Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
Paint Overspray Ghosting
How to remove paint overspray
Paint overspray is a common problem on cars because often times paint being sprayed becomes airborne outside of where it's being sprayed and then drifts in the wind till it lands on your car.
Ghosting means there's an almost invisible appearance of something on the paint.
The truck below has yellow overspray all over it including the paint, the glass, the wood stakes on the side of the bed, the wood floor inside the bed even the wheels and tires.
We removed the overspray and restored a true show car finish on this truck and you can find out how by clicking the two links below...
1949 Chevy 5-Window Pickup Extreme Makeover - Pictures & Videos
How to remove overspray paint using the Cyclo Polisher
Paint Overspray Ghosting
Here's the before pictures, if you look carefully you can see YELLOW GHOSTING outlining all the perimeters of the green body panels...
Before
After
Before
After
This streetrod truck had EXTREME overspray and that's why you can see the ghosting of the yellow on the green.
Hopefully you'll never come across a car with this much paint overspray.
Where does overspray come from?
The most common place to get overspray paint is at a body shop while you're car is there being painted. It can happen in the paint booth or outside of the paint booth.
Here's a tip...
Anytime you have your car painted, whether it's a complete paint job or just a respray after a fender bender, do the Baggie Test while the car is at the paint shop.
If if overspray paint is discovered, then have the shop manager or shop owner do the Baggie Test.
I wouldn't let the body shop remove the overspray because chances are they'll do more damage in the way of swirls and scratches, even holograms via their method of overspray removal.
But do bring their workmanship or lack thereof to their attention and then remove the overspray yourself.
REMEMBER
Overspray paint will not only be on the "paint" but on the glass, your trim, your tires and wheels, any area of the car that is open to the air can have overspray paint.
My buddy Jay just had his 1971 Chevelle painted and now there's overspray paint all over the interior including the steering wheel and dash because the windows were not installed at the time of the paint job nor were the openings covered.

How to remove paint overspray
Paint overspray is a common problem on cars because often times paint being sprayed becomes airborne outside of where it's being sprayed and then drifts in the wind till it lands on your car.
Ghosting means there's an almost invisible appearance of something on the paint.
The truck below has yellow overspray all over it including the paint, the glass, the wood stakes on the side of the bed, the wood floor inside the bed even the wheels and tires.
We removed the overspray and restored a true show car finish on this truck and you can find out how by clicking the two links below...
1949 Chevy 5-Window Pickup Extreme Makeover - Pictures & Videos
How to remove overspray paint using the Cyclo Polisher
Paint Overspray Ghosting
Here's the before pictures, if you look carefully you can see YELLOW GHOSTING outlining all the perimeters of the green body panels...
Before

After

Before

After

This streetrod truck had EXTREME overspray and that's why you can see the ghosting of the yellow on the green.
Hopefully you'll never come across a car with this much paint overspray.
Where does overspray come from?
The most common place to get overspray paint is at a body shop while you're car is there being painted. It can happen in the paint booth or outside of the paint booth.
Here's a tip...
Anytime you have your car painted, whether it's a complete paint job or just a respray after a fender bender, do the Baggie Test while the car is at the paint shop.
If if overspray paint is discovered, then have the shop manager or shop owner do the Baggie Test.
I wouldn't let the body shop remove the overspray because chances are they'll do more damage in the way of swirls and scratches, even holograms via their method of overspray removal.
But do bring their workmanship or lack thereof to their attention and then remove the overspray yourself.
REMEMBER
Overspray paint will not only be on the "paint" but on the glass, your trim, your tires and wheels, any area of the car that is open to the air can have overspray paint.
My buddy Jay just had his 1971 Chevelle painted and now there's overspray paint all over the interior including the steering wheel and dash because the windows were not installed at the time of the paint job nor were the openings covered.
