Removing spray paint from Car exterior.

Woody_FX

Some scumbags in my area are after spraying loads of the cars with white spray paint -_-

Is there anything that i could use to remove this without damaging the cars paintwork?

dsane1

happened to a guy i know and wd 40 worked but at your own risk !

nmacc

The simplest solution is T-Cut and elbow grease. Not only will it take off the white, but your own paintwork will look better as well.

If you're feeling lazy you could try cellulose thinners from the nearest motor factors, but it's risky; if the existing paint is not sound, you might find yourself with a steel finish!

Either way act immediately. The longer the paint is on the car, the tighter it'll stick.

mondeo

White spirits is what you use to my knowledge, wd40 wont remove that

Kayaker

Same happened to my wife and Petrol was the answer a bit of elbow grease if it's there a while. but be sure to wash the area well after your finished.

L8r
Kayaker

joseph brand

I'll second the petrol idea.

You will also need a rag, and a glass bottle. Half fill bottle with petrol, dip rag in bottle with some of it hanging out. Light rag and throw at the scum. Problem will clear off, maybe leave some residue on the road.

10-10-20

T-cut, as mentioned above.
I used this to remove paint on plastic parts also too.

thos

Paint Cleanser will do the trick, similar to a T-Cut as above.

ART6

If they used cellulose spray paint then white spirit etc won't touch it. Only T-Cut would, I'd guess. I certainly wouldn't use cellulose thinners since that could cause more problems than it solved. Two issues to consider if cellulose sparys were used are (1) if your car is metallic finish then the top coat will probably be lacquer, and T-Cut could easily damage that without your realising it (it would show in some light angled as a different colour or texture of the bodywork) and (2) cellulose paints actually take some time to cure fully even if they seem to be dry almost immediately. That's why paint shops use spray bake ovens to harden the paint off quickly, particularly modern two-packs. Get at it before it cures and use T-Cut gently.

Wertz

Don't use cellulose thinners....it's lethal and if it get's under the lacquer it'll strip the paint. Left on too long it may also soften the lacquer itself, leading to failure later.

I'm a painter and decorator and on occasion have seen cars get accidentally damaged by paint overspray...a workmate told me about one time in Boston where they managed to destroy a lot full of cars whilst doing some work. Some company turned up with a few guys who used detailing clay to get all the overspray off.
IMO this is worth a try before you start using harsh products.
Don't know if T-cut is a good suggestion or not...depending on the colour/finish of the paint, you may end up rubbing the white into the paint layer and leaving a discolouration.
I'd try the clay.

BTW WD40 or WS won't do damn all to paint that's been dry for more than an hour...regardless of paint type.