Dreaded letter removal

[racing2448]

My dad has a company truck that is going to go up for sale very soon. Its a 1998 White GMC Savana and its COVERED in lettering that all needs to come off, and it has been on there for 9 1/2 - 10 years now. I know for a fact that i will never get the paint to match and im not really too concerned about that. Im more concerned with getting the letters and glue off the vehicle so i can take the buffer to it and polish out what I can, and get it somewhat ready to sell.



(I appologize if this has been discussed on here before, i did a brief search and all i got was boat lettering removal.)

[imported_Detailing Technology]

hire someone to do it for you....

[anthony914]

heat gun probably

[David Fermani]

Heat and fingernails are your friend on this one. Just hope they come off in 1 piece or you`re screwed.

[racing2448]

yeah i was definitely thinking heat gun... im almost 99% sure that there is going to be glue left behind. Is it safe to use something like gu gone or something like that?



(oh, and i wish i could hire someone to do it, but im the one being hired technically;))

[DMan11389]

Along with what everyone else has said, use lacquer thinner. It will work well at getting through the glue. Just be careful, don`t go hog wild, and check your towel now and then to make sure you`re not pulling any paint (especially on an older truck).



Other than that, it just takes patience. I`ve done it so I know your pain.

[NickelPlated.45]

Vinyl lettering right? If it`s that old then most likely it won`t come off in one piece. If you can find a sign supply shop in your area then pick up some plastic razor blades and some stuff called RapidRemover (it`s made by a company called RapidTac). Use a heat gun to heat up the vinyl and scrape it off with the plastic blades. Use the RapidRemover as instructed to get any adhesive residue off. I guess there`s a ton of different products you could use to get the residue off but i`ve used the RapidRemover stuff on a ton a different vehicles with no problems at all. There will definitely be ghosting, if you want to get rid of that you`ll have to polish the panel.

[salty]

I have used a heat gun and mineral spirits for years with no problems. Heat until warm-hot and fingernail peel or use a plastic razor or plastic picnic knife to remove the lettering. Use mild solvent to soften the glue and wipe away. I am guessing there will be ghosting and polishing will do very little.

[racing2448]

yeah im not too concerned about the ghosting... ill polish it up but i know for a fact its going to show

[Joseph K]

3M Adhesive Remover to remove the leftover... then wash and wax/seal the area. Goo-Gone will also work.

[boogiejoe]

Try something like this 3M 7501 - Disc Pinstripe Removal (http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/mmm7501.html)

[imported_themightytimmah]

Plastic razor blades are a lifesaver. I usually sand out the area with 1500 after and compound and polish up. Doesn`t perfect things, but it does usually improve the ghosting.

[B-Diddy]

Try something like this 3M 7501 - Disc Pinstripe Removal (http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/mmm7501.html)



I use these at work. They are awesome at removing vinyl logos. All you need is a high speed drill to chuck them into.

[racing2448]

how does the disc work?

[salty]

3M Pinstripe Removal Wheel (http://www.detailgear.com/browseproducts/3M-Pinstripe-Removal-Wheel.html)



Works by friction and lifting the decal. Sometimes it is the only thing that works efficiently. Generally if they are quality decals i find heat faster. Heat, lift a corner and try to peel the whole decal off. Then use solvent to remove glue. I use mineral spirits.