How to remove road striping paint?

Status
Not open for further replies.

wwillson

Staff member
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Messages
6,749
Location
Colorado
I drove past a road striping crew a few days ago and the attached photo shows the result. There are probably 50 droplets of yellow road paint on hood, fenders, bumper, and grill. The drops on the windshield came off with a razor blade, but I haven't a clue how to remove the droplets on the paint without damaging the paint. Ideas?

IMG_3390 - Copy.JPG
 
I've used carb cleaner on a microfiber towel to soak the road stripe paint and remove it. Often, that paint has grit or reflective beads in it, so use caution rubbing it off.

But nothing I own has paint I'm terribly worried about. I just soak it till soft and wipe it off.
 
Originally Posted by WyrTwister
If you try a solvent , first test it on a small inconspicuous spot .


I know "Goof Off" will work, but it's way to strong and I'm afraid it will remove the clear coat and maybe the paint too.
 
I wonder if a bug and tar remover allowed to soak for a while would work. If not, using a q-tip soaked in a solvent applied directly to the paint spot might work while minimizing contact with the rest of the car.
 
Try a clay bar. I removed paint overspray with it long ago. residual wax on the car makes it hard for the new paint to stick.
 
They have Goo Gone that is safe for automotive paint and it works well but might require a few applications. Won't harm the clear coat.
Advance Auto Parts and AutoZone carry it as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Goo-Gone-Automotive-Interiors-Stickers/dp/B002S4I79M

Quote
Removes bumper stickers, bird droppings, tree sap, brake dust, gum and asphalt
Surface safe, clear coat safe, use on glass, carpet, rims, mirrors and automotive exteriors
Great for a variety of auto, boat, and RV clean- up projects


Let it dwell on the spot for a while before attempting to wipe it off.
 
Last edited:
Go from light duty to heavy duty.

Oops
alcohol
benzene
kerosene
turpentine

then to the heavy duty ones

lacquer thinner
acetone

Maybe the paint mostly dried before it hit the hood, and can be popped off with a finger nail.
 
Have you contacted the city or county regarding this? Expecting some recourse might be a stretch but you might find out if the paint is latex based or epoxy. They may also have suggestions for removal.
 
Clay bar and WD40 worked for me. Just make sure to clean the area first, by washing the car.
 
Ditto PimTac's comment - call what ever level of government maintains the road where this occurred. They may be willing to help more than you would think...

(Full disclosure - previous job was for a County Highway department - and we did take care of cases like this).
 
I have used berryman b-12 for really tough tree sap. i used it in the sun so it would evap quick and not soak in to the paint. This was on a white car. Test in a door jamb first, not for lacquer paint.
 
Last edited:
I had the same problem with my car and ended up after trying everything to remove it, I resorted to the plastic razor blades. I've heard that the material that is used for the lines etc. isn't paint but more closely related to plastic etc.

Good luck with it
 
Originally Posted by pharden
I had the same problem with my car and ended up after trying everything to remove it, I resorted to the plastic razor blades. I've heard that the material that is used for the lines etc. isn't paint but more closely related to plastic etc.

Good luck with it


Sounds like a good idea. Plus PimTac on the previous page knows his stuff esp about car detailing/paint finishes. So he's a good resource also.

Originally Posted by PimTac
Look for a plastic razor blade at the auto parts store.
 
Originally Posted by MNgopher
(Full disclosure - previous job was for a County Highway department - and we did take care of cases like this).

What did they do, refer people to a body shop that has tools and experience removing this stuff ? I doubt they were paying for new paint jobs.
 
It really depends on the composition of the paint.

Vaseline, WD40 and Rapid Remover have all been known to work - to varying extents.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson

What did they do, refer people to a body shop that has tools and experience removing this stuff ? I doubt they were paying for new paint jobs.


We had a mobile detailer who did good work as the first resource. We gave them the contact info, and set up behind the scenes with the detailer we'd pay the bill. Never needed to go further than that.

And I should clarify: if you drove over a stripe and got it on your car despite the signage and warnings, we typically did not deal with those cases. There are cases like the OP's with droplets and splashing that we always took care of (or should I say the contractor ended up eating the cost - it was built into their contract).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top