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removing vinyl stripes?


Guest BadKarmaCreepin

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Heat gun works good. I took off the goofy stripes on my toyota truck a few years back. heat up the vinyl till it is soft and slowly peel it off. One thing to keep in mind though. I did it to a new truck. I have done it to an older truck and you could see where the stickers used to be. Even after lots of polishing the previously sun protected unfaded paint still showed. Not that bad, but I noticed it every time I saw the truck.

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Guest Zachb55

i helped my stepdad take stripes off of a boat we used to have, i tried using a hair dryer and that didnt work too well, and i also tried a blow torch, and that softend the paint and i ended up gouging in some areas, but it went really fast with that, and we were repainting it anyways. I think if you just used a heat gun to get it off then maybe got one of those orange peel reducing kits(i saw them using one on Dream Car Garage ;) ) you could probly end up with a very nice end product and not be able to see where they once were.

 

-zach

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4 suggestions:

 

1) As previously mentioned, hit it with a heat gun (or a hair dryer at close range). On old stripes, you have to get it up to a temperature where it begins to soften, and that's uncomfortable to hold onto so use a pair of hemostats or precision tweezers to slowly pull up the stripe as you go. After you get it started and you start to feel good about your progress, it will break and you'll have to start all over again. Be patient and drink lots of beer during this tiresome procedure, and you'll be fine.

 

2) Go to your local auto paint store and they'll supply you with a rubber wheel that goes on the end of your drill. This is really meant for pinstripe removal, but it might also work for your purposes.

 

3) Get a box of single edge razor blades and a can of WD-40. After soaking the stripes in WD-40 for a few hours, you'll be able to pick away at the stripe with the razor blades. Work at a VERY shallow angle, and you might end up not gouging your paint. This is NOT for the faint of heart.

 

4) (THE PREFERRED METHOD)Again at the auto paint store, obtain some 3M brand decal remover in a spray can. This stuff will dissolve the adhesive in short order. It will also dissolve your brain, so work in a well ventilated area. This is the fastest way to remove the stickers, and is probably the least damaging to your paint.

 

Good luck!

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Guest BadKarmaCreepin

what's the best way to do it without screwing up the paint? the little "240z" black stripes that go along the door bottoms are looking like they need to be removed...

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Guest BadKarmaCreepin

so this 3M decal remover stuff, it won't hurt the paint whatsoever? i would kill myself if anything happened to this paint job...gotta love the yellow! i'll get pics up as soon as i can figure out how to work pop's digi...

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The paint was unaffected when I used it, but obviously since you didn't apply the paint yourself, you can't be absolutely certain that it will also be immune to the solvents in the decal remover. I'd suggest trying it on a small spot somewhere inconspicuous (like the engine bay behind the battery, or something) before spraying it on the entire car.

 

WD-40, however, has never affected any painted surface I've ever sprayed it on and I trust it completely. You might want to try that, first.

 

Good luck, and let us know how it goes. Removing old decals is a severe pain in the behind!

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