decal removal from 8 yr old tacoma?

so I just got a 2008 tacoma, 'silver streak', its a TRD Off Road, and I'm thinking of removing the rear badges and decals to go for a cleaner look...

has anyone removed those big fugly TRD decals from a truck that was already a halfdozen+ years old? do they come off clean, or did you regret it? what assistance did you use to remove them, hot air gun, chemicals, plastic scrapers, or what?

this one has always been garaged, so its fairly pristine, and has no sun damage.

 

You might just let it sit in the sunlight on a warm day and then see if you can peel back a corner. If there is any residue, you can use a light petroleum based degreaser like Goo Gone or Odorless Mineral Spirits to clean up. Be sure to wash and wax after to protect the now-virgin paint.

 

I shoulda googled before I posted, hah. I found a thread here from a couple years ago, hair dryer, don't burn the paint, and they should lift right off. Or use some 3M Striper wheel thing. Or just peel off. then use goo-b-gone, polish, wax.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/removing-trd-stickers.188168/

I live on the central left coast, and actual hot days are fairly rare until mid summer, so I'll probably try the heat gun thing. I suppose the resale value is better if the decals are pristine.

 

Just gonna warn you, this is something we encountered a lot at the dealership, old badges and such on trucks. I debadged most of mine, left two... The washer guys would heat them up, and use fishing wire to get the main parts of the badge off. Then, would use a razor blade to get most of the residue off (scared me too, don't worry) then buff the rest out. However, at extreme close examination, you can still see the outline where the paint has faded and the new exposed paint still says "SR5" ect. Luckily, I have scratches everywhere else so no one looks too close.

 

awww, you couldn't buff that out?

 

Do you know for a fact the clearcoat goes on after the badges/etc.?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cant-get-this-sticker-off.258047/

 

Sorry I didn't intend to imply that the clearcoat goes over the decals. When I said "now-virgin paint" I meant how that part of the paint has been covered by a decal for the last 8 years and hasn't been polished or waxed.

 

True, and I dont know what the reaction of the adhesive to the clearcoat would be, possible bonding so when the adhesive goes, so does some of the clearcoat.

 

Thank you sir, an awesome and hilarious thread.

 

I've done it before. There's always a risk and one time I could tell at a certain angle that the paint was not pristine but no one else could.

I use a heat gun and a plastic razor blade. Go slow. Use gasoline to clean up any residue. Then wax and polish.

 

I got as far as page 2 or 3 of that thread, and decided the OP musta been trolling.