Need help with dealer decal

[spotter]

Taking the day off tomorrow to redo the car so I washed and clayed the car tonight. I tried to remove the dealer decal and have made one hell of a mess and hope someone can get me back on track.



I tried using a hairdryer to peel the decal off but the decal is not one solid rectangular shape but it is shaped in the form of the lettering and I ended up butchering the whole process. I then used some Prep All wax and grease remover to get rid of the some of the sticky residue which helped some. Now I have a shadow (but still clearly visible) of the lettering. I guess I only got the top layer of the decal off. I am not sure where to go from here and would appreciate any advice.



By the way I used Clay Magic tonight for the first time (I had only used a poly clay called the Erazer in the past). The Clay Magic is very tacky and I am positive it worked .....talk about smooth. A little harder to work with than the Erazer but you can really "feel" it working. I am not sure it worked any better but for the price and convenience of $10 bucks at WallyWorld with lube it is hard to beat.



Tomorrow morning I will begin with some DACP on a few bad spots on the hood and trunk and then follow up with #9 and then S100 SEC. After that I am going to put a layer of Collinite #915 on with the PC and then Saturday morning I will follow up with a final layer of S100 wax. I may substitute 3M IHG for the SEC....it sure looked good the last time I used it on this dark Emerald Green but the SEC is just so much easier to use.



Enough about all of that. Hope someone can help me on the decal. Thanks.

[jimmybuffit]

I`m thinking this is a UV issue. Not unlike the spot you would see if you took a picture down that had been hanging on a wall for years. Is the area a deeper, richer, darker color?



This is tough. Go ahead with the DACP....

I`ll be listening to see what others can add.



Jim



PS: The Titans get plenty respect here in Indy!

[spotter]

Thanks for the reply.



Definitely not a UV issue....yet. It is like the decal had two layers and I only got the top one off. I had to quit working on it tonight because I was getting frustrated and was afraid I would lose my patience and just scratch it off and really make a mess. So far I think I have only butchered the decal and have left the paint out of danger.

[imported_Smoker]

Lighter fluid works, as does WD40 if your patient.



I would go the solvent route as much as possible before you try anything `mechanical` like an abrasive.



I too was thinking its possible the decal has kept the paint underneath UV protected and now looks like a shadow.

As long as your 100% happy it isnt this then I would persevere.



Only real way to tell is if you can feel the decal with your nail.

If you can, good! Its removable.

If not ... bummer.

[spotter]

Thanks Smoker



I just went out in the garage and tried the WD40. I was in a hurry and only did one very small section with the WD40 and gently used my fingernail to see if this worked. It works so I just need to be patient and not scratch it up in the process. I will try lighter fluid tomorrow and see if it works better. I appreciate your help. I may get the Prep All solvent back out. Seems like this should work better than lighter fluid.

[rleven]

Goof Off is the stuff to use on that. I have removed many dealers decals with it and it works great.

[schoi]

Well, on my dealer decal, I used a hairdryer and some dental floss. I heated the spot a bit, and slowly "sawed" the decal off with the floss. Worked perfectly, even if there was quite a bit of adhesive left on the paint. The use of a little SMR helped there, but I got most of it off with my thumb. =)



Jonathan

[spotter]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions. My thumb, cotton towel, WD40, Prep All, elbow grease, and a little patience took care of my mess in maybe 20-30 minutes. I just finished with DACP on the hood, roof, and trunk and followed up the whole car with #9. The Swirl Remover removed all traces of the decal and everything is squeaky clean. I am taking a break before going with the 3M IHG next.



It is really great to have a place like this where both the expertise and the willingness to help others exists. Thanks again.

[MBZ 500E]

Guys/Gals.........USE THE CLAYBAR, IT WORKS PERFECTLY FOR THIS!!



Use only a small chunk as you will have to toss if after your done. It worked perfectly when I debadged a car in the past.

[Sidney Trainer]

how about a little bit of diesel.. its harsh but it works .... just make sure you wash it off well