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Help! Spray Paint Removal.

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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 01:06 PM
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Gabriel Gonzales = Crook.
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Exclamation Help! Spray Paint Removal.

Well, I just did the 99 spec tail light conversion and find the circle placement a little off.

I just want to remove the the paint for one of the circles to tweak the placement.

I used High Heat Rustoleum spray paint if that will help any.

What can I use to remove the spray paint? Will nail polish remover damage the lense? Will alcohol do the same? If anyone can help I'd appreciated a lot.

THANKS!!
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 01:45 PM
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that sucks... spray paint is very hard to get off anything. get something made of hard plastic, spray paint it and practice removing with several diff products, I think the product you will find most helpful will be Acetone. Just dont leave it on to long and you should be fine. Do a test first though, its the only way to be sure..
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 01:49 PM
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Kinda ironic someone with a spray paint "tag" as his sig needs to know a way to get spray paint off isn't it? lol
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 03:18 PM
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Did you try putting the complete housing back together? If you put the lights back together, the outer lense is smoked so it makes it difficult to see the flaws in the alignment or paint. When I did my lights, my measurements were a little off also, but when I resealed the lights its a lot harder to tell. You might want to give this a try and see if you can live with the misplacement before you go through the trouble of removing the spray paint and possibly damaging the lense. good luck.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 03:19 PM
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lol when good tail lights go bad, i was always wondering what would happen if u messed it up, im so nervous to do mine
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 03:38 PM
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It's really hard to get them perfect, but close enough should cut it when the housings are put back together and sealed. It really is hard to spot the slight imperfections unless you are looking for them. haha. We can play a game at SS5, Spot the DIY '99 tails.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 03:47 PM
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Gabriel Gonzales = Crook.
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Talking

Originally posted by black99
Kinda ironic someone with a spray paint "tag" as his sig needs to know a way to get spray paint off isn't it? lol
too good.


Mike- Actually there not messed up AT ALL. Even my friends tell me Im crazy and that they look perfect.

I guess Im a perfectionist.


bee-Where could I find some Acetone ? I never heard of it before.

thanks for the info guys.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 03:53 PM
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How off are they? I know for a fact mine are off at least a couple mm's. I can't tell when the lights are put back together cause the housing lenses are convex.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 04:39 PM
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i'd worry about using acetone on plastic... acetone does a VERY GOOD JOB of dissolving plastic.

pretty much anything that will remove paint will eat plastic.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 04:46 PM
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You can buy acetone at any hobby store..

but like peejay said, acetone is some very strong stuff. It works great for removing paint from plastic but its kind of like using a buffer on your car. Works great but if you screw up you might end up repainting your hood.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 05:02 PM
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rubbing compound works great for me...
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 05:04 PM
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Nail polish remover is acetone. There's a very good chance it will dissolve your lenses though.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 06:20 PM
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Go to a hobby store that specializes in models. They should have plastic safe paint remover. I use Easy Lift Off... works great on spray paint.
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 06:35 PM
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i ******* promise if you use acetone it will mess up your lense real bad. I promise i am talking from experience. Just buy a new one there not to much. Marc
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Old Sep 8, 2002 | 07:27 PM
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Gabriel Gonzales = Crook.
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Its not so bad that I have to buy a new lens. Its just that the placement of the second circle bothers me and I could have done a better job.

Easy Off eh? Worth a shot.

Last edited by Vick; Sep 8, 2002 at 07:30 PM.
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Old Sep 10, 2002 | 12:22 AM
  #16  
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Gabriel Gonzales = Crook.
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Originally posted by BlackR1
Go to a hobby store that specializes in models. They should have plastic safe paint remover. I use Easy Lift Off... works great on spray paint.
Have you ever used Easy Lift Off on the lenses?
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Old Sep 10, 2002 | 05:59 AM
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how good does the Wal-Mart j-spec tail light conversion really look?
I hear electrical tape is easy to use...3rd gen archieve
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Old Sep 10, 2002 | 11:42 AM
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Go get some laquer thinner.....it's used as an all purpose cleaner in new home to get paint off cabinets and other overspray areas. Rustoleum is an oil based spray I think though.....just go to home depot and they will have something that you can use in the paint section.
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Old Sep 10, 2002 | 12:06 PM
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Whatever you do don't use acetone, it will melt the surface of the plastic and give it a rough texture.. no more shine. Try using ELO, I have some at home and it works well. It takes a couple of applications usually because it is not a real strong dissolvant, but it won't eat your plastic lenses.

Matt
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