benjamino
needing some more undies
- Joined
- May 18, 2008
- Messages
- 186
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- Location
- The Sticks, WA
- Members Ride
- VX SS 6spd + 7psi
Well,
After looking at the black strips on the side of my car for too long, and seeing numerous threads from guys wanting to remove those hideous strips,
i thought id give it a go myself.
The results were pretty pleasing, and besides a few lines and scratches on the paint, the black strips were gone.
But just to let you know YOUR PAINT WILL NOT BE PREFECT FROM WHERE THE STRIPS ONCE WERE.
Im only supplying this from my own personal exprience, and id prefer to have some small paint marks(from fishing line) than look at black strips.
So, you will need.
*Some 20lb fishing line..poundage is up to you, but youll need some tough stuff.
*Wax and grease remover(prepsol,etc)-several Cans
*Cut polish
*huge muscles
*Hairdryer-heat gun, etc.
Firstly
1.Get yourself a carton, cause its guna be a long ass job.
2.Make sure the area around the first strip you prepare to take off is generally clean.
3. Start on the black strip under the indicator, wedge your fishing line under the black strip, and slowly start to cut through the sikaflex, as you would per the debadging thread.
4.You might notice the fishing line cutting into the black strip, this will happen, and the best way to keep cutting through the sikaflex is to get the fishing line as close to the paint as possible.
**DO NOT PULL THE STRIP, THIS WILL CAUSE THE SIKAFLEX TO TOTALLY RIP OFF HUGE SECTIONS OF PAINT.**PATIENCE WILL SEE YOU WITH NO PAINT LOSS
5.When you think you cant cut anymore, because the fishing line keeps breaking, and your too tired, break off some more line, because patience is the key.
6. Once youve cut the first part off, it should look something like this.
7.Get your cut polish, and clean the area of dirt and grime etc, cut polish i found was best for this, and youll be left with that dreaded black stuff.
8.Use you hairdryer to heat up the sikaflex, not too much, just enough to make it loose.
9. Now with your wax n grease remover, you need to slowly but surely buff away layers of the sikaflex.
Spray, buff, spray, buff.
The more people you have, the better..
**ALTERNATIVELY, you could use a caramel wheel, but i had trouble finding one, so wax n grease remover was the only alternative.
10. After much buffing(a solid hour, maybe) you should be looking at this
11. Repeat this step with following strips.
*Note that in the following picture there is a faint line there the fishing line cuts away a small layer of paint.
This is not noticeable from a short distance, and only upon very close inspection will it become noticeable.
Cut polish will remove the dirt,but you will be left with small scratches in the paint.
This will happen, and is such, a consequence of doing this yourself.
But i think its worth the effort.
The finished product
After looking at the black strips on the side of my car for too long, and seeing numerous threads from guys wanting to remove those hideous strips,
i thought id give it a go myself.
The results were pretty pleasing, and besides a few lines and scratches on the paint, the black strips were gone.
But just to let you know YOUR PAINT WILL NOT BE PREFECT FROM WHERE THE STRIPS ONCE WERE.
Im only supplying this from my own personal exprience, and id prefer to have some small paint marks(from fishing line) than look at black strips.
So, you will need.
*Some 20lb fishing line..poundage is up to you, but youll need some tough stuff.
*Wax and grease remover(prepsol,etc)-several Cans
*Cut polish
*huge muscles
*Hairdryer-heat gun, etc.
Firstly
1.Get yourself a carton, cause its guna be a long ass job.
2.Make sure the area around the first strip you prepare to take off is generally clean.
3. Start on the black strip under the indicator, wedge your fishing line under the black strip, and slowly start to cut through the sikaflex, as you would per the debadging thread.
4.You might notice the fishing line cutting into the black strip, this will happen, and the best way to keep cutting through the sikaflex is to get the fishing line as close to the paint as possible.
**DO NOT PULL THE STRIP, THIS WILL CAUSE THE SIKAFLEX TO TOTALLY RIP OFF HUGE SECTIONS OF PAINT.**PATIENCE WILL SEE YOU WITH NO PAINT LOSS
5.When you think you cant cut anymore, because the fishing line keeps breaking, and your too tired, break off some more line, because patience is the key.
6. Once youve cut the first part off, it should look something like this.
7.Get your cut polish, and clean the area of dirt and grime etc, cut polish i found was best for this, and youll be left with that dreaded black stuff.
8.Use you hairdryer to heat up the sikaflex, not too much, just enough to make it loose.
9. Now with your wax n grease remover, you need to slowly but surely buff away layers of the sikaflex.
Spray, buff, spray, buff.
The more people you have, the better..
**ALTERNATIVELY, you could use a caramel wheel, but i had trouble finding one, so wax n grease remover was the only alternative.
10. After much buffing(a solid hour, maybe) you should be looking at this
11. Repeat this step with following strips.
*Note that in the following picture there is a faint line there the fishing line cuts away a small layer of paint.
This is not noticeable from a short distance, and only upon very close inspection will it become noticeable.
Cut polish will remove the dirt,but you will be left with small scratches in the paint.
This will happen, and is such, a consequence of doing this yourself.
But i think its worth the effort.
The finished product
