how to remove paint from sail panel window trim rubber

[alliedmike]

/Ok so my sail panel windows have paint on the rubber trim around the glass the previous owner painted the car with the windows in and did a bad job with masking off. Now that I have re done the car completely I am getting ready to put the glass back in but I want to find a safe way to remove the paint from the rubber without damaging the rubber anyone have experience with this

Thankyou for the help
Mike

 

[mearly65]

Just slide a credit card between the body and rubber to keep from scratching your paint, then use your fingernail to scrape the paint off. Works every time. Be careful if your rubber seems to be painted to the car. You'll have to use a razor blade to carefully seperate them otherwise you'll peel the paint off the body.

 

[onefastgn]

Just slide a credit card between the body and rubber to keep from scratching your paint, then use your fingernail to scrape the paint off. Works every time. Be careful if your rubber seems to be painted to the car. You'll have to use a razor blade to carefully seperate them otherwise you'll peel the paint off the body.

Good advise.

 

[alliedmike]

well they are out of the car i have had them out for a couple years while the restoration has been going on and i tried to pick and peal the paint off with my nail and its on there pretty good i hate shotty paint work how hard would it have been to properly mask off the are

 

[mearly65]

Oh, if they're off the car its even easier. Soak a rag in lacquer thinner and lay it on the painted rubber for a minute to soften it up. It should come right off

 

[alliedmike]

O really? I was afraid that the lacquer thinner would harm the rubber ...well then im off to try the thinner on it. Thankyou for the help

 

[mearly65]

O really? I was afraid that the lacquer thinner would harm the rubber ...well then im off to try the thinner on it. Thankyou for the help

Anytime l'm masking off a car that has rubber trim around the windows and doors l wipe it down with thinner otherwise the tape usually doesn't stick for long.

 

[alliedmike]

Well I guess that settles it..I would have thought that thinner would have dried out the rubber or warp it. Well guess I will be trying that this weekend..thanks for all the input

 

[turboj91]

It would be helpful to know what type of paint was previously used. Different paints ie: enamel, urethane, lacquer ect can have different chemicals that would remove them. I would use the least caustic that would actually remove the paint. The older the molding around the glass, the less resistant to harsh chemicals it will be. Was there any other part of the car that got paint on it that is not as delicate as the glass molding where you would be able to test some different chemicals? Also, something that would be able to be refurbished if damaged by the chemical tested?

 

[alliedmike]

It would be helpful to know what type of paint was previously used. Different paints ie: enamel, urethane, lacquer ect can have different chemicals that would remove them. I would use the least caustic that would actually remove the paint. The older the molding around the glass, the less resistant to harsh chemicals it will be. Was there any other part of the car that got paint on it that is not as delicate as the glass molding where you would be able to test some different chemicals? Also, something that would be able to be refurbished if damaged by the chemical tested?

i am 99% sure that it is base clear that is on the window moulding

 

[mearly65]

If the rubber around the windows is still soft and flexible, then some thinner should not hurt anything. On the other hand, if your rubber is already hard or brittle then it is probably not a good idea to put ANY chemicals on it or manipulate it with your fingernails to scrape the paint off. You'll just wind up with some very nasty looking windows. Unless the previous owner painted the car with something as heavy duty as POR-15 then thinner should be all you need. Like turboj91 posted above, look for an inconspicuous spot on the car to test out how well stuck the paint is.

 

[turboj91]

As Mearly65 posted (I agree with him 100% btw) the actual condition of the rubber molding is the most important factor in this job. Nice soft plyable moldings are the best. If you have a steady hand and patience, you can lift the paint off with a razor blade. Need to sneak it under an edge and lift the paint, little by little. A soft molding, a steady hand and PATIENCE are a must. You can bend the molding a bit to get the paint to flex and crack. The blade can then be used and some times even your fingernail. Caution, if using your fingernail, you will get jambed up and it hurts. Then there is the thinner method. Apply thinner to small spot on a rag and wipe the area of the BC/CC only. Do not soak a rag on the entire molding. You'll need to rub for a while like your compounding a panel by hand. The BC/CC has fully cured by now and is tough. You'll need to work the thinner to get it to break down the overspray area. Wrap the cloth around the end of your finger and wet the tip and work the effected area only. Patience works well here also. Some type of chemical resistant glove works well to protect the end of your finger (it will dry out like the molding would when subjected to the thinner for an extended length of time). Out in the garage by yourself (and the radio) works best. Use a small fan to blow away the thinner fumes from your face.

 

[alliedmike]

As Mearly65 posted (I agree with him 100% btw) the actual condition of the rubber molding is the most important factor in this job. Nice soft plyable moldings are the best. If you have a steady hand and patience, you can lift the paint off with a razor blade. Need to sneak it under an edge and lift the paint, little by little. A soft molding, a steady hand and PATIENCE are a must. You can bend the molding a bit to get the paint to flex and crack. The blade can then be used and some times even your fingernail. Caution, if using your fingernail, you will get jambed up and it hurts. Then there is the thinner method. Apply thinner to small spot on a rag and wipe the area of the BC/CC only. Do not soak a rag on the entire molding. You'll need to rub for a while like your compounding a panel by hand. The BC/CC has fully cured by now and is tough. You'll need to work the thinner to get it to break down the overspray area. Wrap the cloth around the end of your finger and wet the tip and work the effected area only. Patience works well here also. Some type of chemical resistant glove works well to protect the end of your finger (it will dry out like the molding would when subjected to the thinner for an extended length of time). Out in the garage by yourself (and the radio) works best. Use a small fan to blow away the thinner fumes from your face.

this is working pretty good been at it for a few hrs now its slowly coming off thankyou for all the help on this subject!!!!!

 

[Brad Zeidler]

Since it's the rubber moulding I'd go get a spray can of paint remover for flexible bumpers, It shouldn't take long at all for it to soften that little bit of overspray that is on the seals.

 

[alliedmike]

Since it's the rubber moulding I'd go get a spray can of paint remover for flexible bumpers, It shouldn't take long at all for it to soften that little bit of overspray that is on the seals.

good call it worked perfectly!! little elbow grease but it worked good call thanks!!

 

[Brad Zeidler]

Glad it worked, if they were really nice fresh rubber it won't hurt it at all. If you had moldings that were pretty dry rotted I'd have said test it on another one first. As it says on the can it may swell the urethane bumpers for a while but it returns to normal afterwards.