ed burke

What can you do to cover up all the cracking and hazing in a 1965 paint job to prep it for a good paint job? Do you have to strip the whole car?
Wanting to do my starfire myself. Can't afford to take it in. I have painted small things in the past but am not sure about what to do with the paint thats on the car.

gearheads78

This....... unless you want to do it again just for fun.

Bluevista

You really should strip the car to bare metal for a good paint job.
It can be stripped mechanically by sanding it off with a dual action air or electric sander with 80 grit discs or chemically with paint stripper.

Hairy Olds

Striping the car to bare metal is the only way solve the situation. The crazing goes all the way thru the primer the factory used.

Rickman48

Stripping is the only way to get quality results!
I'd recommend soda blasting, as it won't hurt chrome or rubber, washes off with soap and water, and if you, [or they] mask your window, door, trunk and hood openings with duct tape, it's an 'easy clean' before paint - just blow it out!
The finish it leaves is great for paint adhesion, and you'll have 'no surprises' after stripping!
JMO -

NorTown Olds

I'm with RickMan here; I've heard the SAME compelling case he lays out here...

Run to Rund

I used the purple dual action sander from Harbor Freight, but I recommend 3M discs not HF. You will need the full roll from 3M, about 150 discs. If doing it in your garazge, use drop cloths around the car or you will have sander paint dust everywhere. It does work well, though, and there is no slime to deactivate, wash off, deal with when you clean the car. And, using chemical stripper means very thouough, painstaking cleanup so the new paint will stick. Media blasting is OK but it gets everywhere too, and if you use too much pressure or get too much localized heat, you will warp the body panels.

gearheads78

Be careful of soda. There are lots of reports of paint and primer falling off the car due to poor deactivating of the soda. In fact there are paint companies that will void the paint warranty if they find out a car was blasted with soda. Plastic media is the most painless way to go but also more expensive. I prefer a 8" bondo buster type DA sander with 80grit on the body and sand blast the jams that are hard to warp.