Paint Removal

[Flip]

Here's one for those of you who have more experience with paints and bodywork than me please.

This isn't Monster related but it is Italian with Ducati electrics so please bear with me.

During the lockdown, among all the decorating Mrs Flip has had me doing while trying to get some jobs done on the bikes as well I have added to the list to get my 1978 Vespa P200e back on the road.

I have owned it for the last ten years or so and after pottering around town on it for the first couple of Summers it has spent the rest of it's time in a corner of the garage under the title 'Restoration- Work in Progress' with a view to strip and re-spray it.

However, my thinking now is that rather than rip it of it's original colour I will get it back on the road in all it's original 'patina'. But there is a caveat- it was given a rattle can job by it's previous owner.

Now it wasn't a very good one- simply spraying over the original paint in a lighter metallic blue and underneath the original colour is visible after a bit of scraping (they didn't even bother painting under the side panels).

So what I would like to know is, is there an easy(ish) way of removing the rattle can paint causing the minimum of damage to the original paint underneath?

[Nasher]

Flip

Hi.

Try a gentle rub with the green bit of a Kitchen sponge, lubricated with soapy water.
If that works try to get hold of some Scotch pads, but you'll have to go easy with them.

Any chemical options may strip, or soften, the colour underneath.
But, as it was probably a Halfords spray can and not keyed to the paint underneath it could be worth trying some paint thinners, wetting a rag with it and rubbing the paint off, but do a small area at a time and wash off with plenty of water between areas.

Nasher.

[Mr Gazza]

We always used to take them down the beach and put 'em on a bonfire. This would be very effective at taking the paint off and sometimes remove most of the engine in a fascinating sort of pyroclastic flow.
This is a very good way of doing it as the incoming tide will remove most of the mess.

Aah. Happy memories.

[Nickj]

I use the green to final finish wood ... like oak ... it is more abrasive than you might think so careful with it and lots of soapy water.
You might find the white scourer dish pads a better bet but as they are much less abrasive it will take a time but you have more control of what you cut back.
A t-cut like mild abrasive would also work.

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by Nickj

A t-cut like mild abrasive would also work.

Now that's a cracking idea.
Might take a while, but very controllable.

Nasher.

[Darren69]

T cut is quite abrasive so you would have to be careful but it might work ok. You would probably have to re clear coat anyway in any case, maybe?

[Darkness]

If it were a 70s Yamaha, you could have left it out in the rain and watched it wash off. The problem with that being that the bolts, alloy and chromework would have disappeared into a furry mess!

[Darren69]

Was 70's Italian any better, really? Maybe the paint is all that is holding it together!

[Albie]

Originally Posted by Darkness

If it were a 70s Yamaha, you could have left it out in the rain and watched it wash off. The problem with that being that the bolts, alloy and chromework would have disappeared into a furry mess!

I have a Gt80 and a tt500 in original nick. No rust or paint washed off. I'm very lucky.

[Flip]

Thanks everyone- I hadn’t thought of combining T-Cut with a wash up spong. I think that may be the way to go!!

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

We always used to take them down the beach and put 'em on a bonfire. This would be very effective at taking the paint off and sometimes remove most of the engine in a fascinating sort of pyroclastic flow.
This is a very good way of doing it as the incoming tide will remove most of the mess.

Aah. Happy memories.

Mr G even if I was of that mind, which I am obviously not- The combination of nice weather and the lockdown means our beach down here in LA is so crowded (Bognor and Worthing equally so) there’s not room for another BBQ.

Youth culture aside they are an iconic image of utilitarian transport and when ridden as intended (i.e round town shopping trips) rather than flat out getting up to Skeggy they are a lot of fun.

[dacs]

Sorry, can't resist the thought - if only the previous owner had oversprayed it with Ducati engine paint. Hope it goes well, always nice to see an old bike proudly wearing its history.

[Mr Gazza]

I was only joshin' of course Flip, although it was a rather unkind suggestion!
The mention of scooter just popped a memory bubble of the raucous beach parties we used to have on a remote Norfolk beach. I organised the first one on behalf of the Triumph Owners club and it turned into a festival like occasion which has gone down in local legend. Hundreds turned up, we had a Satanic Heavy Metal band, with generators roaring in the dunes, a huge barbie which soon ran out of burgers and sausages. We had a big bonfire between the high and low water marks, which is legal and I also informed the Coastguard, but we were not allowed fireworks. Some wise guy brought an old scooter out of the back of his shed and everyone had a go at smashing it with a sledgehammer before it was hurled on the bonfire. The Police were combing the beach among the scattered unconscious in the morning for suspects of various local crimes! It seemed to set a template for future biker beach parties which became even more lawless and I understand that the scooter bash became a fixture with scooters being stolen for the purpose. Needless to say I washed my hands of it all after the first one. I even moved out of the County for a while. I still occasionally hear stories about that night after more than forty years.

[Jez900ie]

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

I was only joshin' of course Flip, although it was a rather unkind suggestion!
The mention of scooter just popped a memory bubble of the raucous beach parties we used to have on a remote Norfolk beach. I organised the first one on behalf of the Triumph Owners club and it turned into a festival like occasion which has gone down in local legend. Hundreds turned up, we had a Satanic Heavy Metal band, with generators roaring in the dunes, a huge barbie which soon ran out of burgers and sausages. We had a big bonfire between the high and low water marks, which is legal and I also informed the Coastguard, but we were not allowed fireworks. Some wise guy brought an old scooter out of the back of his shed and everyone had a go at smashing it with a sledgehammer before it was hurled on the bonfire. The Police were combing the beach among the scattered unconscious in the morning for suspects of various local crimes! It seemed to set a template for future biker beach parties which became even more lawless and I understand that the scooter bash became a fixture with scooters being stolen for the purpose. Needless to say I washed my hands of it all after the first one. I even moved out of the County for a while. I still occasionally hear stories about that night after more than forty years.

"So its all your fault". LOL

Great story - thanks.