Jason, due to the many variables involved in auto refinishing, you can get conflicting opinions on any auto painting forum. My experience differs from some of the other advice you've gotten. I restored my '68 Vette (a big block like yours) in 1985, and removed all the paint with methylene chloride stripper. I don't remember it being particularly difficult, just messy. It left the gel coat intact and very smooth, and with just a light sanding, I was able to prime it, block sand, prime, sand etc. No adhesion problems either. To be honest, these were all lacquer-based products in '85.

The advantage of stripping fiberglass is that it exposes any hidden checking and "spiderwebbing" that is unique to fiberglass. Because I stripped it, I found that the areas around the tail lights were severely cracked, and I had to grind and restore the cracks with glass cloth and resin. Media blasting with soft media is also a good alternative, although more expensive. I also discovered what I consider a design defect with the '68 body. There was a significant depression on the passenger-side door just below the rear-view mirror. After I discovered it on mine, I started making a point of looking at other '68s and sure enough, many of them had the same depression. Lay a 36" straight edge in the horizontal plane over that area and see if you have the depression. It was about 1/4" low spot over about a 2 sq. ft. area on mine. This can be filled with chopped glass and resin, and then smoothed with polyester filler.

But it you just want to do cosmetic touch ups for now, I also agree with those who recommended chip repair and polishing.

I have done a couple vettes one was media blasted (BIG mistake) the rest I sanded with a DA it takes about 21 man hours to take off 2 coats of paint with a Habor freight DA ( actually 3 HF DA's ) and Norton Champagne magnum 80 grit paper the 21 hours includes all the hand sanding. The very first thing you need to do is go over the entire car and if you see a crack in the paint grind it out I use a carbide acorn bit in a air die grinder lay it flat along the trench not like a pancil you just need a trench about 1/4 inch wide by 1/4 deep just follow the crack and go a little past the crack on each end make sure you get every crack on the car before you start sanding or you will not be able to see it until you paint it and the crack comes back and ruins your new paint. I use fiber Tech or Dyna Glass to fill the trenches then featherfill G2 then block it out then Epoxy then paint. Rememer that car is SMC not fiberglass so if you buy fiberglass mat and resin make sure the resin is compatable with SMC. The first car I did I had media blasted it took me 16 weeks to get the body work done and that was working on it almost ever day it was a mess. I had a sample piece done with soda blast on my second one and it was as bad as media ( walnut shell ). Just take your time and it will work out. sanding it will cost less and in the long run you will have alot less time in the project if you sand it rather than trying to fix the damage media blast does.

Rememer that car is SMC not fiberglass

I thought these year vettes were still glass? Unless I'm mistaking it wasnt until the 90's.

The easy way to tell is when you are grinding into it if it's gray it's SMC. Please double check me on the SMC thing the oldest I have done was a 76 and it was SMC. I was told that some of the C2's are SMC and all of the C3 C4 C5's are SMC. I don't know about the C6. But most of the SMC resins work on fiberglass also But fiberglass resin will not work on SMC.

'68s were fiberglass.