I just bought a 55 (2nd series) 3100 truck. My son and I are just starting to remove body parts beginning with the rear fenders. When we remove the parts we would like to begin removing the paint. I have a couple questions I would like to ask for help with.
I was planning on sanding the paint off with a pneumatic sander. I read somewhere that some people are worried that the original paint on these vehicles had lead in it. If it is the original paint, and I begin sanding, I don’t want my son to breathe in a bunch of the dust. Does a regular cloth facemask work well enough to protect him (us)? Or do I need to get a respirator of some sort.
Does a chemical stripper work better? I have read about problems associated with heat (from the sander) causing the metal to warp.
By the way, how (or where) do you find the paint codes for the vehicle to find out if it is original?
We are really looking forward to our first project.
Thanks for any advice!
Ross
