paint maintenance with vinyl lettering?

[Supergus1]

I have a Toyota Tundra that has some vinyl advertising lettering on most of the truck. What techniques and cautions should I be aware of? I plan on using a Porter Cable OA polisher. Should I play it safe and machine polish around the lettering and hand polish the lettered areas, or can I use the polisher on the whole thing. Also, can I use all the same products (cleaner, clay bar, wax/ sealant, etc.) as normal?

[ihaveacamaro]

Just tape over the vinyl and a little bit over the paint, enough that the tape won't come off. Then machine polish. As long as the tape is there you're fine

[Klasse Act]

Yeah, tape it all off but when your done, spray some BFCS over the vinyl to protect it when your done, this way the vinyl is also protected.

[Supergus1]

Thanks for the replies. My only concern is maintaining the paint inside the lettering. Take a look at the link to a file photo of a similar truck with identical lettering. There's also a toyota logo that covers the hood and the roof. If this truck was a paying detail job for you guys, how would you approach it? Thanks again.
New 2012 Toyota Tundra 4WD Double Cab Standard Bed 5.7L V8 (Black Truck) Rochester, NH

[ihaveacamaro]

Thanks for the replies. My only concern is maintaining the paint inside the lettering. Take a look at the link to a file photo of a similar truck with identical lettering. There's also a toyota logo that covers the hood and the roof. If this truck was a paying detail job for you guys, how would you approach it? Thanks again.
New 2012 Toyota Tundra 4WD Double Cab Standard Bed 5.7L V8 (Black Truck) Rochester, NH

ouch that looks like a be-atch! If you really want the paint in between the letters you might have to get creative with that tape. I would personally probably just tape the whole thing off and forget about the little paint in between the letters.

[Mike Phillips]

Depends on the car, the condition of the paint and the graphics themselves...

For a flat or matte finish graphics you want to avoid buffing on them with any kind of pad or product.

For glossy graphics, I run a foam polishing and finishing pads right over them when using

Medium Cut Polishes
Fine Cut Polishes
Ultra Fine Cut Polishes
Medium to Light cleaner/waxes


Of course using common sense helps too and by that I mean I'm just doing any buffing over the graphics very lightly.


Before



After




Process



Buffed right over the graphics --> lightly <-- it cleaned them up and made them shiny and it made the paint in and around them shiny for an over all shiny uniform appearance.

[Mike Phillips]

Just tape over the vinyl and a little bit over the paint, enough that the tape won't come off. Then machine polish. As long as the tape is there you're fine

Todd and I shared taping graphics off in this project...

Video & Pictures: 2012 Black Camaro Convertible - Blackfire Show Car Makeover!

[slapshot]

Once again, Mike is right on. I have a take home cruiser for work (LEO) that I wax a couple times a year. My recommendation is not to rotary buff the vinyl at all with any heavy cutting compound or foam pads. It is very easy to overheat it or snag a corner/edge. I run my DA over the entire car with a polishing pad and never rotary buff the striping at all.

With graphics like the Camaro above, I'd tape them off too since they are straight edged.

[Supergus1]

thanks for the replies everybody. As you can see by the link, I'd have a ton of taping to do. Looks like I'll be hand working this truck! I do believe there's more of this truck that IS lettered than isn't