I’m looking for advice on how to remove factory applied decals from plastic and metal vehicles without destroying the plastic or the finish. All help is appreciated.
Thanks, Charlie
First, they are probably not decals. I don’t think I have ever seen decals used on vehicles. They are either pad printed or stickers. If they are pad printed there are lots of things to try. Just do a search for “remove lettering”. If they are stickers (most probably) things like goo-gone, the creme type hand cleaner, nail polish remover are several possibilities. Any one may damage the paint so it is going to be trial and error. Many plastic vehicles are not painted, but just colored plastic. Die cast are usually baked on paint finishes which are pretty durable. If you tell us exactly what you are working on, better help may be available.
I use non-acetone nail polish remover. It does a dandy job of removing those horrible graphics that adorn the Malibu vans. I’ve also used it to get decals off models. Use it sparingly.
I am currently concerned with fire trucks; Athearn, I think. They are mainly real shiny plastic and I have some metal ones as well. Thanks, Charlie