Old Vinyl stripe removal

[Texchappy]

my search hadn’t revealed a thread on the topic since 2015 so…

I have a pair of vinyl stripes in my old MINI that are getting pretty worn. I’ve tried to baby them but I think they’re done. Tips on removing?

Bonus: I assume I’ll have to replace them as I won’t be able to match the paint under then to the rest, correct?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

That seems to be the norm that the paint will have faded slightly on the rest of the car, leaving a shadow or ghosting where the stripes are...er...or the reverse of that.

Doesn't heat seem to be the normal for removing something like that? Or maybe 3M adhesive remover? Or a combination (just don't set the adhesive remover on fire, I don't want to see you without any eyebrows). Probably better to wait for some input better than mine.

 

[Texchappy]

That seems to be the norm that the paint will have faded slightly on the rest of the car, leaving a shadow or ghosting where the stripes are...er...or the reverse of that.

Doesn't heat seem to be the normal for removing something like that? Or maybe 3M adhesive remover? Or a combination (just don't set the adhesive remover on fire, I don't want to see you without any eyebrows. Probably better to wait for some input better than mine.

Was thinking heat but I’ll see what people have done that has actually worked

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Do you have a steam cleaner? I just saw something yesterday where someone was taking off PPF with a steamer.

 

[Texchappy]

Do you have a steamer cleaner? I just saw something yesterday where someone was taking off PPF with a steamer.

Just a cheap wallpaper one

 

[Desertnate]

You may not need anything as powerful as a heat gun. A good hairdryer might do the trick too.

I removed vinyl pinstripes from both my car and my daughter's over the years. Heat was the key. In the case of my car the striping was only a couple months old. Leaving the car in the sun on a hot day was enough to soften the adhesive and the material came off pretty easily once it got started. On my daughter's car, the stripes were pretty old. They did soften in sun, but I also had to use a hairdryer on it's hottest setting for the areas that were shaded.

In both cases I used a plastic razor blade to help with starting the peel and other spots when the material broke off. I also use Tarminator and Goo Gone to remove the adhesive it left behind. Goof Off wasn't strong enough. I now have some 3M Adhesive Remover in my garage and it would be my chemical weapon of choice if I had to do it again.

I agree you'll have to replace the stripes. No matter how much care the car has received, the paint under the stripes will likely be a lot darker and will look funny if you don't replace them.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I’ve removed vinyl decals off several bread & Fed Ex trucks. 1 time I used the Turbo Nozzle and the power washer which was effective but created a huge mess.

Removing them off a MINI should be much easier. Just use a heat gun and they should come off fairly easy.

 

[Big DaveBig Dave is verified member.]

Back in 2020 I removed the vinyl wrap from the hood of the FJ, I remember it being a very tedious process. When I used the heat gun, on a low setting I could remove bigger pieces, but the glue stayed behind. If I peeled without the heat, it was smaller pieces but the glue came with it. Either way it was a pain and took me about 6-7 hours. The silver paint that was underneath is now slightly darker, but it's not due to the fading of the rest of the paint, the glue from the vinyl has stained the clear coat, if you look under high magnification you can see the pattern it left. Because the vinyl followed the crease lines of the hood, nobody other than me can tell, but I have since sprayed it with plastidip because now, I have some clear coat issues, not related to the vinyl as far as I know.

 

[The Guz]

try Larry’s method.