MGB: how do you remove side stripes.

I am to the point of starting on the body work on my 79B. It has both the upper an lower body side stripe and I need to remove it to prep the car and do some minor ding repair. I have read JDW's body work bible on the Autoist page, but need some suggestions on what to use to get the car ready for minor repair and prime.

I have never done body work before, so "be gentle"

Ed

Visit some auto parts stores. One of them will have a little thing that looks sort of like a gum eraser about 1/2" wide and about 3" in diameter with a mandril in it. Chuck it up in a small drill and rub them right off. I've stood and watched body men use these things for 10 minutes at a time and am always amazed at how they take stripes off and don't damage the paint at all. A variable speed drill would be best. Every time I've seen one of these in use they were running them fairly slow. Not REAL slow, but slower than an average 3/8" single speed drill runs.

There is also aerosol decal remover, but you have to be extra super carefull with it because it is essentially paint stripper. Need I say more?

Oh! Try a hair dryer to heat the stripes and try peeling them first. When you get an area started pull on it gently and keep heating the area where it's parting from the body. It this works you'll soon learn how much pull and how much heat to apply. If it doesn't, get one of those erasers.

That was my suggestion!! Heat guns work well!!!!

When I repainted my boat, I used a blow dryer to heat up the old pin stripes and what I couldn't pull right off, I went at with a plastic putty knife and "goo gone". It's a citrusy stuff you can find at most stores. It got up all the "stickyness"....

OK depends on if you ikntend to repaint or not . If you do then acetone works wonders as it will remove the stripe and start on the paint. If not the heat gun and eculyptus oil is what Ive used in the past. Heat and peel, as per JDW, where it doesnt wont to peel apply a liberal coat of the eculyptus oil wait five apply a second amount and peel. Takes the stripe and all the goo off.

If you're painting anyway, you could, I suppose, just use a razor blade. Other suggestions sound better, though.

Auto parts stores sell adhesive decal remover. Its a liquid and it is probably made of something you can buy cheaper at Home Depot. But it does take the decals off and remove all the residual adhesive.

Slight variation on this question: Do the same theories apply to removing a solid plastic 'auto dealer' trim piece?

Yes they do!! Heat gun, peel it and some chemical!! You are good to go!! :o)