Removing vinyl stripes - clear coat damage?

[disaltzman]

Hi all!

This isn't quite the introduction I was hoping to make on this forum, but this situation is way above my head and I need the advice of others. Yesterday, I decided it was finally time to remove the vinyl fender stripes that came on my car (2019 EcoBoost Premium 201A) as part of the Wheel and Stripe package. I got the car in early April as a CPO and had gone back and forth about removing them, but finally decided it was time because I have a detailing appointment Friday and if I removed the stripes later, didn't want to be missing wax/sealant in that area.

I used all of the best practices people recommend for removing stripes (heat, pulling parallel to the stripe and not up) and five of the six pieces came off perfectly. You can't even tell they were ever there (as one might expect considering the car is 13 months old from manufacturing date). However, the passenger door piece, while removing just as easily as the rest, seems to have either pulled off the clear coat entirely, or was applied before the clear coat was fully cured. As the photo shows, it literally feels like the stripe was debossed into the door:

Anyone have any idea what is happening here? I can't seem to find anything anywhere about a comparable experience. It doesn't seem to be ghosting or the paint being preserved (as it didn't happen anywhere else on the car), and it feels like there is still some clear coat left. However, there is a very noticeable ridge that you can catch with your fingernail if you run it from where the stripe was to the rest of the door panel.

As I mentioned earlier, the car is going to be detailed on Friday, so they might be able to take care of it. The car is also still under the warranty, if that's worth anything in this case.

Thanks in advance!

Dave

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[Nickyweg]

I have no idea but maybe they put the stripes on when the clear coat was still wet?

 

[BlueThunder]

Heh, had to look it up because I was like "that looks way too straight to be random". Saw that the package included what looked like hood spear vinyl that ran under the mirror over part of the door.

When you run your nail over it, does it catch both ways? Or only one way? I can't tell, it almost looks like a piece of double-sided sticky tape or something. I'm not sure if really cheap vinyl (the kind a factory would use) is like that? If it's leftover vinyl glue or tape, rubbing at it with your thumb (your thumbprint, not your nail) will eventually cause it to start rolling up.

For reference, I had to get a new front on mine after a deer accident and the insurance covered the vinyl stripes. But it was obviously way too quick because when I removed them from the bottom lip 5 months later (plastidipped it and put on a new grill) the vinyl pulled off the coat and paint in chunks. So if things are applied before a full cure or burn-on, vinyl will definitely yank stuff off. Just really weird how it would come off so perfectly like that.

 

[disaltzman]

Heh, had to look it up because I was like "that looks way too straight to be random". Saw that the package included what looked like hood spear vinyl that ran under the mirror over part of the door.

When you run your nail over it, does it catch both ways? Or only one way? I can't tell, it almost looks like a piece of double-sided sticky tape or something. I'm not sure if really cheap vinyl (the kind a factory would use) is like that? If it's leftover vinyl glue or tape, rubbing at it with your thumb (your thumbprint, not your nail) will eventually cause it to start rolling up.

For reference, I had to get a new front on mine after a deer accident and the insurance covered the vinyl stripes. But it was obviously way too quick because when I removed them from the bottom lip 5 months later (plastidipped it and put on a new grill) the vinyl pulled off the coat and paint in chunks. So if things are applied before a full cure or burn-on, vinyl will definitely yank stuff off. Just really weird how it would come off so perfectly like that.

Hopefully this describes it right, but if you start with your finger inside where the stripe used to be and run it either up or down, you can feel the edges (it's like a canyon in the paint). That's what concerns me about it not being just leftover adhesive, as it doesn't feel like it's protruding from the paint. I'm leaning towards it having been applied before the clear cured.

 

[Nickyweg]

Hopefully this describes it right, but if you start with your finger inside where the stripe used to be and run it either up or down, you can feel the edges (it's like a canyon in the paint). That's what concerns me about it not being just leftover adhesive, as it doesn't feel like it's protruding from the paint. I'm leaning towards it having been applied before the clear cured.

This worries me since I ordered hood stripes on mine lol.

 

[disaltzman]

This worries me since I ordered hood stripes on mine lol.

If it helps, it seems like other people have had zero issues removing their stripes! Once I have a professional detailer look at it on Friday I will update this thread with his opinion.

 

[SnakeAndSteak]

From the picture, I can ALMOST guarantee that panel was repainted and they taped over the stripe. I don't care if the Carfax was clean. Stuff like this goes on all the time.

 

[Michael_vroomvroom]

For reference, I had to get a new front on mine after a deer accident and the insurance covered the vinyl stripes. But it was obviously way too quick because when I removed them from the bottom lip 5 months later (plastidipped it and put on a new grill) the vinyl pulled off the coat and paint in chunks. So if things are applied before a full cure or burn-on, vinyl will definitely yank stuff off. Just really weird how it would come off so perfectly like that.

Do you remember how long you waited? Getting my hood and bumper repainted in a few days, and will go to another shop for new vinyl afterwards. Vinyl shop said one week after painting may be ok, but better wait two weeks. I'm wondering if that is enough.

 

[disaltzman]

That’s what I was thinking.

It’s very unlikely you pull clear off the paint. Paint is very thin and not smooth. It will also get permanently dirty very easy. If it is smooth underneath it was most likely sprayed with clear at some point. Sad those ass didn’t take off the stick and spray under it.

Shouldnt be hard to fix it you take care of it now.

This seems like the most plausible explanation given the fact that it's only this one panel that this happened on. Ugh. I'm wondering if I should contact the dealership I bought it from, it is a CPO car and part of that inspection is examining the exterior of the car. CarFax unsurprisingly was clean too.

 

[BlueThunder]

Do you remember how long you waited? Getting my hood and bumper repainted in a few days, and will go to another shop for new vinyl afterwards. Vinyl shop said one week after painting may be ok, but better wait two weeks. I'm wondering if that is enough.

I didn't do it so I'm not sure, the collision center GEICO directed me to took care of replacing and painting the parts and then contacted the group that did my original stripes. They came over and did them at the repair shop and I picked the car up almost...2 weeks later? And I know they didn't start the repairs until almost a week later because of a shipping delay in parts.

I mean they did a great job, even pulled out my grill that I had modified and put it into the new front they painted and everything. And I don't know about the quality of the clear-coating they'd use vs. an OEM factory like Ford. I'd just talk to your paint guy and go with his most conservative recommendation. He says it's a good idea to wait 2 weeks, maybe give it 3. /shrug

Your only major worry is like the OP where if you plan to pull them off for any reason, it might leave some marks or even damage. Even with the best detailing, after a number of years, you'll notice fading and differences where they were. I was plastidipping mine anyway so I wasn't worried, just an observation.

 

[disaltzman]

I appreciate everyone's help, I've canceled the detailing for Friday and am taking it to be checked out by my body shop on Saturday. I really love this car, I am excited to get past these aesthetic issues so I can begin to fully enjoy it!

 

[disaltzman]

Here's the verdict from my trusted body shop:

Good news: it wasn't my own incompetence that caused this problem.

Bad news: A more expert eye noticed that there was evidence of a semi-lazy repainting of both doors and rear quarter panels. He was pretty furious about the laziness of whoever did this body work previously. I'm disappointed in myself for not noticing this when I bought the car, but the color matching is near perfect and it's little things like overspray under the weatherstripping that I didn't notice. Luckily the price to fix the paint/clear on the door is reasonable so I am going ahead with it in a week.

I am going to get in touch with the Ford dealership I bought it from this week, but as far as I can tell there's nothing in the CPO program that says that the car couldn't have been painted or had bodywork done. If it meets factory spec, it passes the CPO inspection. Hopefully this post serves as useful information for anyone buying a used S550 with stripes on it!

 

[Riley]

I would have to see it in person but it just looks like it has taken a little bit of a edge/crevice where its sat
underneath, I would almost feel sure if you had some one experienced that would wet sand it for you I'm sure it would come out
I've debaged a lot of emblems and there's always that similar line like the photo you posted. I would take it to a reputable paint correction detailing
guy. I hope that helps any!

 

[disaltzman]

I would have to see it in person but it just looks like it has taken a little bit of a edge/crevice where its sat
underneath, I would almost feel sure if you had some one experienced that would wet sand it for you I'm sure it would come out
I've debaged a lot of emblems and there's always that similar line like the photo you posted. I would take it to a reputable paint correction detailing
guy. I hope that helps any!

Luckily it was fixed by my body shop and looks perfect, they redid the paint on that part of the door and into the front fender to make it look more uniform. There was a lot of other evidence that was uncovered that the car was almost completely repainted before being sold, and they just got lazy and left the vinyl stripe on this door while redoing the clearcoat.

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