Removing Exterior Vinyl Decals

[DeepList]

I'm ready to officially add the P71 to the Decker fleet. However, I need to remove all of these exterior decals and I don't feel like sitting out there with a heat gun wasting hours of time peeling them off by hand. I did some research and some folks suggest certain chemicals and others say to get wheels and attachments for the drill.

Any sure fire way to remove these vinyl graphics, quickly and without damaging the paint, preferably with something mechanical?

 

[CWO]

eraser wheel
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...t/product_adhesive-eraser-wheel-3m_10070229-p

 

[Orange 94]

Thanks cwo!

When I was looking at cars I saw a few I liked but had awful decals on the side, never could find a way to easily remove them.

 

[FivepointSlow]

Bookmarked because I need to convince my mom to let me take off that ugly pony package sticker on the sides of her car that is starting to bubble and peel. :deeplist:

 

[CWO]

:thumbsup:

 

[ttocs]

I hear the wheels are the way to go myself. I have some on the bottom of my side exhaust that I need to take off and have been considering getting one, but also hate to get a one-time-use tool like this would be. Your not far north want to split the cost somehow?

 

[DeepList]

ttocs, I bought the wheel today that CWO suggested. I had a discount coupon for Advanced Auto and it ending up costing me $38.65 total after tax. It's supposed to be close to 50 degrees towards the end of the week, I may try and get the decals off the cop car and a pin stripe on my ranger that I've wanted off for a while.

The wheel looks like it will decrease in size as it's used, but I am sure that I won't use the whole thing. I can throw it in a bubble mailer and send it your way when I'm done if you want to throw a few $ my way later.

 

[ttocs]

I don't have much to take off myself so I would hate to pay that much for it. Let me know when your done, no huge hurry here so take your time.

 

[DeepList]

No problem. I'll let you know how it works out and post some photos along with the wheel itself when I'm done and we'll go from there.

 

[CWO]

I've got one already that I haven't even used so I can do the same.... If I ever get around to doing it.

 

[DropTopPony]

The 3M Wheel is what I used to take off some double sided tape glue and it was awesome!

 

[TanTop94]

Just be careful using that, it is probably the best way to take stickers and such off. But you cant sit in one spot for very long as it will heat it up and can grab the paint up. Its almost hard to do but it could happen. Looks like you have your hands full with the amount of stickers on that cruiser!

 

[RichV]

Woooa, just pimp that P71 as is. Tint the windows all FBI and shit. Get some aviator shades.

Mad respect yo.

 

[DeepList]

Around here? Nah... these small town cops have nothing better to do but to harass people for lame reasons and I don't need to be on their radar by driving around some whacker-mobile.

I'll keep the spotlight and the "police interceptor" badge on the trunk lid, but the rest of it has to go.

 

[MustangChris]

just add those lights you were selling and skip the removal process.

 

[whiplash473]

eraser wheel
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...t/product_adhesive-eraser-wheel-3m_10070229-p

This right here ^ that's about as sure-fire as it gets. Then go to a paint shop and get some wax/grease remover and wipe all the areas where the decals were. You'll wanna throw a coat of cleaner wax (meguiars, but that's just me) on the car to help get rid of any smudges and to also help re-protect what you took off with the wax/grease remover.

Sent from bored/stroked HTC One

 

[DeepList]

What a pain in the ****ing ass! I don't know if I was doing something wrong, or if those decals were baked on the car. I think they've been on there for about 10 years.

I just spend about 6 hours (literally) removing those damn decals, and I'm STILL not done. I got about a quarter of the way to go, but it got dark and I was cold and pissed, so I called it a night. The eraser wheel seems to work, but it doesn't take the vinyl off in chunks, instead of breaks the decals into a million little pieces and smudges them everywhere. My wrists, hands and arms are so damn tired from holding that drill all afternoon. :deeplist:

 

[whiplash473]

That's the way she goes. You're not doing anything wrong, that's just a metric shit ton of area you're covering.

Sent from bored/stroked HTC One

 

[DeepList]

Okay sounds good. I'll go back out there next warm day and try to wrap it up. Hopefully my eraser wheel holds up long enough to finish the job.

 

[DeepList]

Do you think it would be safe to use it on the rear bumper cover? Unlike the metal doors and fenders, I'm a bit concerned about the friction and heat generated on the plastic.