Car Vandalised - Graffiti Spray Remover recommendation pls?

HansOndabush

George_Michael said:

HansOndabush said:

....It's a civil matter

Since when has criminal damage been a civil matter?

Well that one went right over your head, whoosh.

It was a comment related to the series of pictures preceeding relating to the breakup of a relationship. Joke in other words.

neilmcl

Any chance @cookie* coming back on to tell us how they got on.

Jeepers_Creepers

Paint on the glass - relatively easy to remove. First try a plastic scraper, and then resort to something like a Stanley knife blade in a holder (a common DIY product) at a low angle if needed. This shouldn't scratch the glass, but stop right away if you suspect it is. (But don't do this job yet - see below).

The paint on the bodywork will be a 'mare for a DIYer. If you attempt to abrade it away - and that includes anything from 600 grit W&D paper to polishing compounds - I think you will find it next to impossible to remove it all without also seriously thinning down the surrounding yellow paintwork.

IF you've kept your car regularly waxed, that will help with any removal. IF the paint used has a completely different solvent base to the car paint, that will ditto.

But to just 'rub' it away without causing surrounding damage is not a job for the faint-hearted.

Absolutely try the suggestion above of pressure-washing at close range (but keeping an eye on your 'own' paint too).  You'd have to be very lucky for this to work, but - hey - it's worth a go; it's a no-damage possibility. If no immediate result, then perhaps try slowly pouring hottish water over the red paint first, just in case that helps to soften it enough to make a difference (relying on the red paint still not being fully 'set').

Failing that, I'd seek professional advice before doing anything else, and that includes the glass for the time being. The best place would be a good paintshop, one that deals with all sorts of cars from classic to custom. They'll likely want to test different solvents on the red paint, and it should be safe to try that on the glass parts first (the glass will be fine), hence leaving it all until it's seen by a pro. If they are lucky enough to find a solvent for the red that won't harm the yellow, you're pretty much home and dry.

If such a solvent doesn't exist, then just see what they say. Depending on cost, this might sadly be an insurance job.

(Seriously, think twice about tackling an abrasive removal yourself - unless you are very lucky and it comes away easily with a detailing bar or similar. Even then, be careful.)

cookie*

neilmcl said:

Any chance @cookie* coming back on to tell us how they got on.

yes! lol...i apologise that it took me so long to get back to this.

we removed what we could from the glass (rather successfully!) all thanks to the advice given here and then took the car into a detailer for the body.

re the scrotes wot did it.

they got caught! a few days after ours was hit, they hit someone else, and then did it again but on a MUCH larger scale a few weeks later...a whole row of cars were tagged down this particular street, including houses...police arrested 3 people after they got some info...

may they be infested with lice and itch for all of eternity.

thank you to everyone that responded 💖