Automotive paint job sticker removal question

[HeartBreak]

Here's one for the guys here that know how to work with paint without messing it up. This saturday, I picked up a used car, and the dealership put a sticker on the paint (insert swears here). The trouble is, the sticker is BAKED on with over SIX months on it in the sun.

How would I go about removing it, without ruining the paint? I've tried goo-gone, 'oops' (killer for removing those pesky glue strips from the facts sheet in the window), and just plain picking at it.

I've also tried heating it with a hair dryer (probably not the best idea, but hey, it was something, lol).

 

[4u2nv]

Actual doing it with a hair drier is going to be your best bet. If you have a VERY steady hand, you can try a razor blade. I personally would do the hairdrier thing. Also you can go and get some plastic razor blades or a putty knife and ones she gets warm, push it off with the blade.

 

[Mel*E*Mel]

well heating it is your best chance of getting it off with out any other damage. just heat it up nice and hot then just start picking at it .. it should come off in one piece but you never know just how thick it is
we use heat lamps at my work to remove badges and stickers,,
we also have a eraserwheel on a die grinder that works well but after you use that it's best to buff it up

 

[on_my_can_sp2]

use a hair dryer to get the biggest part of it off then wipe it down with either paint thinner or lighter fuel till the glue is gone. Becareful little paint thinner or lighter fuel on a rag

 

[jetmechG550]

Heat gun, hair dryer, etc and take a piece of phenolic or a popsicle stick and shapen it down and use it to kinda scrape it.

 

[HeartBreak]

Thanks guys. I have a heat gun laying under my desk in a box - I guess I'll finally get to give it a try, lol. I think I have some old plastic ATM cards I could use as a scraper.

I appriciate the help. I have not one but two stickers to remove. Both dealership "ads". I hate those with a passion.... Worse than keying a car, in my opinion.

 

[hb1111]

I've bought a tool from the tool truck called a decal remover you use it on your air grinder,it soft pads that you stack and it wont damage the paint i dont what kind of car you got but it will run about 50.00 it might worth a try
i was looking online to find a link and found this:
http://www.topoftheline-travel.com/eldecrem.html
and this is the one was refering to:
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/mmm7501.html

 

[redneckracer1979]

I hate the stickers put on your vehicle whenever you buy from then. Usualy I force the dealer to remove the sticker before I leave the lot. If they won't then I don't buy from that dealer. They are not paying me to advertise for them and I won't.

 

[hamz9561]

I hate the stickers put on your vehicle whenever you buy from then. Usualy I force the dealer to remove the sticker before I leave the lot. If they won't then I don't buy from that dealer. They are not paying me to advertise for them and I won't.

:goodpost: What he said!

 

[HeartBreak]

I got the stickers off with the heat gun and a plastic ice scraper (hey, I knew that thing would come in handy some day!). The only downside; I chipped one of the letters on the back gate. Here are a couple pics of the vehicle; I know, the quality sucks... It's the cam... Cheap little $30 Argus... lol.

It's a '99 Dodge Durango SLT 4X4 with the V8 Magnum, loaded with all the options, right down to the third row folding seat. The thing has pretty much every option available, right down to the towing package. It came originally from Madison, WI (according to the sticker that was the hardest to get off).

113,000 miles on it (96,000 is average, according to KBB), and runs like a champ. Clean as a whistle too. I just need to slap on some running boards to make getting in easier, and it's set to go.

It was just around $6,000 before all the fees and taxes.

The only downside, I have to replace one headlight socket (the retainer ring doesn't quite want to go on), get the shift indicator realigned, get a tuneup, and do a fluid change-out.

Again, thanks for the help guys... Now I just gotta replace the O in "Dodge", lol. Any idea how those are held on? I'm thinkin glue....?

 

[digger]

Dodge???? Why in the world would someone want one of those????? :dumb:



J/K
I bought an '01 Dakota last March. Got the little 4.7 V-8 in it. Like the hell out of it. Only thing, got those damn Goodyear tires on it. If the road is just wet and you have to pull out in traffic fast, just as well put it in 4-wheel drive. Still have plenty of tread.
I'll run em till next fall and get something better.

If ya got a NAPA or maybe an autobody supply place around. They should be able to hook you up with the right adhesive for the letter.

 

[4u2nv]

Nice rig, but what ya get for gas milage? I heard them things were hard on the gas gauge. Very nice looking though.

 

[digger]

Nice rig, but what ya get for gas milage? I heard them things were hard on the gas gauge. Very nice looking though.

Think I'm getting 15 or 16 with mine. Only been on one road trip with it, seems like I figured 20? Thinking about taking it to Florida in a couple of months. If I do, I'll tell ya what I get on that trip.

But mine is the small V-8. Got a buddy with the same engine in a full-size. He bitches about the gas mileage on it. I read somewhere they were getting 11?

 

[redneckracer1979]

I used to own a 2000 Dakota ext cab shortbox with the 4.7 in it and I would pull about 16 on the highway unloaded. When loaded with my 2 place snowmobile trailer and 2 sleds all gear and 2 people in the truck I was sitting around 12 or so. Worst I ever get was 10 when I was pulling the sleds into a heavy headwind on the freeway at about 70 or so. I also got rid of my gooodyears in favor of a set os Swamper Truxxus MT's much better tire.

 

[digger]

Mine is an x-cab. I'm thinking the Goodyears are what came on it? Got lucky, '01, but just had 23,000 miles when I got it last year. Got power windows, cruise, keyless entry.... But got a cassette player in it?
Put a set of Mastercraft? on the wife's Bronco. Whatever the Regal's are now. They seem to hold pretty good. Nice price. Wear real good too. Had 'em on my '96 Dakota.

Bronco gets about 12mpg. Looks like the OJ bronco....
Can see why he was going so slow in that high speed chase... Trying to save gas. :gulp:

 

[HeartBreak]

According to the owners book, it gets 15 city, 20 highway. But since it needs a tuneup, I'd guess that's a little off. My folks also picked up a '96 Ram 1500 Laramie edition (red, and also loaded with all the options, 'cept its 2 wheel drive only, with a slightly larger Magnum V8).

All totaled, both vehicles came to about $16,500 with a 2 year warranty on the Ram, and a 3 year on the Durango, and trade-in of a dead '88 F250.

The lot even threw in a free car washing for the Honda Civic we showed up in. Not to mention, they even sent out a tow truck for the F250 - we just had to pull it out of the spot it was in. That was a blast, lol. We had to hook a chain around the front suspension arms, and pull it with the '55 Chevy.

Nothin quite as fun as having no brakes and no power steering, maneuvering that dead pig thru an area about 12 feet wide. I even got to sit in it and steer it up the tow trucks' flatbed.

As for the radio; I yanked that sucker first night and tossed in my Alpine CDA-9811 with a KCA420i interface (ipod support). Last night, I put in an alarm.... Let me tell ya, the people at Dymler/Chrystler did their homework; all but the ignition related wires that I needed to splice into were in one general location and fairly easy to get at.