Needing Help Very Bad ( Plastic Body )

[akarf]

Hey Guys , I have a Four Wheeler Body I what to paint PINK for My Oldest girl for Xmas. I have not done a lot of body or painting. I'm looking to remove the old paint and repaint it pink. First how do i remove the old paint and then how to prep it for paint and what type of paint to use. And I would like to use a clear coat to make it shine.

Thank You

[Len]

Hey Guys , I have a Four Wheeler Body I what to paint PINK for My Oldest girl for Xmas. I have not done a lot of body or painting. I'm looking to remove the old paint and repaint it pink. First how do i remove the old paint and then how to prep it for paint and what type of paint to use. And I would like to use a clear coat to make it shine.

Thank You

If it's a fiberglass body you would use chemical stripper to remove the paint then clean it well, prime and apply your color. A non-metallic color I'd use a single stage acrylic urethane.

[akarf]

Hey Len, I have had one person say plastic and one say fiberglass. I'm saying its plastic b/c its clearish ( white on the bottom side ) and its easy to bend and flex.

[Len]

Hey Len, I have had one person say plastic and one say fiberglass. I'm saying its plastic b/c its clearish ( white on the bottom side ) and its easy to bend and flex.

Get a stripper that can be used on plastic. If it was metal I'd say to use a sander but it would destroy the plastic's smooth surface so you've got to go with a chemical if you need to strip it. However if the existing paint is in good shape then just clean it well, scuff it and paint it without stripping.

[another2centsworth]

don't forget the adhesion promoter like bulldog.

[Len]

don't forget the adhesion promoter like bulldog.

Adhesion promoter is usually only needed on bare plastic. If the surface is covered with paint adhesion promoter isn't needed but if you strip it then, yes, you need AP.

[another2centsworth]

Adhesion promoter is usually only needed on bare plastic. If the surface is covered with paint adhesion promoter isn't needed but if you strip it then, yes, you need AP.

great point but bulldog acts as an adhesion promoter and a flexative

edit: to work as a flexative you need to add bulldog to your paint. using it as an adhesion promoter you just spray it on then top coat (makes paint stick to anything is the advertisement)
many 4-wheelers have parts that are flexible hence needing the addition of a flexative. bulldog is added as a flexative. at any rate use it for this particular project.
thanks Len

[Len]

great point but bulldog acts as an adhesion promoter and a flexative

An adhesion promoter and a flex additive are two different things. An adhesion promoter is applied to the surface so that the next coating will adhere better and a flex additive is added to the paint to make it more flexible. You need an adhesion promoter if the plastic is not already coated and if it is already coated all you need to do is scuff the paint and apply your new paint and you need an adhesion promoter added to the paint when the substrate is flexible so that the paint doesn't crack if flexed.

[akarf]

Hey Guys Thank You for the help. I wanted to update on my work i have the body down to the bare plastic and i have a few spots to work on and i'll be done removing the paint. Then next do I need to sand the body or just scuff the body and then spray the body with adhesion promoter and how long do i need to wait before I spray the pink and Flex additive and do I need to sand th AP before the pink color. And can I Mix the Paint with the Flex additive and spray it at one time and how long do I need to wait till I spray a clear coat.

Thanks Guys

P.S. I'm looking for a good Gun to use on the 4wheeler body and my next project ( 84 Chevy c-10 )

[JCCLARK]

If it's a fiberglass body you would use chemical stripper to remove the paint then clean it well, prime and apply your color. A non-metallic color I'd use a single stage acrylic urethane.

Never ever use stripper on a fiberglass or SMC plastic body
like Corvettes.
It's next to impossible to get it cleaned completely.
Corvette shops are strict to not even get it wet
with water.
I know a paint rep that can tell you many horror stories
about body shops that worked on a Corvette and had
to redo it because of just that.

[Hybrid killer]

I prefer mechanical stripping. Very slowly and evenly with a DA and 80 grit using a soft pad and moving constanltly. Plastic bumpers are sometimes a different story, but the good strippers are expensive as hell. Might cost $45 is stripper to do a bumper cover. (3 cans)

[JCCLARK]

I know there's lots of people useing stripper on plastics and not having a problem,
but if you get any into the fiberglass it can be your worst nightmare.
I painted a Vette this past summer and wasn't going to take any chances.
I stripped parts dry with sandpaper and got epoxy on it as soon as possible.
It just wasn't worth the risk for me, especially this car that was going back
to its owner located over 500 miles away.

[Len]

Using an abrasive on a soft substrate will surely create a lot of surface variations that will need to be repaired if you want the surface to end up straight. We strip almost every car we restore and for fiberglass we use Captain Lees Stripper which is specifically designed for stripping paint off of fiberglass cars. Believe me we've done this job every way possible and using an abrasive on glass is one of the most difficult.

The link below shows a car we used Captain Lees on.

Link

We've done a lot of these and have NO horror stories yet. The one in the picture has been done for years and still looks like the day it rolled out of the shop.