Slik560
New member
I recently bought a 2003 ML320 that has a very typical condition on the rear window pillars – the clear coat has failed big-time.
My original plan was to get the remainder of the old peeling clear coat off somehow, then wet sand the two panels and see if they will polish up to any acceptable level. If not, then I would get them re-painted. But then I received a suggestion: why not wrap the two pillars in vinyl? So I picked up a piece of outdoor/automotive grade gloss black vinyl wrap from a local sign company today for $5.00.
Even with a vinyl wrap, preparation is the key, so I was also wondering: is there any way other than sanding to get the rest of the peeling clear coat off? One suggestion that I have tried with some success is taking some very adhesive tape (plastic or duct tape) and using that to peel off the clear coat that remains. I tried it last night and it actually worked on some of it! I may use a heat source to warm up the area and try again.
The goal is to get it all off and still have enough paint left underneath to play with, just in case the vinyl idea does not work out as well as I expect. Any other suggestions for removing the last of the old clear coat? I was also considering acetone, but I would have to heavily mask off everything around the pillar areas and wipe carefully with the acetone on a microfiber cloth.
I plan to wait for warmer weather to apply the vinyl, which will give me time to do the remaining prep work. If this works well, then I’m on to something – if not, then I’m only out $5 and a little elbow grease! This might seem like a big deal over such a small thing, but I hate to think what a body shop would charge to re-spray those two window pillar panels.
Any suggestions on removing damaged clear coat are appreciated. Thanks.
My original plan was to get the remainder of the old peeling clear coat off somehow, then wet sand the two panels and see if they will polish up to any acceptable level. If not, then I would get them re-painted. But then I received a suggestion: why not wrap the two pillars in vinyl? So I picked up a piece of outdoor/automotive grade gloss black vinyl wrap from a local sign company today for $5.00.
Even with a vinyl wrap, preparation is the key, so I was also wondering: is there any way other than sanding to get the rest of the peeling clear coat off? One suggestion that I have tried with some success is taking some very adhesive tape (plastic or duct tape) and using that to peel off the clear coat that remains. I tried it last night and it actually worked on some of it! I may use a heat source to warm up the area and try again.
The goal is to get it all off and still have enough paint left underneath to play with, just in case the vinyl idea does not work out as well as I expect. Any other suggestions for removing the last of the old clear coat? I was also considering acetone, but I would have to heavily mask off everything around the pillar areas and wipe carefully with the acetone on a microfiber cloth.
I plan to wait for warmer weather to apply the vinyl, which will give me time to do the remaining prep work. If this works well, then I’m on to something – if not, then I’m only out $5 and a little elbow grease! This might seem like a big deal over such a small thing, but I hate to think what a body shop would charge to re-spray those two window pillar panels.
Any suggestions on removing damaged clear coat are appreciated. Thanks.
