I am planning on taking my paintwork down to the metal on my restoration project. Would like input on the best way to do this. Is it sanding and elbow grease or is a chemical stripping the way to go? Interested in opinions and the pros and cons for each way.

I'm no expert and I prefer not to do body and paint- just everything else. But my understanding is that the preferred way now is to sand it off with 150 grit then apply a two-part polyester primer. It fills in the scratches and bonds to the roughed-up metal better than anything. Then use high-build primers and block and with the longest block available. Compatible fillers and more blocking as required. Then color coats, then clear coats optional. All that paint is crazy expensive, like $400/ gallon at the low end. And if you don't use the recommended respirator gear the stuff will catalyze inside your lungs and kill you.

Body shop it is then lol.

Hi gjones1967

I took mine down to the metal with chemical paint stripper. Total of 5 paint levels.
pros: easily the least labor intensive, for me anyway.
Cons: You have to make sure you neutralize the stripper in every cranny, Messy clean up, It Burns , Messes up body filler if you have any!

Back when I had an airplane, some guy at the airport taught shop at the
local high school.

He offered students extra credit to strip his plane.

They used chemical stripper. And got it on the plexiglass windows.

Ended up costing a LOT more than he saved.

Stripped my 77 to bare metal using aircraft stripper last summer. Paint came off very easily as it was original paint and middle of summer (heat helps a lot). After paint is stripped I scuffed the whole thing with DA, scotchbrite pads, foam blocks to get mechanical adhesion with first coat of paint. Had my painter guy shoot the car in epoxy primer in my driveway and car has great since. Best advice is to find local autobody supply store and buy aircraft stripper, metal scrappers, and automotive grade acetone. Check out my 77/67 restoration for pictures.

I like the idea of the aircraft stripper. The car is totally stripped down so there is nothing to damage,

Thanks

Graeme

I used a standard paint stripper and it removed a lot of the old Bondo. Neutralized it with TFT. Saved lots of money. My restorer/paint shop recommended a very light primer, just enough to stop surface rust. He wanted to dive into the welding and sanding.

Greg