Topic: Best way to uncover grease paint on early cars !

[svo2scj]

Hi Guys,

Totally new area for me but I know you are the people to ask !!  (really need to hear from those that have don't it sucessfully and without harm to info)

What is the proceedure/products used on 1964 1/2 Radiator support to remove the black paint in hopes of uncovering grease paint marks on build info?

Didn't want to go at it with stripper or thinner (if they need to be diluted or avoided)

Mark
P.S. Will post findings here -just not sure I want to commit to another concours restoration at this point !

[Twilight65]

Mark,
I used metal prep to clean the area first so I could kind of see where the numbers/letters were. I held a flash light at an angle as to see them. Then I used paint stripper. I didn't leave it on too long because I didn't want to destroy what I could see below the paint. Then I carefully scrapped it very gently with a putty knife until I could see the markings. I did a small area each time.

Dave

[rockhouse66]

The markings on my '66 were visible after media (soda) blasting.

[svo2scj]

Thanks All
Jim -good to know that maybe (with instruction to not BLOW everything away) you can still blast.

GOing to use the hand cleaning , stripping in the area first.  (Whole frame might be blasted latter)
Yeah I said frame.

Mark

[JKWilson]

Mark, I know you referred to the markings as grease, and these do exist. The ones in grease marker that I have found have generally been on top of the black paint. Any attempt to raise these usually obliterates them. The paint markings under the the black paint are pretty resilient. I recently got to the paint marking on my coupe by stripping. I tried several less intrusive methods with little success. I then used Jasco brand stripper. I left it on until it just began to wrinkle the black paint (less than 5 minutes). I then used a plastic scraper and it revealed all the markings without damaging or destroying any of them. I'll be posting a "details" log for the car soon. I have several more photos to shoot of the little details and original markings I've found throughout the car. The log will include a shot of the markings on the radiator support.

[svo2scj]

Thank  you .
More concerned with UNDER the black - will be cleaning lightly (in case there are marks outside)

Mr. Wilson - are you referring to the cars in you signature (or do you have others)
(Did they stop using the skid tracking assignment for 5/64 in Dearborn ?)

Mark

[JKWilson]

Mark the car I'm referring to is a coupe that's not pictured. The fastback in my sig is undergoing resto for concours, but the coupe is going resto mod. During disassembly of the coupe, I've came across many nice details for a concours resto and reference.

I haven't posted much about the coupe on this forum due to it being a resto mod, but the factory details are applicable here, and hopefully useful. I'll try to get the detail shots available for everyone the next day or so. I finally have a few days off to get back to work on the car! 

[svo2scj]

I haven't posted much about the coupe on this forum due to it being a resto mod, but the factory details are applicable here, and hopefully useful. 

You know , the fact that we all have respected this is what makes this site going forward  a working wiki !  I have been focused on a 69 restoration for 9 years.  Having gone through  "club" bantor that goes hand in hand with most social forumns - it is a pointed atempt for INFO in one place.

Mark

[J_Speegle]

I've seen the "wax" or crayon markings under the engine compartment black (applied to bare metal) and those applied after the black was applied. Markings and locations of course vary depending on plant and year.

If they were applied under often the paint applied over them would not stick and these often leave a heavy or light coat of rust non those surfaces or at least raised paint on low mileage original cars. The wax/crayon was pulled into the metal and you can make out the faint writing in the surface as long as you don't use a good cleaner.

On the ones over the black you either seem them or not. If you do I've found that trying to wipe them to remove dust or dirt can lead to removing everything as the stuff drys out over the years and isn't much more than dust at this point.

If you find small a faint marking you can sometimes spray oven clear to the surface then quickly grab a camera and start shooting. As the cleaner dissolves the product it will foam, raise away from the panel and expose the color and the general shape of what was there. Never perfect (and you get one shot) but this has been done successfully by a number of us

Hope this helps

[GlennG]

I wanted to add that I was able to find a few grease markings on my car after it was media blasted with plastic media.  It was amazing because it was like uncovering the dead sea scrolls....then lo and behold I found some markings in yellow grease pencil on the outside of the front wheel wells, and radiator support...as clear as the day they were originally marked.

[J_Speegle]

I wanted to add that I was able to find a few grease markings on my car after it was media blasted with plastic media.  It was amazing because it was like uncovering the dead sea scrolls....then lo and behold I found some markings in yellow grease pencil on the outside of the front wheel wells, and radiator support...as clear as the day they were originally marked.

Glenn though we've seen thousands would be interesting to see yours (might want to post in the 64-66 area) Maybe we can help fill in the blanks.

Remember to include when and where the car was assembled

"yellow grease pencil on the outside of the front wheel wells" sounds like you found the fender location numbers