Removing vinyl stencil from car

[z0rT10ok]

Hi,

I'm considering buying a car with that has a "custom body vinyl" on it.

(http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201141420802339/sort/priceasc/usedcars/colour/white/transmission/automatic/price-to/8000/price-from/6000/maximum-age/up_to_5_years_old/body-type/convertible/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/model/cooper/make/mini/page/1/radius/1501/postcode/ll198hn?logcode=p)

for the link to see the vinyls.

My question is: Is it possible to get these removed without ruining the paintwork and if so how much should I expect to pay?

Ta

Gareth

[Liquid Knight]

Easilly possible, but what horrors are the vinyl hiding already?

[sleep envy]

z0rT10ok said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

you can easily do it yourself - heat them up with a hair dryer, slowly peel them back and take any adhesive off with a cloth and white spirits

[VR6 Turbo]

detailing section should be more help.

but a bottle of wine a hair drier and a couple of hours should have it sorted. also bit of rubbing compound if there's marks or colour difference's

VR

Edited by VR6 Turbo on Monday 17th October 12:55

[MX7]

I've also see people use tar remover.

[anonymous-user]

I hope you're buying that car for your wife or girlfriend
Getting vinyls off is tricky from what I have learnt. Left a mark but the car was painted so all was well!

[z0rT10ok]

Wow, impressively fast responses, thanks chaps.

Good point about what it might be hiding though, I'd assumed as it was a relatively new car that it had been applied at the factory but of course it might be covering up all sorts of horrors...

Thanks again

[lost in espace]

Hairdryer and plastic blade?

[S1_RS]

In my experience vinyl makes any paint imperfections even more obvious. I had planned on getting my FRS wrapped but putting a vinyl roof on our trackcar showed the paint needed to be perfect otherwise the vinyl looks dreadful.

To remove the vinyl I usually use a kettle of hot water to heat up the panel then a hot-air gun to keep the vinyl soft. Any tacky residue can be removed with a squirt of WD40 on a cloth. You may need to give the paintwork a light cutting to remove any shadowing.

[Nick CD]

S1_RS said:

In my experience vinyl makes any paint imperfections even more obvious. I had planned on getting my FRS wrapped but putting a vinyl roof on our trackcar showed the paint needed to be perfect otherwise the vinyl looks dreadful.

To remove the vinyl I usually use a kettle of hot water to heat up the panel then a hot-air gun to keep the vinyl soft. Any tacky residue can be removed with a squirt of WD40 on a cloth. You may need to give the paintwork a light cutting to remove any shadowing.

Have to be honest, i would not touch my paintwork with WD40, but thats just me and the customers cars i work on.

But other than that i agree, you need to find the right balance to much head leaves all the glue behind, not enough means you rip the vinyl or even worse peel some laquer...

I'd always suggest going over the whole car afterwards as mentioned above you will more or less see bleeching from the sun and the car will actually be duller where the vinyl as not been placed.

Hope that helps.

[domster]

Hairdryer or heat gun, followed by mild solvent work for me. WD-40 is mild enough, but not quite as good as a dedicated tar remover in removing residues.