Vandal's paint on car

[mikef]

 

Last night, some ne’er-do-well decided to spray paint the rear of my daughter’s Audi TT.  There are squiggles all over the boot and the number plate was obliterated.

 

I have taken the number plate off and I have managed to get the silver paint off using white spirit.  It actually came off quite easily.  So she is now at least legal.

 

My question is – can I use white spirit to get the spray paint off the rest of the bodywork?  Or am I likely to damage the existing paintwork?

 

Any advice welcome.

[User0083]

I've used t-cut before and had great results. SteveD will probably be the best to ask...

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I had this years ago and used lighter fluid, but the paint was barely dry at the time. Try a little white spirit in, say, the spare wheel well in the boot and see if it attacks the paint. My guess would be it's safe on oven-cured paint, but I am not a paint technologist!

[Hellski]

I personally would use a clay bar & lubricant which can be purchased from any of the car detailing online suppliers. You'll find that you should be able to remove it using your thumb nail, obviously not idea but demonstrates that it's not bonded to the smooth lacquer finish.

May take several passes with the claybar and don't press to hard or else you risk marring the paint finish which will then have to be machine polished. You will also need to reapply a coat of wax to the paint as the clay bar strips all contaminates as well as any protection.

Alternatively you could take it to a professional Detailer who will not only get rid of the spray paint but get the car looking better than it did when it left the showroom; just take a look at the forum detailingworld to see what the pro's can achieve.

[dombanks]

I personally would use a clay bar & lubricant which can be purchased from any of the car detailing online suppliers. You'll find that you should be able to remove it using your thumb nail, obviously not idea but demonstrates that it's not bonded to the smooth lacquer finish.

May take several passes with the claybar and don't press to hard or else you risk marring the paint finish which will then have to be machine polished. You will also need to reapply a coat of wax to the paint as the clay bar strips all contaminates as well as any protection.

Alternatively you could take it to a professional Detailer who will not only get rid of the spray paint but get the car looking better than it did when it left the showroom; just take a look at the forum detailingworld to see what the pro's can achieve.

 

 

yup, clay bar and a machine polish will sort this out. if your unsure get a detailer to do it for you. i doubt it will cost much and while its there treat her to get the whole car done and it will look a million dollars

[mikef]

Thanks for all the tips.  Oddly enough the paint came off with plenty of water and elbow grease.  It didn't appear to have bonded to the bodywork.  I had to use white spirit to get it off the number plate and the plastic rear light clusters but the rest just rubbed off with water.

 

She is now going home to get it detailed this week.

 

Good result. 

[Hellski]

Excellent news, glad you got it sorted.

[Norman Verona]

Mike, I guess you didn't report it to the Police. I would have as they may well have other reports and a few suspects.

 

Not that catching them will do much good. Community Service which they will fail to turn up for.

[Captain Colonial]

Happened here about a year ago.  Some mindless scum climbing over a seven-foot high fence and poured a 5-litre tin of gloss white paint over six expensive cars, writing abusive words with it all over them.  That didn't wash off and the cars were all repainted at heaven knows what cost.

 

I really cannot fathom people sometimes.

 

Anyway, bad thing, good outcome, pleased it worked out OK.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Keeping the car well waxed will help to a surprising degree. If you then use, as had been suggested, a clay bar, it's quite astounding what will actually come off. Of course some solvent based coatings or just plain corrosive chemicals are just going to go through, or at least, right into, the paint or clear coat.

[User0083]

Glad it was a good result.

Police back home would've taken as relate mentioned, pictures and any obvious evidence.

Police here wouldn't of bothered coming out and would say it was a minor incident and for you to discuss with your insurance.

(Get told off for saying Devon/Dorset and Burmingham, so stopping)

As for the wax, I use nanolex, eBay, and it really works well. Only use about a teaspoon to do the whole and all I need to do is wash with water, then dry with a decent microfibre cloth and it's fresh again. I used auto glym every weeks and did two coats. But nanolex works far better and one cost lasts about four months on the and about six weeks on the tin top.

[Cleggy the Spyder Man]

the irony is the paint purchased by yobo's in Halfords is crap at clinging onto anything automotive but you try and get it off a brick wall

[dombanks]

Keeping the car well waxed will help to a surprising degree. If you then use, as had been suggested, a clay bar, it's quite astounding what will actually come off. Of course some solvent based coatings or just plain corrosive chemicals are just going to go through, or at least, right into, the paint or clear coat.

 

 i was amazed at what a clay bar can do, coupled with a DA polisher you can get some really crappy surfaces back up. i guess next step up would be a wet sand and polish.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Wouldn't have the nerve to wet sand paintwork, (even if I had a paint depth gauge), but I normally do the Westfield bodywork every year, just before Stoneleigh. A light wet sand with a DA in any of the worst areas for picking up stone chips/marks, followed by claying the rest and a polish with a rotary. A coat of proper wax then protects it for most of the rest of the year, with the occasional SRP top up.

 

This year was the first time I've just not had the time to do it in years, and the car has felt just that little bit tatty all year as a result.  

 

(And those that know me, know I'm no great polisher, I like to use the car too much for that. But it does help stop the car weathering and ageing too much)

[dombanks]

Wouldn't have the nerve to wet sand paintwork, (even if I had a paint depth gauge), but I normally do the Westfield bodywork every year, just before Stoneleigh. A light wet sand with a DA in any of the worst areas for picking up stone chips/marks, followed by claying the rest and a polish with a rotary. A coat of proper wax then protects it for most of the rest of the year, with the occasional SRP top up.

 

This year was the first time I've just not had the time to do it in years, and the car has felt just that little bit tatty all year as a result.

 

(And those that know me, know I'm no great polisher, I like to use the car too much for that. But it does help stop the car weathering and ageing too much)

me niether till i went and was shown how to do it on the boot of my car.... still not sure i would do it myself but it did seem really easy to do. this was just 2000grit using a block and wet paper. the results were phenomenal but no way i would do the whole car myself... to much of a scaredy cat!