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Stripping Undercoating from Bottom Of 69 Camaro

23K views 61 replies 25 participants last post by  69z28freak 
#1 · (Edited)
Does anyone have any suggestions for stripping the undercoating from the bottom of my 69 Camaro

So far I have started by Dropping the tank, to start the task of stripping all the undercoating from the bottom of the car.



Here our fabulous hand model demonstrates proper blocking methods. Check out how thick the undercoating is on the tank.



Here is the tank post extraction. It is very clean and rust free on top. It looks like no moisture made its way between the trunk floor and the top of the tank.



After removing the tank I was quite pleased to see such pristine metal lurking beneath. It looks like the metal under the tank was painted silver, but I think it is the dry overspray of the white body colour.



Hopefully once I remove the undercoating the metal will be as nice as under the tank. Factory spot welds are interesting. Not very many at all. I was expecting more spot welds.



The undercoating appears to have been really globbed on pretty thick. I wonder what they used for product and what kind of application was used. Its very messy, but so far it appears to work very well.



Overall I was surprised at how quickly the tank can be removed. Only 2 nuts and 1 wire to remove. I have a new quanta tank, but I may see how the undercoating comes off of the original first. Perhaps I will use the original tank and sell the Quanta tank.

Thanks to our fabulous hand model for lending a helping hand.



Here is what I am up against.

 
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#2 ·
From the factory, I doubt you'd see rustproofing on the gas tank. GM put it in the wheel wells, and on the body pan. This stuff was hard (well, after 40 years) and can be loosened with heat and/or brake cleaner, or some ingredient.

Aftermarket rustproofing is different and is gooey nasty stuff. Not sure what removes it...
 
#6 ·
Ditto on what Joe said. I used a plastic scraper and heat gun with a final wipe with laquer thinner. A real character builder. I had alot of hours into that project.
 
#7 ·
Kinda funny, the Camaro I just bought was just undercoated to protect. . . .was a non undercoated car to begin with! It was built to be a driver and to quiet the car down. A rust free NC car. Good luck with the undercoating removal. Kerosene works too, spray it down and let it soak.
 
#11 ·
Propane torch or heat gun with a scraper. Then sprayed with oven cleaner called Mister Muscle. It is in a blue can and the only place I can find it now is on the internet. Spray with oven cleaner, let sit about 5 minutes then rinse off. You can also use steel wool on the residue with the oven cleaner. Make sure you wear rubber gloves and do not get it on your skin or eyes. Also dont get it on your paint.
 
#12 ·
I used a paint stripper call Strip-Eze and it's better than anything I tried. Get at local hardware store. Put it on let it set a little while and start scraping. No need for heat with this. Then when you get finished use a wire wheel to just buff it up. It worked well enough I sold my body man on it and he won't use anything else now.
 
#15 ·
Older times was a propane torch, had no heat guns then, to soften then scraper to scrape off.
I would suspect the undercoat added by contractor from the dealer, garden variety type as many dealer add-ons are added after the delivery.
 
#16 ·
I used a $20 HF needle scaler. http://www.harborfreight.com/compact-air-needle-scaler-96997.html For the petrified stuff it worked really well - the stuff fell off in chunks. Also great for getting into tight cormers. Elbow grease and a stiff scraper on the rest, followed by wire wheels on an air drill. You will be glad to be done with this job - it is no fun at all. You will want to have the rear and the springs out as well.
 
#20 ·
That is not something I am interested in. I am trying to make the underside look better. Have you used this tool before? I have heard of a local guy here who used one, but I have not seen it first hand.
 
#21 ·
I have done three cars the best way I found like many was a torch paint scraper or putty knife. to remove the most of it. then use a drill with a wire brush and heat the under coating that you did not get off with the scraper while running the wire brush over it look out for flying hot tar and each day throw your cloths away or it will get in the washer and dryer and on the wifes cloths not the fashion statement most wifes wantto make
 
#22 ·
I hear you Robert. I am using overalls, but the stuff get in your ears and everywhere. I am thinking of getting a ski mask to cover my head.

Here is some progress.

THE TOOLS



THE RESULT





Always looking for advice and better ways to restore this car!
 
#27 ·
I used a Harbor Freight heat gun and a metal putty knife on my '56 Chevy. This got 99% of the undercoating off. I then sand blasted the underbody before I painted it with epoxy primer. I mixed black and red primer to get a shade of brown primer that is real close to the original.





 
#32 ·
The Worst Job In The World!

And so it continues...

However a great deal has been learned so far. The two most important tools of the job so far. Without these precious Wal-Mart items the job would be at a complete stand still. Since using these fine items, clean takes a fraction of the time and keeps all of the dust and particles out of all those unwanted orifices!~



Next after much experimentation, these are the bits that have remained. They all have there special place. However the one on the left is the best all around gunk remover. Also switching the drill from one direction to the other after a while is like sharpening the wire wheel. After a while they get clogged and don't work as well. I am also surprised how gentle the wire wheels are on the metal surface. The stone bits are for the wort rust in hard to reach places. I don't expect they will last too long. The fibre disk and the sand paper disk are not that effective on the undercoating. They would work better on bondo and paint. Since I am essentially removing tar, clogging bits is the biggest challenge so far.



Passenger side drop of panel is factory original with a small patch. Note the drain hole.




Drivers side was a replacement quarter swap before I owned the car. No drain plug hole.



The rear of the car has the worst rust so far. It is just surface rust on the rear frame rails and all the sheets metal where the tires were throwing rain for all those years. Obviously those areas did not get the proper undercoating I am removing from the rest of the car.





These areas are going to require the Dremel treatment, which I am saving for last, once I get as much of the undercoating and rust I can with the drill.


Does anyone know what this number is on the drivers side frame rail? Is it a part number?




How about this number on the bottom of the trunk floor.



This shows all of the sections sandwiched together.



So many small nooks and crannies. I greatly under estimated how long this project would take. Consistant with the rest of the build. You would think I would have learned by now.

 
#39 ·
Lordy, I feel for you guys with undercoat. So sorry.
Back in May of 69 us kids knew to not let that stuff get near our cars. On my order sheet, right at the top in bold capital letters, I wrote NO UNDERCOAT!!!!
Anything below that was my contract. That meant nothing.
After reading this thread I was torn. Should I try to help out and show what these cars should look like new, or risk being called a show-off. Ah, what the hell, I'm a show-off.:p










My wife really hates it when I show off.:rolleyes:
 
#46 ·
Lordy, I feel for you guys with undercoat. So sorry.
Back in May of 69 us kids knew to not let that stuff get near our cars. On my order sheet, right at the top in bold capital letters, I wrote NO UNDERCOAT!!!!
Anything below that was my contract. That meant nothing.
After reading this thread I was torn. Should I try to help out and show what these cars should look like new, or risk being called a show-off. Ah, what the hell, I'm a show-off.:p

My wife really hates it when I show off.:rolleyes:
Hey Fred your leaf springs look painted. I thought original springs were unpainted? Also looks like a lot of the underbody on your car has surface rust, like there was no primer or paint used at all, or is that oxide primer? Very nice original looking car.
 
#40 ·
"After reading this thread I was torn. Should I try to help out and show what these cars should look like new, or risk being called a show-off. Ah, what the hell, I'm a show-off."

Fred, Are you telling us these cars came with zip ties as original equipment?? l:)
Sorry, could not help myself with that one. I love your car Fred. Merry Christmas.
 
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