Removing accent stripe

[Amorpatriae]

Hello all.

I purchased this 05 last week. I'd like to remove the white accent stripe. What do you recommend is the safest way to remove it?

 

[mary900]

I'd like to remove the white accent stripe.

Use a heat gun, waxed dental floss, and patience. Make sure you keep the heat gun moving and don't concentrate on any one spot for too long.

I think some forum members have used hair dryers instead of heat guns, fishing wire instead of dental floss, but you cannot circumvent the patience.

 

[Boost Creep]

i think he's talking the pinstripe along the top of the fender/door area. not the side moldings. to remove the pinstripe, it really depends on what it is as in, if its painted on or just some vinyl and if its clear coated over. if its just a vinyl, a little heat and you could probably pull it off pretty easy or just use an eraser wheel

 

[667theneighbour]

I'm not sure what it's called in the USA, I'm from Norway, but you can buy a rubber-like thingamajigg to mount on a drill to remove this. It's made for this purpose. Check out your lokal car accessories dealer. Or as Mary900 suggested, heatgun. But be careful not to f**k up the paint.

 

[oneradride]

As said before, patience is the key to removing the stripes. I change mine out about every year, different colors and designs, I’m always experimenting. This year I think I’m going to go without, after I get her lowered.

Once you get an end pulled up GO SLOW, getting it started is the worst, and starting over and over and over getting an end up, will get old. The slower you go the less breakage you will have….

 

[Amorpatriae]

Yep, its vinyl. I can see where its weathered and chipped. I'll try the hair dryer first, if not successful then I'll try a borrow a heat gun. thanks.

 

[tybardy]

the hair drying will work.... but i will reiterate the patience, that is the most important. I personally would want to use any type of wire. the hair dryer will get the adhesive plenty warm enough to remove the stripe. If you are left with a residue then use goo gone (the all natural citrus stuff, not the chemical stuff) and all should be fine!

good luck and enjoy that tahoe

 

[ghostface]

if you have access to a air compressor, use a caramel wheel. its what body shops use to remove pin stripes and adhesives from cars. its like a big eraser. mine just came in today.

 

[Polecat]

you can buy a rubber wheel that attaches to your drill, about $30 at any parts store. Pinstripe remover wheel.

 

[oneradride]

I know everyone here on tahoeforum.com is a seasoned professional with the finesse of an angle… but for any of you outsiders that may be reading this… power tools can jack up your paint!!!! The rubber and plastic wheels are great if you know what you are doing but I guarantee you that they ‘CAN’ fcuk up your paint job. If you are going to try this route, be careful. Pressure applied and rpm’s are crucial factors in just removing the stripe or decal and mean the different just taking on the unwanted stuff and removing your clear coat.

 

[radkon]

Keep in mind if that stripe has been on there from day 1 your paint underneath it probably won't be as faded as the rest of the truck. You may end up with a darker blue pinstripe.

 

[Tahoe7689]

When I bought my 03 tahoe in 2006 with 77000 miles on it, it had a pinstripe that had been there from day one, and I used the rubber eraser wheel (I think it was made by 3M)(from O'reillys) to take it off. The paint underneath was not faded, so you couldnt tell there was a pinstripe one there. As long a you follow the directions and go slow its great! I had no problem removing it that way, because i tried to peel it, no luck, it was too old and just chipped off when I tried to pull it. I also used this wheel to remove the sticky tape left over from where I removed the Tahoe badges on my car. It was cheap and I know I will have other chances to use it, so its a great little tool.