Fiberglass auto body panels are a godsend when manufacturing vehicles with a low gross weight. Painted fiberglass poses a challenge if you want to strip paint completely to repaint your vehicle. Fiberglass is a porous material composed of millions of glass fibers, and these fibers can absorb most paint thinners and removers, holding them within the fibers for long durations. Proper selection of a chemical paint remover is your most important task when removing paint from your fiberglass panels.

Things You'll Need:

• Eye protection goggles
• Solvent-resistant gloves
• Large fan
• Fiberglass paint stripper
• Camel's hair paintbrushes
• Nonmetallic paint scraper
• Large sponge

Put on eye protection goggles and solvent-resistant gloves. Open all doors and windows and set a large fan in a doorway in a fashion that it pulls the air through the building and out the open door.

• Step 2

  Remove all components that will not be painted, especially plastic and rubber accessories.

• Step 3

  Paint your fiberglass paint remover onto the painted fiberglass surface in one 2 foot by 2-foot area at a time, allowing the stripper to work for five minutes. When brushing the stripper onto the surface, apply generously and only run your brush across each area in one direction, not overlapping the previous stroke. Scrape off paint once you find it easy to lift off with your paint scraper.

• Step 4

  Wash each section thoroughly after paint removal, and before moving on to stripping the next area, with a sponge soaked in water. Return the sponge to a bucket of clean water and dry the section with a clean oil-free towel.

• Step 5

  Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until all areas of paint have been removed from the fiberglass body.