Polishing after decal removal...

[ALLN1WASH]

How's it going AG?
I have two vehicles set up for this weekend which have recently had decals removed. One is a 2004 f-150 white in color and the other is a 2005 dodge ram RED IN COLOR. In both cases the owners have already removed the deacal and are just looking for a good polish and sealant.

If done several of these jobs but, they have always been on white vehicles (old police car sold to a local taxi service), so dealing with this RED paint has me a little worried. In the past I've always been able to get great results using just a 1-step product, Being that all the vehicles were white and the shadow left behind wasnt very hard to correct.

Knowing that RED is the most dominant color, and I'm sure there will be a shadow left behind, how do you all suggest I go about handling this situation?

My process has always been:
Decal removal (rubber eraser)
Adhesive removal (3m adhesive removal)
Dawn wash
D 151 polish.

Just looking for some advise/tips. Thanks in advance...

[Dr Oldz]

The only problem with darker vehicles is that most people do not maintain them properly, thus leading to paint fading. Chances are that the paint behind the decal is not as faded from uv rays as the surrounding paint. A polish will help but the pigment in the basecoat is actually what is faded, not the clear(if indeed cleared). I always tell people that chances are probable that you will notice where the decal was slightly.

[ALLN1WASH]

Thanks Dr. Oldz, I appreciate the input. I guess, it is what it is. I'll definitely let the owner know the possibilities and hope for the best!

[A.P.A.D.]

i am intersted in hearing the results of your work. my boss at my full time job (chickfila) wants to sell the "cow car" at the end of the year. he was asking about getting the vinyl spots off the car and getting the paint polished to eliminate the shadows before selling it.