Best Way To Remove Paint From Rubber????

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ocdart

ocdart

Inland Mopars Car Club
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Previous owner of my '69 Dart had a Maaco paintjob put on just before he sold it. Not my color choice and the bodywork isn't up to the quality I want so it's got to be repainted after the bodywork is brought up to snuff.
Trouble is, he left the body-to-bumper cushions (rubber spacers between the body and the bumper underneath the rear taillights) on the car when it was painted and didn't mask them off.
What's the best way to remove paint from rubber without damaging the rubber? I want to try to use the existing parts rather than buy new ones.

Thanks!!!
 
Maybe TSP, which is in any hardware's paint section. It usually doesn't attack plastic, which is what most rubber is. It will corrode metal and etch glass, so be careful. Another idea is Super Clean, at Walmart. I have used it to remove paint/chrome from the plastic dash trim. Many model builders use it. You need to let is soak 1-2 days, so wet rags with it and wrap with plastic film so it doesn't dry. I did find that it attacks aluminum quickly when I held down some parts with an aluminum piece.
 
Catalyzed automotive paint? My bet is nothing will faze it except something like aircraft stripper. Course, you'll want to remove them first. They'll be clean as a whistle in minutes and free of damage.
 
Why not pullthe bumpers in and just doaway with the spacers? That would resolve the issue alltogether
 
I usually carefully scrape rubber with a sharp knife at a 90 degree angle.
 
I've used lacquer thinner with success. If you get the rag damp and hold it on there for a few minutes and then start to wipe, it will normally start dissolving off. Be careful not to get it on anything you don't want stripped. Once removed, clean really well and put on a protectant.
 
godfatherofchry said:
if they are off the car try twisting them back and forth most of the time it will pop off......Artie
Click to expand...

yep, that was going to be my answer, most will come off with a twist and bend and a light scrape with the edge of a razor blade. The rest will come off with paint stripper and not harm the rubber
 
A little bit of Brake Fluid will take the paint off in a hurry, just wash the pieces with some soap & water afterward.

Anybody who's ever spilled some brake fluid on a fenderwell or firewall knows what I'm talking about, it'll take the paint to bare shiny metal about as quick as you can say "Sunuva"

I've used it to remove paint from rubber components in the past, it doesn't attack/eat rubber, since a lot of stuff in your brake system is rubber (master cylinder seals and the gasket under the cap, brake hoses, wheel cylinder & caliper seals, etc)
 
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