How to Remove a Pinstripe From A Car

Have you ever bought a car that had a cheesy pinstripe on it? Maybe you put a pinstripe on yourself and now you hate the way it looks. Removing a pinstripe does not require taking it to a detail or body shop. You can do it yourself with a few simple tools and a little patience. Follow these steps to remove a pinstripe from your car.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hair dryer
• WD-40
• Credit Card
• Sticker remover

1. The first step in removing a pinstripe from a car is to decide which method will be the easiest. If the pinstripe is already peeling, then a simple bottle of sticker remover, like goo-gone, and a rag will do the trick. If the pinstripe is fairly new and shows no sign of coming off without any effort, proceed to step 2.

2. Heat the beginning of the pinstripe with a hair dryer. Be sure not to get too close to the paint, this can cause damage to the clear coat. Do not heat the surface more than what the natural sun would heat it on a hot summer day.

3. Spray a small amount of WD-40 at the beginning of the pinstripe. Take a credit card or plastic scraper and begin to scrape against the edge of the pinstripe. Be sure not to scratch the paint. A combination of goo-gone or other sticker remove may be required if the pinstripe does not give at this point.

4. Scrape enough of the pinstripe back so that it can peeled by hand. Grasp the edge of the pinstripe with one hand, and begin to peel the striping back. Another dose of WD-40 may be required at this point.

5. Hold the pinstripe with one hand and use the hair dryer against the stuck portion of the pinstripe with the other hand. This will make peeling back the pinstripe much easier.

6. Wash, Buff and wax the area from which the pinstripe was removed. This will help restore and protect the paint that has been covered up since the pinstripe was applied. If the pinstripe is very old, the paint underneath the pinstripe may look much newer than the rest of the vehicle.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have caused any scratches to the paint when removing the pinstripe, simply buff them out with a buffer, wool pad, and rubbing compound.
• If you have pinstripes that are painted on, you will have to use a wool pad attached to buffer along with rubbing compound. Start with a small portion first. Apply a quarter size amount of rubbing compound to the striping and use the buffer back and forth to remove the painted pinstripe.