I thought I would take the time to share this excercise for all of those out there with limited budgets like mine.
Background info:
I have a set of original Challenger doorpanels in white that were painted white during some period in their life. They are uncracked and still very pliable. They have scratches and some knick, and a couple of areas that are yellow/browned from the the sun.
I have read many posts on this site that review how to do it, but not too many show the process. I have found a few techniques that work great for getting the funk off, and releasing the paint from the grain of the panel. Check it out.
Is the panel painted or dyed? - This was painted, so results and methods to extract the paint would be different if the panels were dyed.
I will insert the before pic here: (image not present)
The basic method I developed quite accidentally:
I had some generic run-of-the-mill masking tape that I used to tape my panels together to transport them home from. I noticed that when I went to remove the tape that some of the paint came with it.
So, being the persitant problem solver that I am
, I grabbed some standard hardware store grade duct tape to see what effect that would have on removing the paint.
The duct tape removed HUGE amounts of paint as easier than you could believe. Some areas did not want to release the paint, so other techniques were employed.
This is a shot after the iniitial taping procedure: <
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/83970267/original>Here are 2 shots of the "waxing" of the paint in process: <
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/83970268 >
<
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/83970270 >
After this step I needed to hit the panel with the Easy-Off oven cleaner and the potato scrub-brush. The easy off actuall took out quite a bit of the Yellowing/browning of the panel. The cleaner also loosened the paint from the grain so that another few tape applications could be done.
I also scrubbed them with a solution of my own concoction that has worked great on some other compnents.
My personal concoction of warm water Lestoil, Tilex and Pine-Sol seems to work really well at getting of tons of grime and funk off of rubber and plastic parts.
After a few more applications of tape: <
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/83970269 >
Here is a evidence left behind: <
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/83970271 >
Here are the results so far: <
http://www.pbase.com/dmz73/image/83970272 >
I have yet to scrub it down again.
I have another great concoction to remove dirt/grease/human skin from doorpanels and IPs-
Woolite and warm water and some other kind of cleaner- I will have to check-then scrub with Lexol. That is usually the final cleaning solution.
I hope you get he same results that I do. I am planning on trying to keep and restore my panels since they are in pretty good shape. I will post more on the top areas where it is browning and let you see my technique and results.
Enjoy!
Dan
