Taking a 911 Apart, Repainting and Putting It Back Together - Part TWO

By Edward H. Coon

Part I discussed the first phase of taking your 911 apart, which was to gather information and seek out the professionals that will help you with the project.

Now that you are sure you want to take your 911 apart, let's get "tuit".

The following is a list of supplies and equipment you will need to take your car apart and strip the existing paint:

  1. 2 gal. of Air Craft stripper or equal type stripper for auto paint
  2. Newspapers (neatness counts when stripping a car, believe me you do not want to drag wet stripped paint into the house)
  3. Metal scraper (with changeable blades). Note, I don't recommend a razor blade scraper, like for windows, because it may score the metal.
  4. Metal 1-inch gasket scraper, good for those tight places
  5. Very coarse steel wool
  6. Heavy-duty rubber gloves
  7. Dust mask
  8. Eye protection
  9. Plastic gallon jug of water (when stripper touches exposed skin, it thinks it is paint and burns like ____. Put water on it immediately if this should happen)
  10. Masking tape 2 inches wide
  11. Masking tape 1 inch wide
  12. Silver tape
  13. Small, 1 quart plastic freezer bags, ziplock type (for small parts, screws, nuts and bolts)
  14. large 1 gallon (or larger) plastic freezer bags, ziplock type (for larger parts)
  15. marker to write on the plastic bags
  16. 2 plastic or rubber tubs (two gallon size) to put parts in as you take them off, later, you can put these parts into the plastic bags
  17. WD-40 or other lubricant for rusted or stuck bolts. Some people say put Coke on them. I prefer Pepsi with ice in a tall glass.
  18. Floor jack and four jackstands
  19. Basic tools, metric wrenches, metric sockets, different size extensions, and most important are vice grips for those rounded nuts
  20. Wide rubber bands
  21. Band-Aids and a first aid kit
  22. Other stuff I may have forgotten

You need to plan for space for your car and all your parts. I never knew that a 911 had so many parts.

There are many books that will help you with your project. The following books and other references have helped me:

Before you can strip the paint off your car, you must take the car apart in pieces. The pieces may be stripped individually and you get a better finished product.

Study parts diagrams of your particular type of 911. Most of the screws and nuts are visible, however many are NOT and you must beware of these before you start a section.

Be very systematic when taking things apart. For example, start with the rear bumper area. Finish this area before you start the front bumper. Jack the car up and take the rear wheel off. Place a jackstand in a secure place and look inside the wheel well. Notice the parts connected to the bumper; these must come off first. As you unscrew a bolt put it into a bucket, after you finish a small section, put the parts into a plastic bag and mark the bag as to what the part is or where it comes from, for example "driver-side lower valance".

The key is to take your time, be systematic, finish a section before going on to a new section, put your parts in a plastic bag and mark what they are or where they go.

TIP No. 42 Always disconnect your battery before you disconnect or work around electrical wires or components. If you don't do this, the wires may spark, catch on fire, or ruin your hairstyle, and most of all, it may shut down your pacemaker, and some of us DO have pacemakers.

In Part III we will finish up with taking your car apart and start the paint stripping process.

If you have any question, advice, or stories, please contact me at ecoon@netside.com
Reverse to Carolinas Region homepage

Last Update: 03-Dec-1996 8:42 PM ET