Removing highway paint from car's surface

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ace

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I am at my wits end trying to remove paint that I drove over on the highway. It is up the right side of my gray F-150, to include the rubber in the fender wells. It has that look of paint being slung on the lower body panels like someone slung it with a wet brush. I have used goo gone in a small area behind the rear wheel and it hasn't begin to work. I need your help because the passenger side looks like crap.Feed back please
 
A good graffiti remover will do the trick. Contact your local pressure washing supply store they will probably have some good stuff.
 
I had some on my black plastic trim on my Sorento one time and it took using a Mr Clean Magic Eraser to get it off.
 
if it is really bad you may want to try an eraser wheel, it can be used with any power drill i have used it before in this condition just be sure and use it slowly other wise it will eat through your paint it is commonly used to remove adhesive strips from decals or trim but i have used it to remove paint, and pin stripeing in the past and sometimes even tar if its realy bad, you should be able to pick them up at any auto store. good luck
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Awesome info guys! I will try the graffiti remover first and then proceed from there. Thanks again!
 
Depending on how thick it is, you can try a clay bar or maybe a nano skin mit. I've been successful with clay when it was a fine spray.
 
I had it on the bottom of my highlander and used turtle wax bug and tar remover. Spray it on thick and let it set then rub it off. Some that was real thick I used a plastic putty knife to scrape off. Being careful of course as to scratch the paint.
 
I would recommend using auto grade lacquer, and a microfiber or soft terry cloth. If it's too heavy lightly hit it with a plastic razor blade carefully of course. You will probably have to go over the area with a quick light compound and polish, but it should take care of it.
 
I've had good luck with XENIT from Stoner's.

Stoner XENIT Natural Citrus Mold Cleaner


Xenit.jpg


Stoner XENIT Natural Citrus Mold Cleaner removes resins, carbon deposits, silicones, and contaminants from molds. You’ll never again be frustrated trying to remove tough gunk and grime in your home, office, garage or car. Natural citrus XENIT by Stoner removes tacky, grimy dirt so well, in most cases you can simply “wipe it away.”

XENIT is a natural precision mold cleaner used as a degreaser in the plastics and rubber molding industries. It contains Citrus 66, a highly refine extract of citrus fruit. This powerful ingredient removes greasy soil and stains that can't be removed by soap and water.

Use XENIT to quickly permanent marker, crayon and lipstick “accidents” in the car and around the home. It removes release agents, resins, carbon deposits, and other contaminants left in mold cavities.

XENIT contains more than five, different, high performance cleaners. Unlike most water-based citrus cleaners that are designed to lift and carry dirt, XENIT is formulated to break down the complex molecules found in sticky materials.

This MicroActive cleaning action gives XENIT unequaled abilities to loosen and dissolve difficult grime like tar, grease, gum and adhesives. It even removes dried latex paint if accidentally dripped on carpet, flooring, or furniture. XENIT removes shoe scuffs and heel marks from from vinyl panels and greasy dirt from fabrics and upholstery.

Save yourself hours of agony trying to remove sticky stuff with standard cleaners. Avoid wasted time spent laboring with inferior water-based products. XENIT is formulated to evaporate and dry completely, leaving behind no sticky residues or streaky soaps.


Here's some similar threads.....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...street-paint-my-car-no-idea-how-take-off.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...e-road-paint-i-think-off-car-please-help.html

Heavy Tar and Road Paint in Wheel Wells

Road paint

Road paint suggestions




:)
 
I will definitely purchase and try this product, Xenit. I just purchased Motenbockers lift off spray remover #4 used for removing graffiti and spray
paint. I will try this first before buying the Xenit and let you guys know.
 
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I use a plastic scraper similar to this



Using a light common sense approach as to not scratch the paint all up in the process of removing the heavier blobs of paint. I follow that with a solvent strong enough to remove the leftover residual paint, then if need be I do a light polishing and finally apply a wax or sealant.

I find these types of scrapers to work way better and last much longer than plastic razor blades. I've also applied for the local convenience store bonus cards so that I have some free scrapers on hand as they work pretty good for this too.
 
The lift off spray worked!
The paint just peeled off with no damage to the clearcoat. I will still purchase the Xenit to have it handy for future projects since Mike recommended it. He's the Man in detailing! And I appreciate all the info from everybody! Thanls again!
 
Need your help again with road paint. My neighbor just purchased a used vehicle and it has road stripe paint on the body and inner fender wells, but he stated it has been on the vehicle for at least a year. Is there anything that will remove this without harming the paint job? It has areas where it is real fine and others where it is real heavy. None of the products like xenit or tar remover seem to touch it.
 
ace said:
Need your help again with road paint. My neighbor just purchased a used vehicle and it has road stripe paint on the body and inner fender wells, but he stated it has been on the vehicle for at least a year. Is there anything that will remove this without harming the paint job? It has areas where it is real fine and others where it is real heavy. None of the products like xenit or tar remover seem to touch it.
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Nothing is faster, safer and finish-friendly than plastic razor blades. Any chemical you use is going to remove the wax/sealant. It's also going to re-liquify the paint making that method of removal messy. I've done many vehicles with varying degrees of highway paint over the years. I started out using the various "tried and true" chemicals with mediocre results and experimented using various suggested methods. I have found the plastic razor blades to be unbeatable when it comes to removing any kind of paint off a vehicle when it's more than clay can handle.

They're widely available and cheap and the best part is you won't hurt the surface or the finish. You may inflict some very light micro-marring but you won't create anything that you can't rub out. Be sure to use lots of liquid to lubricate the area - the more and slipperier the better. You'll be amazed at how easily the drops of paint fly off as you scrape them.
 
I recently dealt with road paint that was on a vehicle for an extended period of time (don't know exactly how long, it was a dealer trade-in) and a steamer combined with a plastic razor blade made quick work of the paint.

I used it in the fender wells and on the rocker panels. I tried TarX, graffiti remover, and an adhesive remover and none of them seemed to phase the paint even after an extended dwell time.
 
Awesome input! I will give the steam and plastic razor blades a try and let you know the results. Will I get the same results in the fender wells and black trim?
 
ace said:
Awesome input! I will give the steam and plastic razor blades a try and let you know the results. Will I get the same results in the fender wells and black trim?
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I used it n the fender wells with success, just do a test spot to see if the plastic can handle the heat without turning whitish.
 
Caution on using the pinstripping removal wheel. Only use it on metal panels. Don't use it on the flexible painted plastic bumpers an such. The wheel can dig into the plastic panels quite easily and gouge the surface.
 
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