My Maverick has spray paint all over it. The previous owners thought it would be a good idea to paint "racing stripes" over the hood and trunk, but they gave up and just sprayed the car all over with random colors. It looks terrible. Its been on for about 2-4 years now, from what I've heard. Some of it came off when I washed it, but there is alot that is quite stubburn. The original paint isn't in great shape... but I'm not ready to get it a good paint job. Any suggestions on how to get the stuff off? I was thinking of trying a pre-wax cleaner...
Paint thinner will remove spray paint. You need a about a gal. of thinner and a whole lot of clean rags. Wipe the thinner on a small area and dry it off right away with a dry rag. You may want to try this first on a spot where it can,t be seen to make sure it does'nt harm the original paint. It takes awhile and is messy as hell, but it does work.
Well, you're right. The thinner does work, and it is also extremely slow. I couldn't really get the thick drips to come off, but in the lighter areas some progress was made. I also tried acetone, which I "think" worked a little better allthough its pretty subjective. I tried some Turtle Wax Rubbing compound also. There was definetly color on the rag, I'd say it worked almost aswell as the acetone. It also made the green factory paint look quite a bit shinier. A clerk at the local Auto and Paint store suggested some "Acrylic Enamel Remover" which at a cost of eight dollars a bottle was not something I was willing to try. I didn't notice any very obvious effects on the factory paint (aside from the seemingly positive effect of rubbing compound), but the day was very overcast with a bit of dampness, perhaps in better light I'd be able to tell more easily. I will probably continue to try small areas and different clothes but I think the slowness of my progress, and the fact that I couldn't get the really thick layers off is enough for me to just leave it. Someday I'll get it repainted... *sigh*
Roger that. It's dark out right now but... Tommorow is supposed (I think) to be sunny here in Pullman so I'll take some pictures. I've been wanting to do it anyway but got distracted with seat hunting today.
Didn't realize I could only do 1 at a time. I sure love that I can upload these directly to the board, instead of finding someone to host them for me.
Man,what a mess someone made of that poor Maverick. As much as I hate to say it, you just might be better off getting the quarter repaired and getting the car repainted. You could end up spending weeks trying to get that spray paint off and still not be able to remove it all. Instead of spending gobs of money on solvents and compounds, maybe you should save it up towards a good paint job. It will look better in the long run and you will be alot happier with it,s appearence. Good luck!
ttrip86; My Mav was a $100 junkyard refugee, about 2hrs from a crusher. I got them to let me have it, drove it home, and took the time to get it fixed. Check the cowl vents, make sure they are not leaking, and get it fixed and painted. You will really save a piece of American history, a great little car, and a really neat conversation piece. Good luck, Earl
Earl: Thanks, that is the kind of encouragement I need. As I said in my other thread in the "Main Forum", my friends are of the opinion that it isn't worth fixing. One said "Why don't you get a mustang or some other nice car, you're never gonna get any money out of that." Another suggested I add a roll cage, remove the sheetmetal and make some sort of dunebuggy. Jean: Yeah, I've given up on the spray paint for now. I'm with you on saving money for paint and bodywork. Here is a question that has been bothering me. In the sprint thread I see this fantastic picture. I don't have the money to do something like that with my maverick.... but I REALLY don't want to do a shitty job that I'll just have to redo later. Is there some sort of intermediate step between where I am at, and where Mavaholic has his??
Yes. Dedication. The only answer you will get comes from your heart, and right now it seems to be pulling hard toward the mav. Will you ever get all or most back from the mav if you sell it, almost always no. I can tell you right now that old cars can be a money pit. The simple answer is this: I am not sure how handy you are at the mechanics, but you need to become good. When working on cars, almost all of the cash expenditures come from labor paying to a mechanic. Do all the work yourself. The junior colleges are a great place to start. Most junior colleges have auto classes. There you will be able to take your mav, rebuild the engine and all mechanics including suspension, tranny etc. Find a Junior college with a body shop, and they will teach you to do the body work. This approach is extremely fun. All you will have to pay for is the class, which is cheap, and the parts. All the labor is done by you!! Good luck and keep us informed either way, the tips you get from board members here will save you truckloads of $$$$ I have never seen a more knoweledgeable bunch of maverick die hards.
removing spray paint without damaging the paint To remove spray paint without damaging the paint, go to your local hardware store or Dept and buy Laquer Thinner. Use a white cloth and pour the laquer thinner on it. This will wipe away any spray paint. After you have cleaned the area affected, use soap and water to remove the laquer thinner. Then you can rewax the area to a predamaged shine. This also works on touch up paint.
Welcome aboard Matt!:Handshake Unfortunately your advice might not help that guy. This post is about 6 years old. Oh well...someone might need it again.
Wow that was a long time ago! The floor panels were so rusted out on that thing. I tried bolting a a 90's ford tempo seat into the cab. Did not work well. Sold the car to my roommates friend for a few bucks when I left school. I hope it's still running! Thanks for digging this post up!
