What color was the factory primer/sealer on a '73 ?

[lone73]

I started stripping my paint off today. I was getting a lot of chips with a yellowish tan color showing beneath (very ugly). The paint was not sticking too well to this layer at all. As I was stripping I found that this is the layer right on top of the fiberglass. I just wondered if this was factory or from a previous owners work.

I am razor blading the old paint off and it is scraping off pretty easily for the most part. I just spent about two hours on it and I already have about 1/3rd of the car done but it is only scraping down to this yellow/tan base coat. That coat is pretty well stuck to the car. Unfortunatly the paint wasn't sticking to it, so I was planning on stripping that off with some acetone or Captain Lee's and going back over the glass with the stuff recommended in the Lars G. writeup in the knowledge center on the CAC site (some kinda' primer).

Any thoughts on either of these two issues?

Thanks
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[JohnZ]

Sounds like the car has been stripped to bare 'glass and painted before, using a gel-coat base (which is hard, and chips when removed mechanically). The factory paint started with red oxide primer, then a gray sealer, then lacquer topcoat.

 

[lone73]

Thank you John !

I'm not sure its gel coat, it sands off pretty easily but it doesn't scrape off easily from the glass. I will sand it (or strip it) completely off and start over. I'm using Lar's procedure in the tech tips section. I already have some long strand filler and the Evercoat 870 stuff.

My next problem is tring to decide if I want to just repair from the front side of the panel or do the backside as well. I have some cracks in the rear fascia just down from the upper corners. They sort of follow the curve of the corners about 1-1/2" in from the top and side edges (if that makes any sense). I would have to drop the tank to get to them from the backside. I also wondered how to tell where the cracks are in the glass after the paint is removed. I had some in the tops of the fenders (from rocks that were slung off the tires I'm told) and now with the paint off, but yellowish primer still on, I can't find them anymore. I hope they show back up when I get down to the glass...

thanks
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[Craigi]

I hope they show back up when I get down to the glass..
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Here is what I do.......When the glass is clean and dry, apply a bit of thinner or reducer, then wipe and watch carefully as it dries. The surface dries fast, but any thinner that migrated into a crack will take longer to dry and show up as a darker line. If there is no line visible, you can pretty much assume the crack was in the paint or primer layer, which you removed. Just my experience. Sounds like you have the worst, messy part almost over. . . maybe

http://community.webshots.com/album/509942019XSiynl

 

[paintdaddy]

The layer that is chipping off might be a polyester primer which has a similar chemical make up of gel coat.Also the crack on the rear panel sounds like the bonding seam,its normal to see that.

 

[Stingray6974]

That looks like K200 urethane primer.
Mike