1966 Mustang- Can I strip the refin and get down to original paint?

[battz]

I recently purchased a 1966 Mustang that has been refinished. The refinish was a really hacked job, but the color is a dark metallic blue that I could live with if I had to. The guitar is all original and after a $60 setup it plays beautifully. There are various chips and dings on the body and I noticed that you can still see the original red paint in these spots (looks like the dings happened after the refin). So I took a bit of very fine sandpaper to a small ding on the back, and after very lightly sanding the spot I was left with a thumbnail sized area of Dakota Red.....and it was shiny! I talked to my luthier and he said if I bought a certain compound that I should be able to take most, if not all, of the blue paint off. My question is this: Should I even bother trying to get down to the original paint, or should I just be happy with the refin (which IMO is a cool color anyway)? If I decide to get down to the original paint, what is the compound I am supposed to use and how should I proceed? Or should I just get the guitar totally refinished by a professional? Thanks in advance, and I'll try to get some pictures up soon so you can see for your own eyes.

[phantomman]

This is one o' those "rock and a hard place" scenarios, Battz. Whaddya do if'n you strip the blue paint off (successfully) an' the Dakota Red beneath it is totally hosed? Then you're either stuck wif that OR doon a total refin. I can unnerstan' that you ain' a happy camper wif the goofy non-standard blue tha's currently on the guitar......but once you take that first step of removin' it, they's no turning back. You better be prepared for the whole can of "whup-ass" if'n it turns out that the original red ain' no better than the half-assed blue. An' I ain' trine to persuade you either way......jus' want you to consider the "big picture".

Gnome saing, mon?

Best of luck whatever you decide.

[Cygnus X1]

Well it has been done before.
The one I saw was likely an original poly finish though, with a rattle can enamel on top. The guy used no chemicals. Just kept sanding and buffing until the offending paint was gone.
He may have clearcoated the end result.

[curtisstetka]

Sounds like these are the possible outcomes:
1) Do nothing - stuck with what you got
2) refin with the original color
3) Attempt to remove the blue - looks like crap, you have to refin with the original color
4) Attempt to remove the blue - turns out good, you're back to the original color

I think it's worthwhile. If you decide to ditch the blue, you'll end up back to the original color one way or the other. There's no scenario here where you harm the collectible value of the guitar and, in fact, there's one where you increase it.

And, if you do decide to act (either 2, 3, or 4), you eventually end up with a color you like better.

[Don]

With all the Dakota Red Mustangs out there (I had a Dakota Red '65 myself), I'd be tempted to leave it blue!

[curtisstetka]

...the color is a dark metallic blue that I could live with if I had to.

Doesn't sound like he's all that enamored of the existing dark metallic blue.

[battz]

Thanks for the replies. The refinished color is, like I said, a dark metallic blue. But the job was done really half-assed. It looks like whoever painted it simply spray painted right over the original finish, without sanding or anything else. Thats why I am debating whether I should remove the blue paint. The color is a pretty cool shade of blue, but the finish is not smooth and really looks awful in places. Still, I'm nervous about starting this project, since it will be the first one I've done, and if it is possible to save the original finish I don't want to mess that up with my inexperience.

[juniorspecial]

Well, I doubt there's a solvent or thinner that could take off the top layer without messing up the lower one. Chances are whatever was sprayed over it is much harder than the nitrocellulose original finish.

And it would be pretty hard to just sand off one layer and leave the other intact.

If you really don't like what you have, just strip it all off. Then you can paint it any color in the world--or even get it pinstriped!

[cwilliamrose]

The finish on my '66 Mustang is pretty thick. I suspect careful sanding and polishing would get you to the original color, but,,,,

There are likely to be areas of damage that were painted over -- dings, checking, etc. Those are probably filled with the new top coat and will probably be visible as that dark color unless you get lucky and it didn't stick well enough to survive the sanding. The checking (if there is any) will probably suffer a bit in the sanding process too because the edges of the cracks tend to curl up a little. That curling may not be enough to cause a problem if yours has as much color on it as mine seems to have.

If it were mine, I'd try to get down to the original color. Mine is Dakota Red and I've always liked that color. The body isn't that big, sanding it won't take forever. Give it a shot, you might get lucky and be very pleased with the results.......Bill

[battz]

Well, I am on vacation this week, and I decided to begin removing some of the blue paint on the mustang. I bought Dupont No.7 Rubbing Compound, and Polishing Compound. I started with the Polishing Compound first, on a small spot on the back of the guitar where a scratch showed the original Dakota red underneath, and nothing much was happening...Then I switched to the Rubbing Compound, and still, not too much happening. Finally, I used some very fine grit sandpaper and went very lightly until the blue paint started to dust off, and then used some of the Rubbing Compound to get down to the original Dakota Red. I just did a little spot, and it looks like its working. Wanted to post some pics and get some advice before I continue on.

[cwilliamrose]

I'd probably expand that area a bit and use the polishing compound to see how it will look when it's done. I think what you're doing will work -- sand until you see a little red, then use rubbing compound to finish getting the blue off. Be careful around the neck pocket where te paint is on sharp corners. You might want to use only compound there, or very fine sandpaper (1000 or 1500 grit)............Bill

[Offshore Angler]

Honestly, the color isn't that bad. If you just want a nice finish I'd wet sand the blue with fine grit to level it and then polish or clearcoat as required.

[Franklin]

Leave it as it is!!

[refin]

I would leave it be--------looks good!

[Bard2dbone]

I'd sand through in several places and stop. You'd have the only 'freckled' Mustang around. It'd be cool.

[battz]

Well, I finally removed the refinish, and this is what was left underneath. During the whole process, I made sure not to remove what was left of the original paint. Whoever refinished this thing must have started sanding, got tired of it, and then slapped on a super-thick coat of blue spray paint and then a coat of clearcoat. So, here it is, my very abused 1966 Fender Mustang.

[Cygnus X1]

You gave it a shot.
I was in a similar situation...it is long, but check out this thread:
http://www.thefenderforum.com/forum/...ad.php?t=43834

Yes I ended up stripping all of it but the end result
came out great.
Reranch rattle can can be sufficient if you are patient enough to let it dry and do the work.

[JM3]

My advice would be to take it down and seal and start over but i like new shiny guitars with no scratches and dents

[Don]

I had a red 1965 Mustang in nice, original condition (I bought it for $175 in 1987, or so).

It makes me sad to see yours!

[Leseattlepaul]

Well, I finally removed the refinish, and this is what was left underneath. During the whole process, I made sure not to remove what was left of the original paint. Whoever refinished this thing must have started sanding, got tired of it, and then slapped on a super-thick coat of blue spray paint and then a coat of clearcoat. So, here it is, my very abused 1966 Fender Mustang.

I like just as it is Let me know if you would like to part with it???

[phantomman]

I'd change the pickguard to brown tortoise-shell and refin the body in Desert Sand nitro......

KILLER!

[battz]

Thanks for the replies. I have been playing this guitar a bit for the past week, and, although it is pretty beat up and might look ugly to some, it really plays and sounds fantastic. I set it up with some Fender pure nickel .011's and the action is very low and light. The guitar has been in pieces for so long that I almost forgot how good it sounds, and I'm not just trying to talk it up because I own it. I actually think it sounds better than it did when I bought it, and maybe its because I removed the 5 pounds of blue paint that was on it! At the moment, I just want to enjoy the guitar and play it, but maybe in the future I'll give it a "proper" re-finish.

[phantomman]

Just so the point is not lost, a guitar's finish -- whether transparent, translucent, or opaque -- serves another, more important function than mere aesthetics......it protects and preserves the wood.

Having spent a few of my formative years near St. Louis, I recollect many players "back in the day" stripping their Strats, Teles, P-Basses, etc down to bare nekkid wood as that was the "style du jour".

A few humid midwestern summers did very bad things to that unprotected lumber......and that's a helluva price to pay for bein' "stylish".

If nothing else, in the interim you might consider sealing that body with a light coat of gloss or semi-gloss lacquer -- all in the interests of preservation. Poplar can actually be a quite pleasing wood, visually, and you might actually enjoy the natural-finish look. But you'll sleep better knowing that the guitar is protected from ambient moisture.

HTH