chrome panels

[ROBS]

So I want to get rid of these awful chrome panels on the side of my Camry...
Is this possible without damaging the paint, the corners are starting to peel by themselves and the paint underneath looks decent. I was thinking of using a putty knife scraping against the chrome, then using some sort of tar remover for all the gunk, followed by a polish and wax. Although, I wanted to check here to see if anyone knew of a better technique.



And how about the pinstripes...I read a thread where a guy peeled them right off his new(er) truck using a hairdryer, but would this be harder on an 18 year old pinstripe (is there any reason not to try it).

[darksparkz]

Maybe they'll come off easier when warmer. Try leaving it directly facing the sun for a while or use a blow dryer or heat gun.

[eyeball96]

80 lb test fishing line, use it with a sawing motion...it'll break every now and then, get another piece and start over..you'll have glue left over on the finish. I used 3M adhesive remover to get rid of it. There are many products that will remove the left over glue.

DON'T USE A PUDDY KNIFE OR ANYTHING SHARP!!

[ROBS]

Cool, thanks, I'll give it a try.

[screeber]

The putty knife will get you into trouble I think - lots of scratches. You may need it to get started, but then the fishing line/floss/string technique is the safest for your paint. Goo be gone is great at removing the leftover crud.

[ROBS]

Alright, so this sounds like a fairly common thing to do without repainting. Am I right? I just dont want to get half way, then have a big chuck of paint rip off. The fishing line sounds much safer...lol.

[eyeball96]

Robs, did you get the chrome off OK?

[ROBS]

Hey, I just saw thiss post and realized how long I had been putting this off, so I went out tonight and got them off. I only could find 40 lb line at canadian tire, so I used that. It kept snapping, so I had to keep cutting nerw pieces. I just had to get the corners loose and they just about pulled right off (with a lot of effort).

Now I just need to get the adhesive crap off. Here's a pic:




Thanks for the help guys.

[eyeball96]

3 months later, you finally did! Don't check your Email very often do ya!

[ROBS]

lol...no, not very often. Actually I just moved in october and didn't have internet for a while. Just got a new computer and a new connection not too long ago.

[ROBS]

The 3M adhesive remover did not work for this stuff (expensive stuff by the way...$25 for one spray can). It did take the pinstripes off though. What else can I use? Its a really really thick layer. The car looks horrible with this crap on there.

[eyeball96]

Thats unusual!!...Did you follow directions?

[ROBS]

Ya, I followed them. The only thing that I can think of is that it was too cold out. It is snowing up here, but it was above freezing that day. I didnt think it would make that big of a difference though.

[camrycoupe95]

Ah yes....chrome trim was all the rage back in 1988. Fortunately they aren't today. Anyway glad you got them off.

Removing that tape is going to be some work. Since it's cold you could try using sometype of hairdryer or heat gun to heat up the glue. A mild solvent will help to break down the clumps a little more.

You might have an issue of the paint that was under the chrome being a different shade than the rest of the car.

[ROBS]

Ughhh!!! This crap is getting really annoying! I used an eraser wheel and got the heavy tape stuff on top of the actual adhesive off, and gave the 3M adhesive remover another chance since it is much warmer now, but it just doesnt cut it for the adhesive that is left and all the eraser whel does is spread it all around.

There must be a way to do this or other products, etc... If I took it to a body shop what steps would they take to get it off?

I havn't tried a hair dryer and some sort of rubber scrapper yet. Maybe I'll give try, but i dunno...