Removed the rails-one problem though

david

Member
I removed the rails with only hand tools in about 30 min. Took strong pliers that are designed to clip (not sure the name) Bit into bolt and worked them back and forth till they snapped off. Got the caps on and they fit fine. Zero grinnding :)

Now the problem- i have lines that are still there where the rail base sat. I tried goof off and that got the adhesive off but i am still left with 4 noticeable lines where they sat.

Any ides on what to use to get that off of the paint without hurting the paint??
 
Thread moved to detailing section.

Does it look like it is into the clearcoat and or paint?
 
I am not sure how to tell.

I am pretty new to detailing. I have researched alot. I would assume it is on the clearcoat but how would i tell?
 
Do you have access to a clay bar? Does it seem like it's embedded in the paint, or just on the surface?
 
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securedownload

i emailed myself the picture from my phone. it went to email but i cant get it to post here. I have just copy/paste before but it isnt working
 
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got a new photo bucket account. thanks for the help
 

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Clay bar= nothing :(
Next try will be a rubbing compound i guess. I do not know where i can get a zaino product over the counter.
Would something designed to remove scratches be similiar to a rubbing compound?
 
You can get rubbing compounds in any auto parts store, or even walmart. 3M is available anywhere.
 
Be real careful with a over the shelf compound. They can be very abrasive. Sometimes they can be referred to as a glaze. Look for something very delicate
 
I would try those compounds that get rid of swirl marks or light scratches, i.e., scratchx, swirlx and ultimate compound.
 
I have some scratchx it worked good on scratches-i wasnt sure about using on cosmetic blemishes other than scratches though.

I have a jiu jitsu seminar this weekend so i will try it on Sunday. Thanks for the help guys. This is a great forum!
 
Make sure you rubbed really hard with the clay bar multiple times. If you see some darkness appear on the clay bar, keep going at it. If not, then it isn't gonna work. ScratchX might work, just be sure to wax after you use it.
 
I would definitely retry the clay bar first. If the stain is a result of metal rusting, which by the color it seems like, clay bar will definitely remove most of it. With some deeply embedded rust, you need to rub the clay bar on the spot many many times using some pressure (don't forget the lubricant). If the stain seems to be lessening, continue until it stops removing.

Clay bar is definitely the safest route, since it is supposed to just "lift" the stain out of the clear coat. But if this doesn't work, you can try some chemicals that are safe for your clear coat. You can try tar removers or diluted degreaser (2:1). These have been safe on the cars that I've detailed.

If the above two don't work, you can try the abrasives (compounding/polishing). You definitely should use a power buffer (PC may work, but Rotary will do the job faster/better), but if you don't have one, doing it with your hand may work. If these don't work, the last resort, that I don't recommend for first timers, would be to color sand (wet sand) and then polish.

Think of it like this. Clear coats are usually about 50 microns think. Compounding using a rotary removes about 2-3 microns of clear coat. Wet sanding with 1500~2000 grit will remove about 10 microns easily. If the stain is deeper than half of your clear coat, there's nothing you can do because it is recommended that you don't remove more than 25% of your clear coat.

So, go from the least abrasive and move to the most abrasive, wet sanding being your last resort.
 
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