Removing Decals

mpsoldier · Post by **mpsoldier** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:34 am

I have a couple bumper stickers on my trunck from a previous owner and was wondering what the bet proceedure was to remove them and the residue without damaging the paint.

Also, how about removing side moldings? Can I just heat them up with a blow drier, or is there a better way?

Thanks guys....

OB · Post by OB » Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:49 am

I'd recommend pealing them off as best as possible, then using Goo Gone or another adhesive remover to get the grime off. Just be careful with how much you use and be sure to wash the paint off after you use it. If the stickers are old, the paint might be a different color underneath. You won't know until you take one off.

As for the side moldings, If your car is more than 1-2 years old I can almost guarantee the paint under them will be brighter. Some people have reported paint damage when removing them as well (bubbling, tearing). I used fishing line and Goo Gone to get mine off. Took a long time to get all the residue off, but it was well worth it!

GreeNeons03 · Post by **GreeNeons03** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:59 am

For the stickers, I scrape off as much as I can with a plastic putty knife, then spray it with 3M adhesive and wax remover, wipe it all off and then I have some spray foam car wash and wax stuff I use to clean up the area. You could probably just use a bucket of water and soap to clean it up and some spray wax to replace any wax that may have come off.

Post by **Diablo0** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:07 pm

IF possible avoid having to scrape. You can use WD-40 and let it soak a little bit to loosen the glue. You can also us a hair dryer as well to soften the glue. Doing all of that and they should peal up without too much trouble then use some more WD-40 to remove any left over glue from the sticker. Afterwards you can use some rubbing alcohol to remove the WD-40 residue and then apply wax to protect the paint.

Side molding is pretty much the same thing on a greater scale. A lot have said wait until a warm day and leave the car in the sun with it hitting the side of the car you'll be working on. The heat of the sun will heat up the glue to make it easier to remove. You may also look into some piano wire to put behind the molding to help cut through the two sided tape if you're having any trouble. Keep an eye out for any bubbling paint under the molding as many have reported having it so they had to turn around and stick the molding back on.

Caraudioholic24 · Post by **Caraudioholic24** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:34 pm

I took my molding off on a hot day as stated above and worked wonderfully. I used a credit card with wax paper and wd-40. Once I waxed it all up it was beautiful