Getting rid of a perfectly good paint job

[Z- man]

Here is the deal guys I picked up this spring a low mile grandma owned 78 Malibu Landau with near perfect paint on it. Perfect except for two things (1 it's lacquer. (2 it's the most gawd awful robins egg blue. So here is my question can I scuff the old lacquer and seal it then spray on a modern urethane base clear, or am I looking at stripping the whole car and starting fresh?

[danbob67]

I would strip it painting over lacquer is like painting over a sponge, that urethane will want to draw right into it that is if you do get sealer or base to even go over it without bustin up.

[Gordz32]

It'll be tough, Your best bet is to strip it. But you can try sealing it. take the decklid off if ur not driving it and test it out on that.

[Z- man]

That's kinda what I was afraid of. I hate to strip it partly because it has a very nice vinyl top. Just out of curiosity has any body used water-borne paint?

[danbob67]

the waterborne primer could go over it with no problems probally. I only used it once though on a like a 50 model something I cant even remember the car now but it worked out ok It was a while back we used the dupont water borne and then sealed the car then went with base clear over that I saw the car few months ago still looked good.

[danbob67]

That's kinda what I was afraid of. I hate to strip it partly because it has a very nice vinyl top. Just out of curiosity has any body used water-borne paint?

the water borne bases havnt hit around here yet, probally in cali it is going. If someone in you area is using it might be worth a shot I used some at a ppg training center cool stuff very user friendly but a bit of a pain to clean the guns out afterwords.

[KreativeBodyWerks]

I usually just take off the top layer of paint, feather it out, and then prime it. But i have gone over the lacquer with primer and haven't had a problem!!!