Take apart deck lid grill.

Has anyone taken apart the deck lid grill? Mine is great shape and still on the car. Surfing the net there is mention of over 100 parts. plus some are rivets with an added caution that maybe likely breaking something is easy to do.

To likely cover flaws (I don't really know) mine was painted red, then later painted again black in the 1980s. Recently, large chunks of that black paint is coming off and I'm seeing bare metal. Retouch is my best solution so far, yet, I think I'm stuck with trying to strip the paint off.

I'd like to keep the screen black and I wonder if the aircraft paint remover stripping gunk would get between the crevices adequately. I would also need to make sure all that stuff is off the metal before reassembly. :confused: help?

It is a risk taking em apart yes. I have taken apart 3 lids recently and 2 went well. Quite some work, but nothing finally stuck. Polished all parts (both were not painted) and put together as new.
One however did not go well. 4-5 bolts stuck to the aluminum bars and on top, many of the round tubes that cover the bars between the grill rims were stuck. I damaged as many of them and the bars/ bolts are unusable now. On top releasing the paint is a lousy job. Not finished yet, trying to invent a better way now.

Currently I believe it would be best to put the grill in a thin oilbath for 2 months before starting the renovation.

You could try making up a small vat go MRK or lacquer thinner, which will soften up most paints. In fact, I tried painting my intake manifolds with epoxy primer/Imron. It all came loose, due to gasoline (alcohol, perhaps?).

That is another idea: a small vat of denatured alcohol.

The paint should all loosen up and be removable with an old toothbrush.