Paint Overspray On Rubber Trim

[jimmybuffit]

I`m "lucky" enough to have a deal to do 21 cars with paint overspray.



I`ve only done two cars to date, and they`ve gone well, except for the pebbled plastic trim, and especially the rubber molding.



Oh, we`ve tried several approachs:



Clay

Dry eraser

Mineral spirits

Lacquer thinner (NO!)

Plastic razor blade

Finger nails (works best, but SLOW!)

3000 grit sandpaper

...and more.



Any thoughts to speed up our work will be appreciated by my very overworked staff.



BTW, for inquiring minds, we`ll average $300 per vehicle...



Jim

[RedondoV6]

Jimmy,



Which clay did you use? Did you try a more aggressive clay yet?

[TCM]

I had a car (cayenne turbo) in here with some serious automotive overspray all over it. Tried claying with not much luck. Ended up getting some of this stuff called "Aero Clay" from a local auto body supply store. This stuff worked great. It is basically a foam lubricant and a harsh sponge (soak for 5 minutes in warm water). Removed most if not all overspray in two passes of the car. It is very aggressive and like other clays can leave scratches/swirls if not lubricated enough, but it worked wonders for this truck. Here are some pictures of the outcome (not the best pics, sorry)...



http://www.automotivespecialist.net/as-04porschecayenneturbo1.html



http://www.automotivespecialist.net/as-04porschecayenneturbo3.html



Hope this helps you out. I did use this stuff on the hard plastic painted trim as well, but not on rubber parts.

[salty]

I had the same problem on a full size black dodge e/cab truck. The paint came out nice but the plastic mirrors, cowling and plastic bumper step was a different story. The clay would take a little of the overspray off the top but anything in the grooves it could not get at. The fingernail flick didn`t do much either.



Because my job was an insurance claim the plastics had to be replaced. BTW this job was done for an auto body shop after they tried their own methods. After it was decided that the plastic had to be replaced, we tried stong solvents. No luck. DID NOT TRY ACETONE it melted the plastic instantly and left it smooth with no grain effect.



Maybe if the overspray isn`t that bad on some plastics , they might be able to live with it.



Or if you can`t find a way to get it off, you could try a dye/ paint like the stuff that TOL sells for bumpers.

[jimmybuffit]

Thanks for your replies. Yes, I`ve tried every strength of clay. We`ve got over 20 hours in these two cars..

And I need help!



Your responses can mean the difference between profit and loss on this *large* deal!



Thanks again!



Jim

[RedondoV6]

Jim,



I`d go to the experts and ask, probably an automotive paint supplier like Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes or a graffiti removal, or janitorial supplier like Motsenbocker`s. Sherwins Williams make an automotive paint overspray remover and Motsenbocker a spray paint remover (#4), both of which are meant to be safe on most plastics/rubber.



Thats all I have for you Jim. Good luck! Let us know how you get along.



PS: Use the store locater on the Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes site to find a store local to you (two hits listed below). I have a SWAF store just a few miles from my home and they are invaluable as a source of expert advice on automotive paint finishes and for purchasing discounted Megs and 3M detailing supplies :xyxthumbs



http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/



http://www.liftoffinc.com/products.htm



Sherwin-Williams Branch - 9319 (INDIANAPOLIS, IN)

2419 E 56TH ST

INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46200

317-253-6200

9.12 miles



Sherwin-Williams Branch - 9318 (INDIANAPOLIS, IN)

2410 SOUTHWEST ST

INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46225

317-787-8361

12.79 miles

[imported_edschwab1]

There is a couple of brands of Spray or liquid clay products.

Aero-clay by 5 star products (http://www.autobodybrands.com/cleaners/aero_clay.htm)

Five Jobber in Indiana (http://www.autobodybrands.com/jobber/indiana.htm)

Diamonite Speed Clay (http://www.diamondite.com/speedclay.htm)

Liqui-Clay by Glare (http://www.autopolish.net/catalog.asp#LC)



Eric

[imported_edschwab1]

I read that the Mr. Clean Magic eraser removes wax from trim, so maybe it will remove overspray.



Eric

[stilez]

Originally posted by edschwab1

I read that the Mr. Clean Magic eraser removes wax from trim, so maybe it will remove overspray.



Eric



I was gonna mention that. It did a great job for me with lots of caked in product, but never overspray...For a couple bucks, I think it`s worth a try.

[imported_BumpersPlus2]

Shineshop mentioned some kind of over spray towels from a auto body supplier that worked well. Did you try ABC?

[Bill D]

I think those wipes may be from Car Brite and Sprayway

[jimmybuffit]

Well, thanks for some great responses! We are on car #4 now (#3 will come back for more attention to the `black areas`). Did I mention that these cars are for the staff of a local Dinner Theater? Some cars are just in town for a few more days, before the travelling actors move on, so my followup ability is quite limited...



Got a call this morning from Ron Ketchum (Grumpy) of AutoInt/ValuGard. He strongly rcommends their ETR II Kit, and has great OEM references to the same type of problem...



For example, 4000 NEW Mazdas were treated for a similar problem, and no warranty claims 3 years later.



So, we will be sitting on the curb in the morning, waiting for the overnight UPS delivery. With shipping, it looks like the ETR II Kit will be about $60. Ketch says I can do 100 cars with the kit. Given that this will end being a $5-10 thousand deal, I`ll take the hit!



Yeah, I`ll follow up.





BTW, I did ABC 2 of the cars. Cleaned everything but the overspray! It is kinda strange, these cars are BIG departure from what we normally see... Sat was a 97 Taurus and a 95 Hyundai Accent... Turns out to be a great chance to use some various "one-step" samples. Stuff that`s been taking up space has finally found a purpose!





More to come...



Jim

[Bill D]

That ETR II kit looks very promising. Sounds like the New Care Prep step ought to remove the overspray then follow up for trim beautification with the other products



http://autoint.com/ETR%20kit%20II%20flyer.pdf

[jimmybuffit]

Well, Bill, we use New Care Prep as mild solvent everyday...

It WILL clean the surface, but not remove the overspray. Then the kit litererally `redyes` the trim.



I`ll followup later today.



Jim

[jimmybuffit]

So, I was sittin` on the curb today, waiting for UPS...



The ETR II Kit arrived about noon (overnight from Cincy), just as my staff was finishing the last cleaning chore for them that any of us could think of...



It works, sorta. I can see where it is a good solution for UV faded mirrors and trim. Much like painting, a technique needs to be perfected, and your first application may not meet your expectaions (streaking, runs, etc). We sorta hurried the process (remember, we were sittin` on the curb, with verything else done...) So, in the next few days, perhaps we`ll improve our application process, and allow plenty of drying time between coats. We dressed with Meg`s NXT protectorant... we have lots of other options for that, but they looked good going out the door.



Clients are quite happy to date, and the bill is mounting up quite nicely. 5 & #6 are due in the morning...



More to come...



Jim