Vinyl stripe removal

[Mikes06GT]

Looking for best way to remove vinyl stripes. Came on my hood and want to remove them. Thanks

 

[BadPiggy]

Heat gun.
Peel.
After removed, there will be a nice line where the stripe edge was.
This is glue.
Use a clay bar to rub it away.

Simple, simple.

 

[TexasBlownV8]

Getting the vinyl warm helps a lot. It can still be a pita, but with it cold, it's almost impossible.
I use a solvent to remove the residual lines and glue and crap. Then properly refinish the area with your choice of sealant or wax.

 

[Mikes06GT]

Great thanks guys. Ill give it a go today

 

[Hatchman]

I just re-stripped a section of my boat last weekend. Sure, fiberglass is different than paint, but a few things I learned.

Heat is your friend, but it's not just heat to the vinyl, you actually want to get heat into the surface it is applied to. Taking vinyl off a black car that has been sitting in the sun all day is easy. Taking the same vinyl off a cold, white boat in the shade is hard. Use the heat gun, but don't get the vinyl so hot it melts. Try to work slow, working the heat into the surrounding surface for a bit. Don't try to apply the heat while you are pealing since it will melt the vinyl as you are pulling it off much easier than while it is stuck the car. Do not use Goof Off or other solvent until the last resort. Once you apply some goof off, it breaks down the vinyl into a gooey mess, and pulling it off will like trying to pull off a chewing gum instead of a solid piece of vinyl.

However, as a last resort, Goof Off did an excellent job of dissolving the left over adhesive, but I would keep this solvent off my paint as much as possible. Suppossed to be safe for use on fiberglass and paint. But don't let it dry! Keep a bucket of soapy water close by and keep the rest of the paint (that doesn't have vinyl) wet and soapy and any goof off that gets on it will be highly diluted. If you let goof off dry on your paint in it's concentrated form, it could cause a "haze" which will be a pain to buff out.

Do not use a razor blade to peel up the edge, just your fingernail. Paint a razors don't mix.

Good luck, heat is your friend, just not so much that you melt the vinyl.

 

[BadPiggy]

TBV8 & Hatch, sorry guys...but you seem to be adding work.
Skip the solvent and Goof Off...go straight to the clay bar.
The clay bar wipes away that glue edge and you don't have to go back and wax or worry about the Goof Off drying.

After you're finished wiping away the glue with a clay bar, the paint will be so slick you'll want to clay bar the whole car.

 

[Hatchman]

TBV8 & Hatch, sorry guys...but you seem to be adding work.
Skip the solvent and Goof Off...go straight to the clay bar.
The clay bar wipes away that glue edge and you don't have to go back and wax or worry about the Goof Off drying.

You are right about the clay bar for the edges, but I am talking about massive amounts of adhesive that is sometimes left on old vinyl that has been baking in the sun and totally dry rotted so it doesn't come off easy and leaves massive amounts of residue, no matter what heat you apply.

But the clay bar sounds like a great idea. Will definitely try that next time.

 

[BadPiggy]

You are right about the clay bar for the edges, but I am talking about massive amounts of adhesive that is sometimes left on old vinyl that has been baking in the sun and totally dry rotted so it doesn't come off easy and leaves massive amounts of residue, no matter what heat you apply.

But the clay bar sounds like a great idea. Will definitely try that next time.

Don't get me wrong. I'm by far an experienced detailer. I hate cleaning a fucking car! But I ran that clay bar across those glue edges and it was so easy!

I'm just offering my personal experience with removing vinyl, and I've only done it once. Guess I didn't have the trouble of massive amounts of residue since mine was so easy.

 

[Mikes06GT]

I took my wifes hair dryer in garage and was done in 20 min! Used clay bar for little residue but they came off real easy after heating up. Thanks again guys

 

[Fuerte]

I have had great success with an eraser wheel.

 

[07TGGT]

Heat applier i.e blow dryer, clay bar with lubricant, and your choice of a hybrid wax/sealent.

Glad you got them off easy. Mine came off with no heat applied LOL.

 

[BadHabit2Break]

My buddy had his removed from his white 05 GT. There was yellow stripes left in the paint from discoloration. They would not come out.

 

[Mikes06GT]

Oh man that sucks! These came right off!