Paint Transfer Question

[shadowstep]

I currently own a 93 BMW 325iS and some DB from school (with a white car) scraped my front bumper with their car while I was in class. I now have white paint transfer on the front driver side corner of my front bumper cover's black trimming. Is it possible to clean this paint transfer off?

[Flash Gordon]

I currently own a 93 BMW 325iS and some DB from school (with a white car) scraped my front bumper with their car while I was in class. I now have white paint transfer on the front driver side corner of my front bumper cover's black trimming. Is it possible to clean this paint transfer off?

Yes, either clay or polish will remove this

[Rsurfer]

I currently own a 93 BMW 325iS and some DB from school (with a white car) scraped my front bumper with their car while I was in class. I now have white paint transfer on the front driver side corner of my front bumper cover's black trimming. Is it possible to clean this paint transfer off?

[shadowstep]

I will get the pics tomorrow after class. Can polish be used on black non painted trimming?

[Shane731]

How To Remove Paint Transfer

How to use a hand applied abrasive polish or paint cleaner by hand

[svs]

How To Remove Paint Transfer

How to use a hand applied abrasive polish or paint cleaner by hand

Gotta love how helpful the forum members are

[tuscarora dave]

I will get the pics tomorrow after class. Can polish be used on black non painted trimming?

If you are going to use a polish on that non painted rubber piece, I would suggest first applying some rubber trim protectant product such as Mothers Back to Black to first seal the rubber so that the rubber does not absorb the polish. Polish absorbed into a rubber trim piece can sometimes be difficult to clean up.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[Kurt_s]

I currently own a 93 BMW 325iS and some DB from school (with a white car) scraped my front bumper with their car while I was in class. I now have white paint transfer on the front driver side corner of my front bumper cover's black trimming. Is it possible to clean this paint transfer off?

I recently used clay on my 99 bimmer's black trim to clean them up. I've also used OG Plastic Polish to remove marks, polish and waxes from the trim in the past.

TD makes a good point about the paint polish and staining the trim. Polishes and waxes can be a pain to remove from the black trim so be careful.

Good Luck.

[Tyrod]

If ya do screw up the trim there's always this.

Forever Black restores a dark, black, finish on sun-faded bumpers and body moldings. Forever Black permanently dyes black plastic, rubber and vinyl.

Just don't use the supplied applicator. Use a q-tip or foam brush instead.

[Mike Phillips]

I now have white paint transfer on the front driver side corner of my front bumper cover's black trimming.

Assuming your front bumper cover's black trimming is either rubber or plastic, then I don't think I would use a paint cleaner, polish or compound. It would probably work but it will probably as stated, stain the trim, especially if the trim has any kind of texture to it.

Paint transfer is usually impact embedded onto other surfaces and can be similar to having been glued on...

When this happens to a painted panel you can abrade it off and then remove any abrasion marks left by the product you used to abrade with because the affected surface is polishable to start with.

Rubber and plastic trim don't take well to being abraded with the end result looking good...

I would try some type of solvent and rubbing hard with a piece of terry cloth with a firm nap, the nap will be your abrasive along with some healthy elbow grease.

For a solvent, you want something that can lubricate and loosen... some of the usual suspects would be,

Adhesive Remover
Prep-All
WD40
Lacquer thinner
Mineral Spirits (pretty weak but very safe to try)
Turpentine
Goo-Gone
Motsenbocker's LIFT OFF 4
(Motsenbocker's has a variety of paint removing products and can be found at Lowe's)


This is a real handy product to have around the house, I use it all the time... while it won't dissolve the paint on your trim, with a little rubbing with some terry cloth it might remove it safely...

Stoner XENIT- Intensive Cleaner


A compound like XMT #4 would for sure abrade the offending paint transfer off, it's just afterwards you'll have to do some scrubbing to get any of the compounding residue off the trim and then apply some dressing to turn it dark black again.

I'm so glad my truck doesn't have any trim and sits high enough other car's can touch it...