How To Remove Ghost Lettering From Car

I have began the boring task of removing all of the decal residue from my new to me Transit Connect. I bought the van from the possessor of a small motorcar repair shop who used the van for local roadside help. Equally such, it was covered in vinyl graphics. Ane of his employees, who delivered the van on the back of a rollback, removed the decals but did not do anything about the remainder that was left behind.

It looked like this before the van was in my possession:

It looked similar this when I got it:

After a few hours with Goo Gone, plastic razor blades, quick detailer, a dirt bar and patience:

I got all of the residual off but there is a very faint ghost paradigm in the pigment:

I darkened the photo slightly to prove the outline. You can barely see the outline of the AAA logo in normal lite but it is noticeable.

Can this ghosting be removed by polishing the pigment? The van had decals on every side (even the roof at the summit of the windshield) and I'd like to go rid of the ghosting. I feel that due to the large expanse, it would exist pretty spendy to have a particular shop accept intendance of it. Would an idiot like myself exist able to polish this out without too much difficulty?

Anybody have success with removing the ghosting in paint past polishing? The van is "Crystal White" and then its very shut to a pure white color. I don't think information technology has whatever pearl in information technology. It should be piece of cake(ish), right?

If you can spend the coin pick upward one of the new fancy orbital buffers. Makes it it much idiot proof. I've been eyeing the one from Griot's garage but it'southward possible that the harbour freight ane would get you through this job.

I suspect what you are seeing is a combination of uv damage to the clear coat combined with micro scratches that comes from normal washing and utilize that didn't happen under the vinyl.

Both of which a good shine should exist able to completely eliminate and if not drastically reduce.

I've been wondering about what I'm going to find if I remove these. Hopefully the green won't exist as affected.

Yes and no. You tin more often than not match the degree of scratched-ness with a adept multi phase buffing. The differences in color will fade away through fourth dimension, but may never go completely away depending on time/color of the paint.

Hmmm. That gives me some hope. I don't know how long all of those decals were on in that location but I do know that the van lived exterior. The Florida dominicus takes no prisoners. I was hoping that there would exist no shadows once I got all of the residue off. At first I thought I had pulled it off due to the crappy lighting in my garage. Simply the closer I looked, the more than I saw.

Sigh

"Perfect is the enemy of skillful."

You can't really know until you polish it to get rid of the reflectivity difference. Yous can kind of judge at it on a properly cloudy day with the car a bit dusty. If you can't see them in bad low-cal then you accept a pretty good shot at getting rid of them by polishing to even up the texture of everything.

I utilize the horrible freight buffer (the random orbital porter cable ripoff version) and it works just ducky.  The horrible freight pads are meh, but its a universal arrangement of attachment so you tin get some better ones.

For a 3 times a year tool, its perfect.

The goo-gone will definitely leave a "haze" in my express feel. Do a small practice spot by hand with 2 or 3 stage compound then wax(?)

I've come to the conclusion that goo gone itself doesn't leave hazing, but it does soften the surface enough that paper towels or the like spiral up the clear. If you use lots of good gone and very minimal pressure with a cloth you reduce hazing a lot.

The last fourth dimension I bought it I bought a gallon.

mazdeuce - Seth said:

I've come to the conclusion that goo gone itself doesn't leave hazing, but it does soften the surface plenty that paper towels or the like screw up the clear. If yous utilise lots of proficient gone and very minimal pressure with a textile you reduce hazing a lot.

The last time I bought information technology I bought a gallon.

Get-go thing that popped into my mind when I thought of a gallon of Goo Gone!

In respond to SaltyDog :

I tend to use solvents outside, only we've all got our ways of dealing with the globe I suppose.

I had this when I removed N numbers and racing letters from a glider'south tail.  Goo is gone but the base fiberglass-gelcoat is cleaner, whiter where the letter used to exist.  Non as dominicus faded.  I tried rubbing compound with an electric buffer and good wax to no avail, ended up wet sanding with soapy water and 1200 grit.

Probably different with motorcar finishes, but base coat clear is similar to gelcoat?

Dan

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Practiced Plan.

I always brand certain the students open the outside doors to the shop, clean up with soapy water and take all the used rags to the dumpster.

And I merely buy the tiny cans to prevent a big spill.

Strong smelling stuff!

Source: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/removing-ghosting-from-paint-after-decal-removal/151979/page1/

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