Hot Rods Removing painted on pin stripes

Was curious what would be the best way to remove painted on pin stripes . The car the pin stripes are on has an old patina’d lacquer paintjob ( I’m guessing from maybe 1950’s )Didn’t know if that would require a different technique or different material . The pin stripes are a color that sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn’t fit the rest of the car . thanks

 

Most pinstripes were done with 1 Shot. I'm thinkng that most still are.

We will probably have to wait untilt the painters/pinstripers wake up to have them tell how to do it. I'm not sure if my info is right. It still leave the lines if it is that old though. You will just have the oringinal color show as stripes in your worn out "Patina" paint.

 

Show us a few strips so we can see exactly what you have. If you don,t want to show the whole car just the strips with some of the surrounding old patina panel . btw, do you think the stripes are just as old as the 1950s paint job ?

 

Any chemical you might use ( ez off ) would have an effect on the paint surrounding the stripes, wet sanding is a lot of work and will also have an effect on the paint surrounding the stripes. A lot of negative things can happen removing striping that has been on for a long time. I would consider having a painter stripe over the existing pin stripes with a color more to your liking.

 

Typically, stripes can be buffed off but there is always the chance that the paint under them isn’t very thick. Depending on what I have had to deal with, I have either just buffed them off of maybe sanded them off with 1000 or so wet or dry paper on old lacquer. However, again, it is tricky not to go through the paint right next to the stripes if not very careful. A pic of what you are dealing with could likely get you the best advice.

 

Depending on what the clear coat is, it may be possible to use solvents such as xylene but you would definitely need to try it on a non visible area first. Some 2 pack paints are very solvent resistant.

 

There are many ways that may work to get the stripes off. Careful sanding and buffing. Easy off. Ect. The one problem that will happen is that you will always see the stripes afterwards. The ghost of the stripes is hard to get off. It is like the stripes preserved the paint under them. I have already stripped trucks to bare steel and repainted them and still be able to read the lettering that was on the doors. This was before the days of high build primers.

 

So, I had to see if this was a post from April 1st.

Unless the panel was all rusted except some lettering this is a scientific impossibility.

The Easy-Off technique was figured out in the days of lacquer. Always best to try a spot, then you only advance a little at a time. As to still might see shadows, no might about it. Oh well right? At least the undesirable color is gone. I'm with some of the above, show us a pic.

 

Why not try enamel reducer it will not hurt lacquer.

 

No.... It's real!
I worked at a vett shop on/off for 16 years, fiberglass will do exactly the same thing! An we carved out the seam's down to the bonding strips..
You don't know, Until You know ..
I wouldn't believe either..

 

Yep, I have had stripes show up through new paint as well on panels that were stripped to bare metal. I would have never believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes...

 

I put a old drag car back to the streets and used 1500 wet sandpaper then buffed to remove the stripes but wasn't so lucky on the gold leaf lettering on the quarters had to paint them. If the paint isn't to thick on the stripes it can be done try a little spot first

 

Not buyin it. Being on my 2nd time around the block and having done so many levels of finishing, unless old material is still there, nothing. Y'all want to make folks believe a pinstripe changes the molecular level of sheet metal and even more, changes its reaction to multiple layers of refinish material. From a 1 coat stripe. Usually dragged on by small brushes with what's essentially cheap enamel. Explain in detail how a pinstripe can deeply etch steel to a point where it bleeds all the way thru a new finish when the panel has been stripped bare. This oughta be good...

 

I have seen the late Marc Fenyo (Tophat) use lacquer thinner to remove old lacquer thinner, it takes a little patience but it works. HRP

 

Easy Off oven cleaner as long as no clear coat. I use a 1/2” brush cut down to about 3/8” of stubble brush, stay right on the strip and keep moving the brush until the strip starts to bubble then wipe with rag. It takes time. Done it many many times. If it’s and older paint job that’s faded you will now have a new pin strip …… the color of the unfaded original paint color

 

Have been around the block a few times myself and have lapped a few folks. It's not that the stripes etch the metal or the molecular structure or anything has changed. It's that when most people sand stuff, there is an uneven cut due to varying thicknesses of the material being removed -AND- because sandpaper is flexible.

Sanding cuts into the metal around the shit being removed unevenly. Think about it like the material (stripes and such) being removed is acting almost like a stencil. You're never going to cut into the low spots you've created through sanding around this shit, unless, you use a non-flexible sanding medium like a file or something -OR- a chemical stripper. People don't think 220 sandpaper can actually remove metal but it sure as shit can and quickly.

 

Reading and comprehending doesn't always go hand in hand, my faux pas I stand corrected. HRP

 

Sorry. Bare metal is bare metal is bare metal. I'll go out on a limb and say you never lapped me. When I strip I take it all the way, not with scuff pads or 220. Usually chemical because it's cleaner, faster, cheaper. And even if I were to strip with abrasives I'm sure not over a spongy flexible base. Maybe some lazy DA edge pad shit might net some distortion but all logical extrapolation says impossible.

Then again, WTF do I know. I'm just a nobody who's helped a long list of clients enjoy something over 150 provenance level awards. Just an opinionated old bastard not afraid to call foul balls. Calling foul on this. Done.

Yes, to the OP, EASY-OFF works and who gives a rip if you see a ghost stripe. Good luck...

 

I can’t see stripped bare metal being refinished and the former showing thru.

 

You basically just said what I said with this statement ^^right here^^, which is why you don't end up with ghosted shit in your paint.

I'm not going to post my resume' here, but I have been there, done that, and have formal training in this shit. But, stay out on that limb if you want. If you don't wanna accept it, that's not on me. I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.

 

Always used oven clean to take off pin stripes, never had any problems spray it on and wait, wipe it off may take a coupe times.

 

I did an abrasive strip on this and the original Formula S stripe didn't ghost thru.

Oh wait, never mind. It got a new one. Carry on...

 

^^^^No insulation in your garage? That is a tight polish job.

 

Kinda like a tattoo cover up, if you're into the striping, other than the color, I'd get a pinhead to do some cover up work.

 

Either you have seen this phenomena or you haven't. It would almost take a forensic analysis by a coating industry expert with letters behind his/her name to reverse engineer what the root causes of any individual case are.
Any paint "system" with varying compatibility issues will react differently. Each step in the process is affected by the previous and visa versa.
I'm in agreement with what ccain mentioned about the sanding of the base metal. It is possible for pigment absorbsion or chemical contamination to remain even after a thorough sanding. The absorption or scattering can be a problem if full opacity is not achieved. Couple that with visible light refraction of the various coatings and the interaction of each step of the paint process and shit can happen.
Keep in mind that every step in the coating process goes on wet and reacts with every subsequent step. I've been out of the industry for decades now and just a hobbyist that doesn't keep up with current trends but always try to stress the importance of a good "prime wash" prior to any coatings being applied to the base metal. Other than that, who knows the cause. We can only keep it in mind and exercise precaution.

 

@oldbobsign or @Pinstriper40 May have the answer as to what to safely use.

 

Not knowing shit from shinola when it comes to this stuff, I think(again don’t know) if the striping was done over the “patina” it may be different process to remove? We used EasyOff, Saran Wrap on my dads trucks after he retired and sold them to get the door lettering off, couldn’t tell it was ever there. But both trucks had been painted within a year or so of changing over from the magnetic stick on stuff to paint.

 

Imagine that.... Lacquer Thinner removing Lacquer Thinner. Who would have thought that would happen?