How to get these @%%@## pinstripes off...

[2foci1festy]

My Festiva was originally sold by a local dealership that just loves to $%$@ up perfectly good new cars by having some yahoo come by and put pinstripes down the side. Well it's now 12 years old and a lot of it has flaked away but what is left seems to be permanently part of the paint. I was able to remove the dealer sticker on the back with some 3M adhesive remover and some elbow grease but that didn't seem to want to budge the pinstripes. Any ideas for removal without damaging the paint?

[TJinPgh]

good question. I've been wondering this myself, actually.

Just did a google search for pinstripe removal and came up with this...

http://www.rightlook.com/browseproducts/3M-Pinstripe-Removal-Wheel.HTML

Wonder if it works.

[2foci1festy]

Thanks for the assist. It's going to have to be something a little less costly that though. Anyone else have any budget ideas for removing these things?

[69shelby]

3m adhesive remover.

[2foci1festy]

3m adhesive remover.

I tried that and it removed the dealer sticker on the hatch with no problem but did not budge the pinstripes. Maybe I didn't let it soak in on the pinstripes long enough. I may take another shot at it next weekend. Any other ideas?

[IdealSociety]

3m also makes a type of sanding wheel called a pinstripe remover, i seen it at autozone if i remember right, should work with an angle grinder or any rotational sander, i think they were under 10$...

[FB71]

those pinstripe wheels kick ass. but you need an air or electric die grinder. drills are too slow.

[VinnieGTP]

I did this on my GTP and I used a hair drier, to heat the glue, my finger nail, a rag, and a lot of patience.

Vinnie

[mechanicaldj]

i use the pinstripe eraser tool on my cordless drill, works great- this from somebody who worked in a bodyshop for 10 yrs.

or a heat gun and a plastic razor blade works well too.

[festscort]

I had the eraser wheel on a diegrinder(needs higher rpms) and it took a while and 1 and 1/2 wheels but I got most of it off still see a paint fade though from all the years.

[TurboSupra12]

those pinstripe wheels kick ass. but you need an air or electric die grinder. drills are too slow.

No wya man. I used one to remove the glue left after I removed my EGT badging. Worked great on my drill.

[2foci1festy]

Success!

Well, I really couldn't afford the pinstripe wheel so here's what I did. I get offers from credit card companies all the time. Discover is good for this: they include a thin plastic fake credit with their pitch. Normally this goes in the trash but if you take the card and use it to scrape the pinstripes they come right off. I followed up with some 3M adhesive remover to get the remains and no more pinstripes! 8)

[TurboSupra12]

Haha very nice. Did you find a really big pinstripe wheel? The huge ones can be expensive, but I found a small one for 9 bucks, at the bottom of a shefl, mixed in with other crap.

[lilred]

pinstripe

i use a power washer... but you will need something to remove the sticky stuff.

[nautical_lifens]

The fastest way i found was a pack of razor blades, took mine off in about 30 mins, then just give the car a once over with goo gone and your good to go.