Acrylic enamel or lacquer?? on my bus???

[busboyjake]

i have a 78 bus with horrible stripe stickers down the side - which i am attempting to remove.

i have tried a heat gun with little success - you get a peice started about the size of a dime and it breaks!

i have found a 3m product for the removal of stripes and woodgrain stuff - but here's the kicker - it says "do not use on lacquer paint finishes, use on acrylic finishes only" - the bus is original paint (date nut brown)

what is my paint? lacquer?, acrylic enamel?

help!!!!!!!!!! before i destroy my beautiful original paint!!!!
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1960 Dove Blue Kombi
1965 Pearl White Caravelle Camper

[bastardbus]

if it is original paint it is enamel. VW stopped using laquer from factory around very early cars (split bug era)

Only thing is (and my first vw was a 78 bus!) VW did put stripes (and REALLY UGLY) on almost every passenger micro bus around the `77-`79 era I have seen! If really concerned with originality may wanna check into if you are removing something original.

Also the original exposed paint may be lighter then under the stickers due to years of sun-UV exposure. And if you remove them it could look worse then with the stripes.

All just possibilities you may wanna keep in the back of your mind.
Good luck with it!

Todd

[E-boyz67]

To find out if the paint is lacquer, take some lacquer thinner and put some on a rag or towel then rub the surface if the paint gets on the towel then its lacquer. If you want to remove the stripe tape don't use a heat gun. Just try to peel if off slowly and the glue will be left on the surface. Don't worry. After you get all the tape off then get some wax and grease remover and wipe it on the glue and let it sit for a minute and keep the surface wet at all times, then with a plastic bondo spreader scrape the glue off and your done. Its those little tricks that saves a whole lot of time. If you use the wax and grease remover it doesn't matter if the paint is lacquer or enamel. Hope this helps
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2-67
1-67vert

[busboyjake]

thanks - i guess you were right, because its very resilient paint and was not affected by the sticker remover - however - the 3m stripe and woodgrain remover is having mixed results. so far what works is a heat gun on the relatively thick parts of the tape and the 3m product in the thinner/faded parts of the tape, but it is a grueling process as it either peels off in crumbly chunks or occasionally in long pretty strips

and yes, it is the original stripe - and i'm getting over the harming an original bus stuff right now (its the 78 champagne edition deluxe) but the stripes were chipped up and faded to all white in most spots - and where i have taken them off and cleaned up it looks very nice - and no paint fading either

i saved this one from the crusher, so i think i've earned the right to do whatever i want to it

any more suggestions?
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1960 Dove Blue Kombi
1965 Pearl White Caravelle Camper

[6d7vdub]

You can also test your 3M remover on an area of your bus and see what happens, but my guess would be if it is original paint it is enamel.
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Bill

Sadie's Site

http://positivepause.com

[busboyjake]

this paint is tough stuff - it took everything i threw at it from acetone to the stripe remover to isopropyl alcohol - but some of the residue from the glue will still not come off, i guess i'll try a body shop or a detail shop and see if they can buff it off.

thanks samba folks!
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1960 Dove Blue Kombi
1965 Pearl White Caravelle Camper

[E-boyz67]

Now since the paint is pretty tuff then try to put some lacquer thinner and use the plastic bondo spreader it should work. But try to keep the area wet and not too wet where as it slops all over the place. Let it set for 10-20 seconds and press firmly and scrape one way.
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2-67
1-67vert

[UncleBob]

My buddy, who owns a vinyl graphic shop, uses a big 'vinyl eraser' attachement on a variable sander. It 'erases' vinyl right off the paint, including most of the glue residue.

Here's one similar:

http://signtoolsusa.com/item96.htm
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OG JHC

don't worry, the ciggaret is fake.

[gofanu]

[quote="busboyjake"]i have a 78 bus with horrible stripe stickers down the side - which i am attempting to remove.



Years of removing various fuel tax stickers off a big truck led to the observation that all these glues are different. Things mentioned like heat, laquer thinner, alcohol, all work sometimes. I've had a lot of success getting stickers and remaining adhesive off with citrus based cleaners. I use Hurricane citrus base floor stripper but any of these should work on acrylic base adhesive, which is what bumper stickers and such usually are. The stuff is also better than most degreasers for greasy parts, and will clean your hands better and gentler than most other things. Takes off pine tree gum, gasket cement etc!
Got it from MSC Industrial supply.
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Gofanu
www.usachoice.net/gofanu