Properly removing paint?

cherry7up · 08-10-06, 04:47

i'm trying to remove the paint from a set of plastic moldings on my e36 m3. can anyone tell me how to go about doing this without damaging the moldings? looks like a professional paint job but the paint is starting to peel at certain places. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

Accumulator · 08-10-06, 07:58

I'd like to help if I can but I don't quite follow what the paint removal is all about...it this overspray that got on plastic that isn't supposed to be painted or is it paint that's supposed to be on there but isn't adhering properly. Heh heh, I shoudn't be *utterly* clueless as I have an E36 M3 myself. Which pieces are you concerned with?

cherry7up · 08-10-06, 08:35

i was referring to the door moldings. the previous owner had the moldings painted to match the car. i'm not a fan of painted moldings and want to go back the oem look...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

I'd like to help if I can but I don't quite follow what the paint removal is all about...it this overspray that got on plastic that isn't supposed to be painted or is it paint that's supposed to be on there but isn't adhering properly. Heh heh, I shoudn't be *utterly* clueless as I have an E36 M3 myself. Which pieces are you concerned with?

01bluecls · 08-10-06, 08:57

Cherry, if the moldings were paint to match the car. You might be stuck with it. You can use paint thinner to possibly remove it, but it will probably damage the trim. The trim underneath the paint may also have been sanded or primed...without seeing pics or knowing how the paint shop did it, you are probably venturing into dangerous territory trying to remove the paint off of the trim.

RAG · 08-10-06, 10:21

I'm sure it was sanding and primed. It's gone.

cherry7up · 08-11-06, 01:40

i've managed to peel some of the paint off, the surface doesn't look damaged at all. it's just a pain sitting here trying to peel it off. any suggestions?

Accumulator · 08-11-06, 10:43

Thanks for clarifying. The risk you run with a solvent approach is that the lacquer thinner/etc. might damage the plastic (and you have to be careful with the stuff, keeping off the rest of the car).

It sounds like a pretty big job no matter how you approach it, can't say if which way I'd go. Sorry to be of little help after all

Now if you can figure out how to pull the moldings off the car, then the solvent approach would make this *much* easier. I wouldn't want to use thinner on such surfaces very often, but it just might be the ticket for the pait removal.

cherry7up · 08-11-06, 12:03

the moldings are off the car...

salty · 08-11-06, 01:43

How much are new ones? If that is an option then you could play around with the old ones. Solvents, sanding, media blasting etc.

cherry7up · 08-11-06, 04:21

$200 new =(