How to: Remove trail pinstriping

I know this isn't the detailer section but we get questions about paint and scratches all the time.
Disclaimer: this is just a quick write up on how to remove trail pinstriping after a wheeling trip, not how to detail your paint. Also I'm not responsible for your stupidity if you somehow mess up this fool-proof method.

Tools:

Dual Action buffer
- I use the trusty porter cable XP. People are also getting good results with the much cheaper harbor freight DA buffer. Do NOT buy a cheap 15 dollar wax spreader from your local auto supply store. They don't do anything.

Polishing pads
- You'll need pads with cutting power. Orange, Yellow foam pads or Meg's microfiber pads work the best. I like the MF pads the best for paint correction.

Good microfiber towels
- Don't get the exposed cheap pack from the store. Buy a plush microfiber towel. Something like this

https://www.detailersdomain.com/col...rs/products/uber-ultra-microfiber-towel-16x16

You can fold it over so you'll have 4x the use of it. Buy a few.

Cutting compound
- I like menzerna FG400 (now called heavy cut 400) because it works best on hard paint like on my previous mercedes and it finishes out. You don't need a separate finishing compound. Meg's M105 has fantastic reviews though and what I'll buy next when I run out.





Here's some heavy scratches I received while out on a wheeling trip from some low hanging broken branches.


Step 1. Wash and dry the entire section that you're fixing. You don't need to wash the whole car, but do at least the whole section and part of the adjacent section as the pad will get close to the other sections.

Step 2. Once it's dry, put on your cutting pad and put a few pea size dropped around the the pad. Don't add a big dallop onto the middle. Try the less aggressive pad like an orange pad first to see if it's really bad scratches or just residue from the branches. The one on my roof was pretty bad and needed heavy cutting.



Step 3. Prime the paint. "Kiss" the paint with your pad to get a little coverage of the area you're working on.




Step 4. Buff. I don't have any pics of this because I was buffing it obviously, but go left to right, then down and up, moving about 3-5 seconds per foot. Slow and controlled is key. Work in about a 2'x2' section. Don't be tempted to work the whole length of the scratch. Do about 3-4 passes, buff with the microfiber towel and check your work. Depending how deep the scratch is you might be done in 1 pass or you might need multiple passes.


Step 5. Buff off the polish.

Some other pinstriping removal.



I spent about 20-30 minutes total doing the roof and a few small sections. Your polish may dust near the end of it's buffing time so wash or at least hose down the entire car once you're done.

Good luck!

 

word to the wise: don't use a heavy cut compound like FG400 or M105 all the time. You'll burn through the thin clearcoat of most Japanese cars in no time if you go wheeling a lot and try to correct after each session. Or get a good paint gauge if you're insistent on doing it often.

Remember, paint correction is also removing clearcoat each time, so be careful.

 

That's why I roll with white paint, you don't see trail marks NEARLY as well. I'm baffled by guys who get black trucks and go offroading expecting to keep them nice.

 

Yes, I don't do it often nor do I fully take out the pinstripe. I'm not doing a full paint correction here since I will have more wheeling trips this year and will do a full correction at the end. You don't need to completely remove it, just enough to where it doesn't bother you. This stood out to me like crazy from the view from my office so I needed it gone!

 

That and silver. My truck was completely covered in dust and scratches from this last trip. Buddy's silver 1st gen taco just looked like it just wasn't washed in a while.

 

Silver reporting in. Now if only I could do something about the highway rock marks.

 

If they are actual chips, some people have sworn by dr. colorchip; I tried it on a deep scratch on a friend's car but didn't work that well.

 

Me too

 

Oh definitely. I can think of only one logical fix and that is to eventually replace my rockchipped bumper with a full steel.

 

I only have about 5k miles on my truck but have done a lot of road trips and long drives on forest roads/wheeling trips. Oddly, I have zero rock chips up front (knock on wood). But yeah, I eventually will get a new front bumper too, probably aluminum to save on weight. Less worrying and less waxing the better

 

White WAS going to my first color choice until I saw the inferno in person. White with copper wheels though...perfect color combo.

 

I love Menzerna. That product you used is what I use when I need correction. I think running an orange pad may be better as a first application to see if you really need to get that aggressive pad.

 

Thanks for the write up. One day I'm going to grab a DA buffer and put in work.

I was going to go white on my Pro, but after reading all the controversy regarding Toyota's Super White, I decided to look around and saw Cement. Then fell in love.

 

True. I added that should add that you should use an orange or even yellow pad first. I knew some of these were deeper though so I used my MF pad first. Thanks!

 

No prob.

I'm a noob to detailing but I used menzerna to clean up my e30 I picked up. It was faded single stage paint. Came out super clean when I was done.

https://youtu.be/1xUOhrbICXs

 

Dang! That worked really well. I have a few light ones, but nothing like those!

 

Some of it was reside from willow branches I believe. Washing and claying didn't take it off though. The ones on the side weren't bad but the ones up top needed some love to get off.

 

I was always told you just have to reverse back down the trail where you originally got the pinstriping?

 

I'm gonna leave my pinstripes right where they are!

 

This is exactly what I need to do. My MGM truck shows pinstripes much more than I thought it would.