Removing Paint COMPLETELY

aherzing

aherzing

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Ok so not sure if this is the right section, but I need some help on a little bit of a different car problem.

I have a chrysler 300 with tinted tail lights

For those of you not familar with tinted tails, the most
common (that I know of) DIY method is using an aersol "paint" known as "VHT Nightshades" it
is a rattle can that is essentially part black paint,
part clear coat So that it gives a black appearance but most light shines through. After the tinting process,
most go over with a professional 2k Clear coat​

Now I had mine tinted using this method for about 2 years and over the years the accumulated some scratches and I recently decided I needed to re-tint them.

Here in lies the problem- I cant for the life of me find any good way to efficiently remove this clear/paint system.

Does anyone have any suggestions so that i can start from scratch and retint?

IMG_1920.jpg
 
My only suggestion would be to mechanically remove it through sanding with finer and finer wet / dry paper then polish to a mirror finish. Any type of thinner or solvent will eat the plastic ruining it.
 
Yea sand is all anyone has to offer haha... by hand?
 
I tried a palm sander with 220 for quite a while and never even made it to where any of the black was coming up... Maybe I'm just to impatient
 
aherzing said:
For those of you not familar with tinted tails, the most
common (that I know of) DIY method is using an aersol "paint" known as "VHT Nightshades" it
is a rattle can that is essentially part black paint,
part clear coat So that it gives a black appearance but most light shines through. After the tinting process,
most go over with a professional 2k Clear coat

Now I had mine tinted using this method for about 2 years and over the years the accumulated some scratches and I recently decided I needed to re-tint them.
Click to expand...

Did your taillights have the professional 2K Clear-coat sprayed atop the VHT tint such as you mentioned above? If so, could the scratches be just in the clear-coat? Can you "feel" the scratches with your fingernail? You might be able to approach this with the same methods used on BC/CC paint systems....least aggressive polishes/pads first.

If your taillights did not receive the additional paint film layer of clear-coat, then sanding may be the only option.

Even if all of the VHT can been removed, the VHT paint/dye has acetone in it, and some mild damage may have already been done to the lenses. Sanding may still be required. Irregardless, I'd take no chances on using solvents/thinners, as others have stated; or, if used, take extreme caution.

Here's a partial list of what will damage/not be compatible with polycarbonate (Sources: Mobay Chemical, G.E., Wilkerson Industries):

CHEMICALS:

ACETALDEHYDE
ACETIC ACID
ACETIC ANHYDRIDE
ACETONE
ACRYLONITRILE
AMMONIA
AMMONIUM CARBONATE
AMMONIUM FLORIDE
AMMONIUM SULFIDE
AMMONIUM HRDROX.
BENZENE
BENZOIC ACID
BENZYL ALCOHOL
BROMOBENZENE
BUTYRIC ACID
CALCIUM CHLORIDE
CARBOLIC ACID
CARBON DISULFIDE
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CAUSTIC POTASH SOLUTION (5%)
CAUSTIC SODA SOLUTION (5%)
CHLOROBENZENE
CHLOROFORM
CRESOL
CYCLOHEXANOL
CYCLOHEXANONE
CYCLOHEXENE
DIMETHYL FORMAMIDE
DIOXANE
ETHANE TETRACHLORIDE
ETHYL ACETATE
ETHYL ALCOHOL
ETHYL ETHER
ETHYLAMINE
ETHYLENE CHLOROHYDRIN
ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE
FORMIC ACID
FREON (REFRIGERANT &
PROPELLANT)
GASOLENE (HIGH AROMATIC)
HILGARD CO'S HIL-PHENE
HYDRAFLOURIC ACID
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
METHYL ALCOHOL
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
MILK OF LIME (CaOH)
NITRIC ACID
NITROCELLULOSE LACQUER
OZONE
PERCHLORETHYLENE
PHENOL
PHOSPHORUS HYDROXY CHLORIDE
PHOSPHORUS TRICHLORIDE
POLYVINYL CHLORIDE
POTASSIUM ACETATE
PROPIONIC ACID
PYRIDINE
SODIUM HYDROX.
SODIUM NITRATE
SODIUM SULFIDE
STYRENE
SULFURIC ACID
SULPHURAL CHLORIDE
TETRAHYDRONAPHTHALENE
THIOPHENE
TOLUENE
TURPENTINE
XYLENE

COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS:

1MS-SPEC NEUTRAL OIL
3-M #EC847
3-M #EC866
ACCELOGLOS-134099 BL
AD DETERGENT
ADHESIVE FOR FILM
ADHESIVE PROD CO MYTEX 182
ADHESIVE PROD CO PLASTIC 3058
ADHESIVE PROD CO PLASTIC 3059
ADHESIVE PROD CO POLYSTIC 3720
ADHESIVE PROD CO STIXGRIP 482
ALADDIN CLEANERS
ANDEROL 500
ANDEROL L-826
ANSTAC 2M
ANSTAC M
ARDCO 0323B
ARDCO NS 35 AL. CLEANERS
ATLANTIC ALPHAOIL
BB SOAK CLEANER
BEACON 325
BENZYL BENZOATE
BISSELL RUG SHAMPOO
BONDMASTER M777
BUTON ENAMEL LOW BAKE-ENJAY
CASTER OIL HYDROGEN
CATANAC SN. ANTISTAT
CELL. ACETO BUTYRATE
CELLULUBE 150
CHECICAL CO. LIC NY REZ-N-BOND
CHEER DETERGENT
CHEMTOOL 500-JP (COOLANT)
CHLOROTHENE
CHRYLSER BRAKE FLUID
COLD DUST
CONVEYOR LUBRICANT
CORNELIUS SOLUTION
COSMOLUBE 615
DELCO ELETROLYTE
DOW-SILLICONE 510
DOWGARD ANTIFREEZE
DREW #10 ALL PURPOSE
DREW CAUSTICLEAN
DREW CHLOR-TROI
DREW COL-UEEL
DUPONT 4678
DUPONT KRYTOX
DUPONT THINNER 3336
DUTCH CLEANER
DUTCH RED LITHO INK
EC 1022 COATING - 3N
ELCO GEAR SAFETY 28
ELECTRO COIL 405A
ELECTROLUBE #1
ELECTROLUBE #2
ENTH ACID 82
ESSCO 335 PRIMOL SS301
ESSCO EXTRA QUALITY
ESSCO FAXUM 35 OIL
ESSCO HITEST
ESSCO LIGHT BLUE
ESSCO REGULAR
ESSCO TRANSMISSION FLUID
ESSCO-CARUM 325
FELS NAPTHA
FERTILIZER-GOLD MEDAL
FIEND GUN OIL
FIRERETARD AWPAP 1054
FLEXCRAFT #1321
FLUOROCARDON S-122
FREON REFRIG. OIL
GENERAL MOTORS 11HDT
GLAMORENE RUG CLEANERS
GLYPTAL PAINT 8167 HW.
HIGRADE 350 FLUXREM
HOLLAND DUTCH RED INK
HOPPE GUN OIL
HOPPE NITRO SOLV.9
HOUGHTON ANTISEP
HOUTOSAFE 1000
HYAMINE 10X
HYAMINE 2389
HYDR FLUID MIL-05606
HYDR FLUID MIL-H5606
INGLIS XP621265 B1-COATING
INTERCHEMICAL 671 WH.
INTERCHEMICAL 711 WH.
INTERCHEMICAL E11876
INTERCHEMICAL E82539
INTERCHEMICAL E94628
INTERCHEMICAL THINNER
INTERNAT COMPOUND 231
IVORY SNOW 1.5% SOL
JET FUEL OIL-JP4
KEEGO DETERGENT
KELOY ANTIFREEZE
KESTER FLUX 1544
KESTER FLUX 1577
KESTER THINNER
KODAK DEVELOPER D41
KODAK X-OMAT DEVELOPER
KODAK X-RAY DEVELOPER
KOLLIE COOLANT
KRA-LITE LACQUER- J.F. RIDDELL
LACQUER THINNER
LACQUER M7003 DULL-HOWE-FRENCH
LESTOIL
LIKE MAGIC
LOGO R-2154
LOGOSTAT R-192-31248
LONCO FLUX REMOVER 65
MAID EASY
MARKEM HXN7251 BL.
MESAMOLL L-235
METHYL SALICYLATE
MIL-05606A
MIL-G-3278A BEACON 325
MIL-L-46000
MYSTIC 622B
NEOPRENE PRIMER N11
NEWBECK-DEXTER. OIL
NPACO 1296
ODA OIL
OIL-ES-OIL (AEROSOL)
OIL-ES-OIL (ESSENCE)
PAX CREME SOAP 24021
PAX HAND CLEAN 17752
PAX HAND CLEANS CREAM
PAX LANOLIN LOTION
PAX PHG HAND CLEANER
PAX SILICONE LOTION
PAX SOLVENT HAND CLEANER
PAX SOLVENT SUPER 2561
PLATING SENSITIZER
PLURONIC L62
PRESTIONE ANTIFREEZE
PYDRAUL
PYRANOIL 1470
PYON CAN CLEANER
ROCKFORD PAINT 11123A
SALASOL
SANTOMERSE 3
SILICONE EMULS SM55
SILICONE EMULS SM61
SILICONE EMULS SM2040
SILICONE OIL SF92
SILVER PAINT 6216
STEROX CD
SUNOCO GREASE
TANNERGAS
TERPINEOL
TERPINOL
TEXACO-FANDO AA
TEXACO DIALA OIL
TEXAMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID
TIDE
TRIPLE CLEANER
TUFON 7473
UCON OIL (NEW)
UCON OIL-LB140XY26
ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS
UNION INK A4060
UNION PASTE 522
UNION PASTE 1281
UNION PASTE 1538
UNION PASTE L606X244
UNION PASTE M512 SPEC
UNION PASTE M705
UNION PASTE M731B
UNION PASTE M753
UNION PASTE M777
UNIRAMIC INK A4060
VANILLIN
VARNISH V-687-STERLING
VARNISH CO
VYTON CUTTING OIL
WAGNER BRAKE FLUID
WESSON OIL
WINSOR LUBE OIL L245
WIPE 50-50
WIPE IT PAINT THINNER
WISCONSIN PAINT 13365

Or, for a sure fire cure, and for tinting all-things-lenses:
1-800-946-4929
Email: [email protected]
(Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with, nor profit from, this information)

If this info is not AGO acceptable, I apologize, and you may PM me.

Good Luck....:)

Bob
 
Last edited:
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Wow Bob!

Way to go over the top when it comes to finding and providing some pertinent information!


:bowdown:
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike...just trying to do my part. I really enjoy doing it!

I've been on the receiving end of so much valuable info from this forum and its members...and as such...I give my thanks.:)

Bob
 
try wetsanding them, thats the one mistake i made when the black came out purple. oye was i peed off. but anyways, i tried turpentine, acetone, and reducer (seperately obviously cause mixing would create a nuclear bomb like bleach/ammonia) and the lights i used them on were plastic and they left small microcracks cause it literally ate away at the plastic. crazy chemical reaction if you ask me. those lights look nice, i would go rea easy with like 300+ grit.
 
FUNX725 said:
Did your taillights have the professional 2K Clear-coat sprayed atop the VHT tint such as you mentioned above? If so, could the scratches be just in the clear-coat? Can you "feel" the scratches with your fingernail? You might be able to approach this with the same methods used on BC/CC paint systems....least aggressive polishes/pads first.

If your taillights did not receive the additional paint film layer of clear-coat, then sanding may be the only option.
Click to expand...

Yea the scratches are REAL deep, almost to the red of the tail light lens... i guess patience and elbow grease will be the key
 
If I were you I wouldn't try to completly remove the tint. Just repair the scratches and retint. Of course, you could always buy new tails. (Not sure of the cost but might be worth it after all the labor involved.) You need to sand, sand, and sand some more. This would be very similar to the headlight refinishing you see all over the forum. Good luck.
 
If there are two coatings on the lens and then the plastic, I would start with something fairly aggressive dry.

120-150 is not completely out of the question before you get down to the plastic. But of course, start higher and work your way down if you are not seeing results.

Remember, though; whatever you use to level down to the plastic will have to be sanded finer and finer until you can polish it.
 
Might just be easier to replace the lenses. Try RockAuto.
 
BobbyG said:
My only suggestion would be to mechanically remove it through sanding with finer and finer wet / dry paper then polish to a mirror finish. Any type of thinner or solvent will eat the plastic ruining it.
Click to expand...

Yes I agree.. He should try this... I already tried this before and it is effective.. :buffing:
 
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