautiful stripped body underneath. 

It's not perfect just yet....but getting there. I've now switched to soaking the car in Easy Off oven cleaner....going to see how well that works. I checked for Pine sol.....but we're out.


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## Jimmy49098 (Jan 5, 2006)

I've found castrol super clean works great on stripping the chrome jl bodies and for taking off enamels, Jimmy


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Jimmy49098 said:


> I've found castrol super clean works great on stripping the chrome jl bodies and for taking off enamels, Jimmy



Actually, Castrol Super Clean is what I used first.....and it didn't do jack to this purple paint.


I now no longer have to worry about stripping this purple Nomad.....today I took it to work and tried stripping it with a couple of other products....and it didn't survive too well......more like a melted glob...lol

Anyone have a spare Nomad body??


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

*melted..*

Tx,

Your not to use the torch ...  
That is the only thing I don't have..A nomad...


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

gear buster said:


> Tx,
> 
> Your not to use the torch ...
> That is the only thing I don't have..A nomad...



LMAO, yeah, Shawn had asked me what I had planned next to try.....I told him I knew of a paint stripper at work.....and poured some up. He asked what I thought it would do......I told him probably melt the damn body.....but at least I'd be rid of the craptastic purple paint :tongue: Sure as hell, just as I predicted.....softened plastic goo


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## 2.8powerranger (Dec 13, 2004)

i repainted the purple javelin, i didnt strip it though, i used an airbrush with 98 jeep copper met.a couple thin coats ,then went to a small detail gun to mist on the dupont clear,turned out fanastic,good detail also.only one i ever stripped was the yellow moon eyes willys.


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

gear buster said:


> Tx,
> 
> Your not to use the torch ...
> That is the only thing I don't have..A nomad...


A.) don't use a torch, all the mixed chemicals used so far to strip that car will blow your neighborhood up.
B.) Steve, how many do you want, lol, next custom package will have a few.


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## Jimmy49098 (Jan 5, 2006)

I would look for a chrome one to strip. I've used the super clean to strip red chrome, don't know why it would not work on a blue chrome nomad, heres a pic of what super clean did in 12 hours to a red chrome monte pullback, didn't soften or damage the plastic. Jimmy


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Jimmy49098 said:


> I would look for a chrome one to strip. I've used the super clean to strip red chrome, don't know why it would not work on a blue chrome nomad, heres a pic of what super clean did in 12 hours to a red chrome monte pullback, didn't soften or damage the plastic. Jimmy



Yeah, Chrome cars are EASY.....since it's a plating. The brake fluid I had easily stripped a Cinnamon pearl JLTO Camaro body with ease....but NOT the purple one I had.

I know a guy locally who has a ton of JL pullback AFX bodies......so I'm going to see if perhaps he might have one :thumbsup:


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Anyone know if the pinesol trick is ok for 'real' aurora plastics? I got an orange nomad in a boneyard lot that some tool tried to customize by painting on a silver stripe...looks more like it splattered that liquid metal guy from T2... But its a solid body that Id like to salvage if I can cleanly remove that crap.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Patience and Persistence*

HI GRC, Does your Nomad have factory silver side moldings you want to retain? 

If so, Use a crude stencil and back mask them if you want to save them. Most of the time silvers come off pretty easily. First do some gentle pickin' and scraping with your fingernail, the hard paper stick of a broken Q-tip, and a good toothpick and see if you can knock some chunks loose. I then do an alternating cool warm tapwater bath. The orginal plastic will expand and contract ever so slightly. A molecular squirm if you will. 

If your making good progress, try soaking in warm dishsoap for a while, do some more warming and cooling, and keep picking. If you've gotten all you can get and there's still more, step up to a thicker paste made from cleanser (**** and span, comet, bon ami'-whatever). Use Q-tips, and their paper stick, and blunted toothpicks to basically grind/polish the remaining paint off. Then buff as normal.

For the most part silver flies off pretty easily. Occasionally someone has used a nasty hot solvent, quick drying paint to express their artistry. Many pre VOC, older formulations, may leave a "coffee table ring" in the plastic. These generally require a little wet sand and buff. I start at 1200 and see what happens.

My order goes like this, Dawn dishsoap, cleanser, Simple Green, Pine sol, Super Clean or other butyl cleaner, Deoderized mineral spirits, automotive wax and grease remover that's been allowed to sit so the really hot solvents have flashed off, and finally Easy Off. Brake fluid is taboo!

I always start with the peashooter and work my way up to the shotgun. Remember that once you get past Pinesol the large caliber weapons can alter the character of the plastic. Keep in mind that if you havent scrubbed the body good, the hot stuff can drive dirt, grease, or contaminents into the plastic especially noticable on lighter colors. 

You may notice that the later t-jet, tuffones, and AFX plastic is lighter, thinner, and more rubbery or flexible. No doubt a cost cutting measure. It can react negatively, and quicker to the hotter chemicals.

Often times I'll just walk away in the early stages and let the body air dry naturally overnight. Many times I've returned and had the offending paint just flake right off with a fingernail. A pleasant surprise. There's something to the drying process. 

Good Luck, BH


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

*purple JLs*

*Ed,

Purple Jls...  I will have to ask Tex how to melt it off.. :freak: 
Just kiddin.. Don't matter to me.I can get it off. Tryed the stripper for old plastic models from micro marks and it will rip off old laqcuer with no fuss..Should dismantle the JL paint.. :devil: *


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

Its been thru the dishwater soak already. I use that on cruddy ebay bodies (after popping off all chrome parts of course) to get all the oil, goo, and grime off. Its the dark orange nomad, and I dont care about retaining any of the factory paint since Ill just re-do the stripped headlites and fins. The bumpers were long gone, and will be replaced with scavenged JL parts. Just looking to bring it back from the dead, more or less. 

So Super Clean is harsher than pine sol, huh? Didnt know that. I was just wondering if a long soak in pine sol will hurt the AFX plastic. Ive stripped several tycos in it (a few Jeeps, a camaro and a trick truck). The trick truck got a little softened and wrinkled but the others shrugged it right off. I dont want to ruin the 'mad if I can avoid it.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Yeah super clean has butyl in it. It is caustic, but less caustic than Easy Off oven cleaner, which if I remember correctly is sodium hydroxide based. Super clean will etch metals and mar paint on contact if not used correctly. Prolonged exposure causes corrosion in metals and removes the flexibility in plastics. Especially when not rinsed thoroughly. Once upon a time I actually read the MSDS poop sheet on Super Clean. 

We dont think of plastic as being porous, but it is. All the caustics seem to have this effect some more so than others. I think you'll be fine if you dont just drown the 'mad and walk away. As I move up the toxicity list I check progress often.


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

*super clean..*

I used Super Clean on a couple of cars. It worked good but lots of work to keep an eye on the body . To much and it softened the body.. When dryed it made the plastic hard and brittle ..One wall shot and the post was gone.I have seen Super Clean eat the paint off a fender when I accidently got some on it at the shop.

My rule of thumb is:If I use it to clean engines in the shop and it sucks the grease of with no problem. Do I want to use it on plastic  

I think I need some of the stripper Tex uses.. seems to do the job quickly and no fuss  Have any extra?


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

OK, so I dont need to let it sit in pinesol unattended... I left the tycos in it for about a week, and it didnt affect them at all--except the trick truck. I need to perfect my technique, since there were a few smears of paint left on those cars. I didnt care since they were to be repainted anyway, but I want the 'mad stripped nekkid. Now Im kicking around getting some of that micro mark stripper...


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

gear buster said:


> I think I need some of the stripper Tex uses.. seems to do the job quickly and no fuss  Have any extra?



Which stripper was that??? The last one I used on my Nomad just melted the hell out of it within a couple minutes.... :tongue:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

TX, You didnt use the methylene chloride based paint stripper didja? Just the vapor kills plastic, let alone direct contact. Whoopsie. Sounds very globular. My condolences bud.  

Gearbuster said it all, above and beyond pinesol you gotta baby sit! 

You should see what Superclean can do to polished aluminum wheels in about the time it takes to wipe it off. Four days of polishing wiped out by the lotboy with one application. I was gonna kill him, but he got fired first cuz he'd been told to be careful.

It'll cloud automotive clearcoats so fast there's a sonic boom.


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*wow..*



Bill Hall said:


> *SNIP*
> It'll cloud automotive clearcoats so fast there's a sonic boom.


Now there is a visual... sort of... lol

Back to topic..
Any one tried **** n Span liquid?
It will rip any spray bomb paint job clean off...
Don't know about the Barney purple...

Scott


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

my latest use was pine sol and it sucked.............I had just got in the mail a flat black painted mustang fastback. it stripped the red stripes from under the black paint, and when I tried using a tooth brush to rub it good it just left oil base paint all over my hands and smeared more into the car then before.
I should have left it black and just "Future" floor waxed it a few times.
I never learned how to paint or how to strip. no wonder i'm so damn poor, lol


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