Removing Stickers

[The Pinkfingers]

The Jammy Dodger came with a few stickers on the back that I'd like to remove. What's the best method for doing this? Thanks.

[rdub]

Goof off.

[The Pinkfingers]

Goof off.

I assume that's a product name, and not a comment?

[mattias]

Goof off would work . . . but I used a painter's razor blade and nail polish remover. Took it nice and slow and they came off perfectly.

Any solvent like paint thinner, acetone, etc will work great.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Being a painter, myself:

"Goof Off" is primarily made up with xylene and toluene. Two very corrosive solvents. It is used in the paint industry to remove mistakes like spilled paint, &c.. It can also cause clear coats to fog up and will most certainly remove wax coatings. Generally it is used before the paint goes on to provide a clean suface for the paint to adhere to or to remove paint. BE CAREFUL HOW YOU USE IT. My favourite is high grade lacquer thinner, it has everything in it and is really good at removing things like wax & paint. The paint on your van has a poly-isocyanate hardener in it which is very durable but it is still paint, not steel. Underneath the clear coat is the colour coat which is a polyester resin and has no hardener in it and therefore more susceptible to solvents. Typically the paint on these vans are base coat/clear coat set ups. The Chamonix, like what you have, Pink (having the same paint job as the Miss Lil' Bitchi) has the BC/CC with a green pearl essence in the Clear. This can be effected by solvents, too. Diesel could be an option as it is an oil and not a solvent and when you fill your tank one sometimes spills it on the side of the van, as I have (god I hate it when that happens), but the paint doesn't fall of right away.

I have a question for you: Are these Japanese stickers that you want to remove? I only ask because I feel that they add character to the van ~ but of course this is my opinion and everyone has their own taste.

Respectfully, Falco.

P.S.: Razor blades are very good for removing paint, too ~ so again be careful... smiles.

[Duke]

I use a heat gun as well as a razor, but very carefully. No heat gun?? Use a hair drier. The heat softens the glue and helps the sticker to come off easier. You still have to wipe the crud off though.

[jwfchase]

Razor blade the sticker, and regular windex seemed to work well on the glue residue on mine! I'm still trying to figure out how to take an interior sticker off the back window without taking the tinting film with it though...

[FalcoColumbarius]

Yes, how could I forget.... the hair dryer is a wonderful way to remove sticky things, usually tape ~ I keep one in my kit. The warmth softens the adhesive thereby reactivating it a little. The sun can do this to your stickers, too! Might I remind you that the heat gun's primary design was to remove paint, so be careful (sorry if I sound like yer mother) if you go that route, but it is more powerful than the hair dryer, to be sure.

Falco.

[konadog]

I have a question for you: Are these Japanese stickers that you want to remove? I only ask because I feel that they add character to the van ~ but of course this is my opinion and everyone has their own taste.

Mmmm, good point Falco. Once they're scraped off there's no going back. How about a picture of these stickers Pinkfingers?

[The Pinkfingers]

I have a question for you: Are these Japanese stickers that you want to remove? I only ask because I feel that they add character to the van ~ but of course this is my opinion and everyone has their own taste.

Respectfully, Falco.

P.S.: Razor blades are very good for removing paint, too ~ so again be careful... smiles.

I don't think I want to take a blade anywhere near my Delica. I don't trust myself enough.

There are four stickers on my Delica. Only one I really want to remove, but even if they all stay I can live with it.

1. A "Japanoid" sticker.

2. A "JAOS" sticker. Again, my wife thinks it adds character, so it will probably stay.

3. A "Ganador" sticker. They are a Japanese company that do after market mirrors and such. I'm OK with it staying, though the right side of the van is looking a little cluttered.

4. A "BF Goodrich" sticker. This is the one I want to go. The silver lining is it's not on the rear hatch - it's on the white bar beneath the bumper.

I'd like to remove the Japanoid and Bf Goodrich stickers, and put a new Japanoid sticker where the BF Goodrich sticker is. I think I'll go with a hair drier and Wax removal oil to start with.

But it's not the end of the world if they all stay.

EDIT: BTW - it's an Exceed, not a Chamonix - it just has the dark paint of the Chamonix.

[Mystery Machine]

You're lucky!!

The Japanoid sticker would have been added very recently, so will come off very easily (the glue won't have hardened/set properly yet and the plastic film will still be very flexible) Hairdryer will do this easily - then use lighter fluid (like for filling Zippo's) and a clean soft cloth to remove any sticky residue. (I apply and remove a LOT of vinyl graphics, so I know what will work for you...)

The BFG stickers might be a bit tougher to remove having probably been on there longer, but then it's on the bumper bar that is powder coated, so the paint finish is tougher to start with....again, hairdryer is your friend! Make sure the metalwork gets nice & warm before trying to remove this one.

If its been on there a while, you might find it leaves a whiter mark on the bar where the surrounding white paint has dulled in the sun/elements. A quick rub with some rubbing compound along the bar should cure this.

If you need any authentic Japanese logos let me know, I've got a whole load on my computer that I converted to make on my vinyl cutter (I've even added the 'Off Road Express' logo to my collection - thanks for the photo Kev.... )

On that note, if anyone has a Japanese logo they want copying/reproducing, let me know and I'll see what I can do??

[Erebus]

Another product that works pretty well for me for removing adhesive is "Goo Gone". Available at Cdn Tire?, Home Depot? or some place like that, can't remember.

My garage has also suggested brake cleaner. (okay, experts, comment on this idea and its effect on paint.)

[FalcoColumbarius]

Another product that works pretty well for me for removing adhesive is "Goo Gone". Available at Cdn Tire?, Home Depot? or some place like that, can't remember.

My garage has also suggested brake cleaner. (okay, experts, comment on this idea and its effect on paint.)

Brake fluid is REALLY bad for the paint.... I mean REALLLLLLLY BAD. I would wonder what your garage has against you to suggest that, to be quite honest.
I am not sure about the "Goo Gone", I have heard of it. Best to read the back of the can and see what is in it. There are various solvents out there that are used to make up various solvent compounds xylene and toluene are but two that are typically used in goo removal compounds, there are others as well like: acetone; butyl acetate; benzene (basically gasoline); ketone; ethyl acetate; methyl; &c... Some are stronger than others but they are either designed to remove paint or make up paint. If they can be used to make up paint then they potentially can brake up paint. This is why I say to be careful. I don't want to scare you into keeping your stickers just bare in mind that if you leave something on for too long it can damage your paint and the working window becomes smaller with the more powerful solvents.
Regarding the BFG sticker on the rear bar: If you damage the powder coat you can easily repaint that one ~ and as Mystery Machine says ~ powder coat is pretty tough.
Regarding brake fluid: Brake fluid has two major aspects to it that are bad for paint: One/ Polyethylene Glycol is super corrosive and can seriously damage paint~ and when mixed with some other chemicals such as found in household items or pool chemicals ~ the cocktail can produce an explosion, which can be cool in some instances but should be taken seriously, none the less. Two/ The vehicle for brake fluid is generally a synthetic oil, which doesn't evaporate like a solvent, which means that it will stay on the surface for a long time, even if you wipe it off there will still be residue that can still cause havoc to your paint job.

One thing you can do to remedy the imbalance of the stickers on one side of the tailgate, Pink ~ is stick a "DELICA" sticker on the other side, which is what I did ~ and it so happens that I have one or two in stock.... smiles.

Falco.

[Mystery Machine]

My garage has also suggested brake cleaner. (okay, experts, comment on this idea and its effect on paint.)

Brake fluid is REALLY bad for the paint.... I mean REALLLLLLLY BAD. I would wonder what your garage has against you to suggest that, to be quite honest.

Hi Falco,

I totally agree that brake fluid is a big no-no for paintwork, but brake cleaner is a very useful sustance for removing grease, grime and other unwanted residue. It is designed exactly for that purpose i.e. removing oily deposits and greasy finger marks from brake discs (rotors?) when you've been working on the car.

I have used it a lot on bodywork for removing tar spots, diesel spillage etc...and just like lighter fluid it is also great at removing sticker residue. It has a very quick evaporation level, so is perfect for paint and I have soaked parts of my paintwork in it with no negative effects whatsoever.

The nice thing about it is that it usually comes in a spray can, so easy to use and good for re-applying on stubborn marks. Always use a very soft cloth though (with any solvent) otherwise you can mark/scratch the paint as you rub.

After removing any sticker, always cut back the surrounding paint to give the whole area a good freshen-up.

I don't know what chemicals are in the brake cleaner that I use because I decant it from a 25litre drum my friend has and fill a little 'trigger' spray/atomiser bottle with it....but I have used it a lot with no adverse effects. It's also great for getting finger prints off stainless steel!

[FalcoColumbarius]

Smiles..... Silly me. I read the posting wrongly and jumped to conclusions.

Well..... Good idea Erebus and MM!

Falco.