So, I decided the stripes should go and started pulling. I did use a hair dryer but left 90% of the adhesive behind. Tried a few different removers, nothing worked.

Sign Supply store recommended a product. Well, aside from bleaching a bit of the aero grill, I scratched with my finger nail a few times in one spot before realizing I scraped off the clear coat. Where is the bonehead icon when you need it?

I got an estimate today for $212 to remove the rest of the adhesive and $613.25 to repair the paint where I scratched off the clear coat. Next estimate please..

I have been praying, just to keep myself "sane". This is definitely my worst DIY experience to date. Perhaps it could be a lesson for someone. Let a shop remove the stripes for you. Feel free to comment on the topic. If you would like to comment on how amazingly stupid people can be, just put +1. Thanks, have a nice day.

 

Either your paint is very soft or your nails are very hard. It's virtually impossible to scratch your car with your fingernails.

That adhesive that's left behind can easily be removed with a microfiber cloth with some "Goo-Gone" on it. I've done it with at least three sets of stripes.

And before you pay them that much to remove scratches, try to get them out yourself with a fine hand polish like Scratch-X or Prima Finish. Again, use a very soft microfiber cloth.

If that doesn't work, take it to a detail shop.

 

Scanning the sky for OctaneGuy to swoop into this thread with his expertise and advice.
If you post this in the Detailing forum, he will see it for sure.

 

For future reference, or if you still have that adhesive there... Go pick up a pin stripe remover. It's a rubber wheel that you stick in a drill. Run it lightly over the adhesive and it'll make an unholy mess of rubber shavings. From what's left, rub with automotive goo-gone on a microfiber towel as was described above.

You'll be done in twenty minutes

 

Well, I had the whole thing repainted about 2 years ago. I don't know if it was soft clearcoat. I definitely went through it though. It's just paint remaining. Goo gone and those products didnt work at all. I don't know if it was the heat. Perhaps it was that the stripes were put on at the same time the new paint on the hood was done. not sure. I'll update with any progress.. If a mod reads this would you mind putting this in the detailing 101 area? thx

the product was called "vinyl off"

 

Ouch. Then you may have recourse against the paint shop. Even Maaco has a 4-yr warranty.

 

Definitely check this out.
Is it the same shop that just quoted you $800+ estimate?
It might be their fault!

 

I doubt it's they're fault I put a product on the car that softened it and scratched it off with my finger. and yes, it was the same shop where I just got that estimate it's a lifetime warranty on the bonnet work but still, I made it happen. I didn't even go that route while I was there. I guess I could call the man that gave me the estimate and ask him if it could be covered under the warranty..

 

Go back to the place that painted it and tell them you want it fixed properly and for free. If they didn't put a clear coat on to protect the paint, they should be liable.
If they were going to just spray it for you and not clear coat it, you could have done the same for $20 worth of spray paint.

and $200 to remove some adhesive??????

 

You think it was the stuff the Sign Store recommended that softened the clear coat that much ?

 

I was thinking that yes. I will give it a shot. No harm in that.

 

He never specified what the sign shop recommended, but the only thing I can think of to soften a clear coat is paint stripper...

 

He said I could let a manager look at and make the call but it would prob be a no since I manipulated the clear coat with my finger nail and the vinyl off. i'll have to get another estimate somewhere in Indy.

 

the product was vinyl off by crystal tech. http://crystaltek.us.com/

it is made for this sort of thing. i guess scratching it with my finger nail was too harsh? leaving to go get another estimate. thanks

 

I would let the manager look.
He might not say no.
You won't know if you don't ask.
Or, maybe he will give you a break on the price, since you are a repeat customer.

Did you tell the sign shop what happened?
Did you buy the product from them?
They need to know about it because if it happened to you, chances are it will happen to someone else.

Edit to add:
You must have bionic fingernails!
I wish I could grow them like that.
Mine split and peel and I can't imagine that mine are strong enough to damage my car's clear coat.

 

I've scraped bugs, tar, and other crap off my hood with my finger nail before, no problem.
I washed the car once and as I was drying it, my 2 year old daughter decided to help and grabbed a stick from a the cherry tree in our yard and proceeded to dry the car with that piece of lumber.
I obviously freaked out, but there's wasn't a scratch. And cherry wood is supposedly the hardest wood out there.
I still blame the body shop.

 

Hmm, from Vinyl-Off's instructions:
http://crystaltek.us.com/How-to-use-vinyl-off.pdf
 http://crystaltek.us.com/crystaltek-vinyl-off.htm

It doesn't sound quite as "safe" as they claim.
Or, would CrystalTek say that your paint job was faulty?
Show this literature to the manager at the paint shop.

Be sure to take pictures of the damage.
Send them to CrystalTek and let them know what their product did.
Something that's "about as safe as bath soap" shouldn't soften or remove automotive paint!
They say "about as safe as" which is different from "as safe as."
At the very least you should get your money back for the Vinyl-Off.
It certainly did not perform as described in the company's literature.

I'm sorry this happened and hope it doesn't cost you a fortune to fix.
Good luck!

 

You could be right, if CrystalTek's literature is correct and Vinyl-Off is as safe as they claim.

 

Can you post some cell phone pics of the damage? I'd like to see what the exposed area looks like. It's very possible that the previous paint job wasn't prepped right and you took off the paint, however as others have said, it shouldn't have chipped/flaked off. The results may be a combination of things from lousy prep of the paint job to using the solvent to using your fingernail to scrape the adhesive off. Anyways more information is in order to determine the cause here. For the price quoted, you might want to consider getting the whole bonnet resprayed...find another shop to quote you.

Richard

 

I had another estimate that would just clean up the vinyl adhesive and use touch up clear coat on the scratched part for $85. I'm not excited about it. I'm sure it will still show afterwards but I may do that option for the time being if the original painters don't do it under warranty. I'll be going back tomorrow to see a manager about this.

Thanks for the useful information on the vinyl off. Perhaps the Co. will have it fixed for me for free but I am very doubtful. I do think the clear coat should have held up better than this.

Keep in mind this pic is huge. The actual scratch mark is only a bit bigger than a quarter. It looks really bad in the photo. Scary actually. I'm sure if I just get it touched up it will always be noticeable. I just had it completely resprayed less than 2 years ago. That is where the soft clear coat is coming from.. OG any other thoughts? As always, thanks for your insight.

I did do it with my finger nail. I didn't realize I was going through the clear coat. I thought I was getting all the adhesive off. Then I was all OMG
J

 

When I took my stripes off residue like that was left behind. What I have used for years and like better than the harsher adhesive removers is plain old Ronson's lighter fluid. Works like a charm and never harms anything. From my observation of your photo it looks like more adhesive is still on there. I'd get some Ronson's and go at it before I do any repainting. You can't gauge the amount of damage properly until all the adhesive is removed.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. Yes pretty much all of the adhesive is still on the car. I am not touching it for a few days. Unfortunately it is collecting dirt and bugs until it is repaired.

 

My wife says get the cheap fix and throw the stripes back over it

 

Well, that's a thought.
I'd get all the old adhesive off first though.

Edit to add:
I'd get the old adhesive safely off first.
How to do that, I don't know.

 

I don't think I could live with myself or sleep at night, knowing what was under those stripes !