antn

iTrader: (4)

couple months ago i painted my tailights with transparent red paint. now i want to take it off but it wont come off. i tried using paint thinner and it wont come off. i tried 800grit wet sand but it takes forever to take off and i dont want to go any lower because i mite scratch the plastic. what do you guys suggest i should do? thanks

MongooseGA

iTrader: (6)

How heavy is the paint?

I used aircraft stripper this summer to take off 3 layers of paint form my uncle's '70 Camaro. Definitely some strong, potentially dangerous stuff. Iff you tape off everything and work quickly, you might be able to just get the paint off. If you take too long, you'll potentially melt the plastic light cover.

Or you could try something probably lees labor intensive and safer

Guitarman

If it was shaker can (uncatalyzed) enamel, lacquer thinner should work, but it will likely still take some effort. I would ne hesitant to try the paint stripper on them, it could easily ruin (melt into)them if you don't spot test it in a small place first. For that matter, it wouldn't hurt to test the lacquer thinner either. It may dull them ( chemically) a tad, but some polish should bring them back to new. It's far less aggressive compared to stripper, though still a strong solvent.

The wetsanding with 800 won't ruin the lens, but will dull it ( mechanically), so finish off with 1200-1500 then some rubbing compound and a fine polish (last) once the 800 cuts the paint.

Or just proceed with 1200 and you'll get less scratching and it'll be easier to buff out too. It'll take longer of course vs 800, but patience is imperative when you're working with expensive parts, right? I'd go with the wetsanding myself, safer. Cheers.

antn

iTrader: (4)

yea the paint is pretty heavy. overdid on the extra coating and then with clearcoat over it. now you can see little cracks around the paint. thanks for the help. i guess ill continue with the wetsand