Manche’nopoulos Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 I have some tiny footprints running across my hood.... looks like some gang of juvenile gremlins got a hold of some blue paint and scampered across my hood. My question is how can I remove the painted on prints without taking off paint on my hood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 If its a decal you can get a decal eraser. won't harm the paint at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manche’nopoulos Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 Unfortunately it seems to be some kind of paint (or nail polish???) not a decal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Odd something like that would be painted on, is it possibly a decal with clear coat over it? Assuming it's paint, more than likely it was painted directly over the clear coat so you should be able to get away with some sort of paint removal without damaging the factory paint. I would recommend reapplying clear coat over that area after removal because you will at the very least do some sort of damage to the factory clear coat. You can get Rust-Oleum automotive clear coat in a spray can at Walmart. I'd probably start with a magic eraser and lightly rub just over a single footprint at a time to see what happens. If that doesn't work, work up the chain of cleaners. Hairspray, nail polish remover, brake clean, then into paint strippers. I'd avoid any heavy abrasive pads or sandpaper until the chemicals failed. This is my opinion on how I would do it, I am in no way a professional in this sort of thing. Just giving you ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Heat for removing decals, not erasers. Whatever you use, you risk the possibility of damaging the original finish. Your clear coat appears to be gone, like every other 30 year old finish. I'd start with reducer, but that's what I have on hand. Lacquer thinner, acetone, xylene.........try something. You may end up repainting the hood. Anything in a rattle can is garbage, not an automotive finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokinn Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 My guess is it's probably an ink stamp. They sell such things on amazon, etc. If none of the suggested chemicals work or end up just screwing it up even further and you decide to go the cheaper route of rattle can and rattle can clear coat, take the hood off and paint it vertically. The finished product will be so much better. A pro paint job is of course preferable but not everyone wants to invest that kind of money in an old truck. It doesn't look terrible Conversation starter??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manche’nopoulos Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 9 hours ago, Jeep Driver said: Heat for removing decals, not erasers. Whatever you use, you risk the possibility of damaging the original finish. Your clear coat appears to be gone, like every other 30 year old finish. I'd start with reducer, but that's what I have on hand. Lacquer thinner, acetone, xylene.........try something. You may end up repainting the hood. Anything in a rattle can is garbage, not an automotive finish. The clear coat is in good shape. It’s been repainted at some point. I took the pic at night with flash on so it’s not a great representation. I guess I’ll start with soap and water and stop somewhere near hydrochloric acid Thanks for the help Dzimm and Rokkin too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 2K rattle can clear is decent stuff. You need to figure out what it is. If it’s ink, try using rubbing compound, if it’s paint you may not be able to remove it without damaging the base coat. If it nail polish, get some nail polish remover. Just a few ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 22 hours ago, Jeep Driver said: Anything in a rattle can is garbage, not an automotive finish. It's all about the prep, definitely won't be a show quality job but looks pretty darn good if done right. The "automotive grade" spray paints have the UV additives and stuff to help with longevity, still won't last as long as a professional paint job. Comes down to the budget, time, and desired results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manche757 Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 On 2/15/2020 at 11:29 PM, Manche’nopoulos said: I have some tiny footprints running across my hood.... looks like some gang of juvenile gremlins got a hold of some blue paint and scampered across my hood. My question is how can I remove the painted on prints without taking off paint on my hood? Assuming they were applied to the surface of the paint, couldn't they be removed with rubbing compound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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