Painted on pinstriping - removal

[SeaJay's]

I tried to search this topic figuring someone had already asked this but I couldn't find anything about painted on pinstripes.

I have a customer who just purchased a 2005 Roadking. He wants it completely detailed, wheels and all chrome polished, and asked me about removing the painted on pinstriping. Assuming it's painted over the clear. The customer apparently talked to a friend of his who owns a body shop and he suggested he pick up some 3M Perfect it rubbing compound. He said that I can use it.

Is that really the best way to remove them? I would think that something like prep-sol or similar would be able to remove them fairly easy.

Just looking for some tips or tricks from those who have done this. Appreciate the help as always!

[Rei86]

Check if its painted under the clear or just a vinyl tape.

If its just vinyl (most likely its going to be) you can use this

Amazon.com: 3M Stripe Off Wheel 07498, 4 in x 5/8 in, w/Hardware - 7498AM: Home Improvement (http://www.amazon.com/3M-Stripe-Wheel-07498-Hardware/dp/B00063VT0G)

[tuscarora dave]

A lot of the Harleys that I have worked on that had factory painted pin stripes, the stripes are under the clear. I have seen a few that were striped afterward though and in that case I would suggest using some lacquer thinner on a terry cloth towel wrapped around your index finger to scrub them off and then polish over the area after they are removed.

Beware though that the ghosting from the stripes will likely be left behind and may need to be wet sanded to reduce the appearance of them. I have never been able to fully remove the ghosting from painted or vinyl pin stripes even when wet sanded and compounded/polished. Just make the owner aware of this possibility before you start the job to CYA.

All Harleys that I have done seem to have lots of clear to play with when compounding/polishing.

[SeaJay's]

The customer claims they are painted on over the clear. He said he did use some of the Perfect It and it took the stripe right off. So he said I can use that. I think I may do the lacquer thinner trick though. I can try both.

I will be sure to tell him that the ghosting might still be there. And I do have a paint meter so I can at least get a general idea of how much clear I'm working with.

[tuscarora dave]

The customer claims they are painted on over the clear. He said he did use some of the Perfect It and it took the stripe right off. So he said I can use that. I think I may do the lacquer thinner trick though. I can try both.

I will be sure to tell him that the ghosting might still be there. And I do have a paint meter so I can at least get a general idea of how much clear I'm working with.


You're in like Flynn. I have used both the rubbing compound and the lacquer thinner method to remove painted on stripes on cars and find that the compound method if you use your fingers with a towel wrapped around them gets too hot to continue because of friction and if you machine compound you end up removing clear unnecessarily around the stripes, sometimes lots (way too much) of clear before the stripes are removed.

The thinner is a much quicker and cooler method.

[VR8]

The one car that I did, we lightly wet sanded the stripe off. Followed by a pass of Meg's #105 to remove the scratches. It was relatively quick and painless.

[slickooz]

I had to remove pin stripes on a car at work, and had very hard time getting it off. I used thinner, and tried compounding it off. Nothing really worked and I told the manager that it needs to be sanded down. The sales manager just told me to forget it and leave it.

I think only way to get it off is by wet sanding it down then compound it. Thinner didn't really do much, as I worked it in for 15 mins to only get a little off.

[tuscarora dave]

I had to remove pin stripes on a car at work, and had very hard time getting it off. I used thinner, and tried compounding it off. Nothing really worked and I told the manager that it needs to be sanded down. The sales manager just told me to forget it and leave it.

I think only way to get it off is by wet sanding it down then compound it. Thinner didn't really do much, as I worked it in for 15 mins to only get a little off.
Yeah I have had some tough ones like this as well so what I ended up doing was to sand the stripes a little and then use the thinner to get the rest of them off. The sanding seemed to get them so that the thinner could work better at dissolving the rest of them.

[slickooz]

Yeah I have had some tough ones like this as well so what I ended up doing was to sand the stripes a little and then use the thinner to get the rest of them off. The sanding seemed to get them so that the thinner could work better at dissolving the rest of them.

I asked the pin strip guy at work and he said "thinner only works if the pin strip was just put on, and said that wet sanding can get it off"

After you sanded it, was thinning the strip easy? Or had to work it in for a long time?

[SeaJay's]

Well, I will ensure I have sand paper with me in the event that it won't come off. I'm thinking since the customer was able to get some of the stripping off with the rubbing compound that it's not going to be too hard to get off. Only time will tell.

I'll have to ensure I remember my camera for this detail. With moving and crap I couldn't find it. I just found it about a week ago and now keep forgetting to grab it.

[slickooz]

Does your camera take video? Have it on a tripod and work your magic. :)

[SeaJay's]

Does your camera take video? Have it on a tripod and work your magic. :)

Yes it does. I will need to try to find my tripod. I always hate myself on video though. I prefer to stay out of the pics! lol. But I suppose if I can find all the stuff I can video it. Would be a nice touch for my website as well. :props:

[tuscarora dave]

I asked the pin strip guy at work and he said "thinner only works if the pin strip was just put on, and said that wet sanding can get it off"

After you sanded it, was thinning the strip easy? Or had to work it in for a long time?
all of the stripes that I have removed were on the car for decades so some are easier than others.

After carefully sanding through the top surface of the painted on stripes the thinner worked but still it took a lot of rubbing. It usually takes me roughly 1 to 3 hours to remove painted on pin stripes without resorting to butcher type of methods that do more damage than good.

[slickooz]

all of the stripes that I have removed were on the car for decades so some are easier than others.

After carefully sanding through the top surface of the painted on stripes the thinner worked but still it took a lot of rubbing. It usually takes me roughly 1 to 3 hours to remove painted on pin stripes without resorting to butcher type of methods that do more damage than good.

Under the pinstripe there were initials KGB written in paint. It took me about 15-20 mins to remove a dime sized area with thinner.

Going try sanding and then thinner next time. :xyxthumbs: