Car detailing/Paint experts - Need help removing PAINTED pinstriping!
 

https://imgur.com/SNgyRok
So I just picked up my magma red 2014 370z yesterday and unfortunately the previous owner had pinstriping PAINTED on that goes from the headlights running all the way back to the rear quarter panel that goes into an ugly design. I tried using acetone and then lacquer thinner with a microfiber towel and rubbed with my finger tip using light pressure to avoid scratching the clear coat and the painted pinstriping is barely coming off. It seems to be some sort of hard enamel paint because it does not come off easy what so ever. It took me a good 10-15 minutes just to get off what I circled in the pictures.

https://imgur.com/a/lPSObsx
EDIT: My embedded pictures aren't showing up so I'll post the imgur link above
https://imgur.com/xgBGvqq
https://imgur.com/zDdNuRd


UPDATE: I decided to take a leap of faith and wet sand it with 1000 grit sandpaper and the paint comes off WAY easier. I was able to take off the same amount of paint in less than a minute by just wet sanding than I could with the lacquer thinner and microfiber towel. However, obviously it leaves the clear coat paint hazy so I will need to polish it out. I'll post more updates after I make more progress. See below.
https://imgur.com/OWwWJ0C

Wow that $hit is hideous. I would try taking it to body shop or detail shop and see if they remove that crap.

Tell me about it. I love the car but those painted designs make me cringe. Apparently the owner before me was an older gentleman so I guess you could say his taste was rather "interesting" to put it nicely.:shakes head:

Dear Lord. If you have any experience with an orbital polisher you could try to polish them off.

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I tried wet sanding with 1000 grit sandpaper and the paint came off much easier and way faster. I will just need to polish out the haziness after.

I’m in for the polisher and some heavy correcting polish... or have you just tried a clay bar and some detail spray?


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I have not tried those things but I will before I go wet sanding all the painted pinstripes away. Do you have any suggestions as far as which brand of heavy correcting polishes?

I wonder if this Meguiars ultra cut would do it?
https://www.meguiars.com/professiona...2-32-oz-liquid

Yeah anything is better than sand paper.

I’d run down to the local auto parts store and grab a clay bar and some detail spray before I even go the heavy correction polishing route. It might surprise you. Is the whole car striped?


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Thanks I'll look into this compound for sure I know Meguiar's products are good quality.

I will definitely stop after work tomorrow and pick some up. I agree I really don't want to affect the clear coat more than I have to. And the pin striping starts from the front quarter panel above the headlights and runs in 2 streaks all the way down the door panel and to the rear quarter panel into that ugly design on both sides of the car.:crying:

Better to hit the clear vs the base coat. The problem with painted pin stripe is the amount of labor to take it off. Doable but soooo expensive if a pro shop handles it and too time consuming if diy. The good news is it can be taken off. Based on your photo, it was quite a good amount of paint used on the clear and if it is rushed, the paint may unnecessarily get damaged. The other thing is why someone would put THAT kind of pin striping on a Z. So much disrespect.

All the disrespect. If the prior owner left any paperwork in the Z you could prob find out where they reside...

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I agree. The Z does not need any drawn on pin striping lines or decals, the natural lines and curves of the car compliment it more than enough. But like I said the owner was an older gentleman so who knows what the hell he was thinking (if he was thinking at all).:confused:

So quick update:
I tried clay barring with quick detailer and that did not work. I tried using a Meguiar's medium cut compound with a hand applicator pad and that didn't seem to really work either.

So far the only thing that works to quickly remove the pin striping is wet sanding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oewUG_2ei0s
It looks like I'll be taking this route.

Time to call the Junkman...


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