Okay, this was the fruits of my 2 hour effort. Cleaned up nicely except for a few places the previous owner chipped when he attempted removal. Looks like this will be a multi-day and multi-beer project unless someone has a super awesome adhesive solvent they can recommend! Any and all advise appreciated!

 

@InfernoLotus - I have a can of 3M adhesive remover on hand, and in my experience, it does a great job of just smearing stuff around. I’ve never found an adhesive it actually dissolves. Although I haven’t tried it on paint protection film, the best adhesive remover I’ve ever used is Prep-Sol and various generic equivalents. The last gallon I bought was Klean Strip Prep-All. It dissolves most every adhesive I’ve ever used it on while leaving the base material alone. I got mine at a body supply shop, but I think Walmart even sells it. I think I paid about $30/gallon and it was well worth it.

I’ve used it in small amounts on automotive paint to remove tar and adhesive. As always, be sure to test it in an inconspicuous location to ensure it doesn’t damage your paint before smearing it all over your pride and joy.

Glen

 

Bought my Elise in the same condition Oct ‘16. Was able to negotiate a better price because of it. Spent all last winter taking off the yellow cracked star shield. I used the same 3m adhesive remover in combination with the steamer using orange plastic razor blades. Took forever but was able to get it off and replace it all myself. Looks like you have a good groove going. Keep at it and it’ll pay off in the end.


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This is what I had to work with

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OMG Brandonm84, I see why it took you so long. I am lucky because my issues are all in the back of the car, none on the front. I am going to try what Glen suggested and I can wait to get the Klean Strip Prep-All online because I am not in a hurry. Lots of other small issues I'm working on. Thanks all for the suggestions so far, keep them coming! I'm not sure what is more expensive to get this job done, the adhesive remover or the beer, LOL.

 

I often use WD-40 to remove the 3M VHB adhesive at work... Rub it off with finger tips (not nails)

 

adhesive removal

I've used De-Solv-it for years. My bottle is very old. It looks like the contractors variety is now recommended. Removes adhesive residue easily.

 

This is some stuff that is used in printing which is in the Glycol Ether family. I used it to remove the adhesive under the window tint I removed with a steamer. None of the other adhesive removers would solve it. This has a slower evap rate than the glycol and allowed the adhesive which it turned to a jelly goo to be removed with a polystyrene putty knife. I'm mentioning it here because I have used it to remove tar from enamel paint. Would it touch acrylic lacquer? (Like they say, "try first in an inconspicuous location").
Eastman? PM Acetate

 

RW, do you mean De-Solv-it adhesive remover on Amazon? It's 100% organic, biodegradable. This sounds to good to be true. I'm wondering if this a new post EPA solution that might not be the same as yours. Any chance you could confirm this? Thanks , Rustyb

 

adhesive remover



Yes that is the stuff. I initially looked it up on the De-Solv-it web site since I've had it so long I was not sure it was still made.

As I said I've been using it for years. It appears the contractor's version would be better than the other versions? None of these varieties were around when I got my bottle. It is a little smelly, but it works OK and dissolves adhesives easily. Perhaps the new versions smell better?

 

Inferno,

I had the same issue with cracking star shield. The heat from the steamer didn't work for me so what I did what buy a heat gun (from ACE hardware store for like $15) and heated up the shield removed it with a plastic card. Definitely be careful when heating the shield and don't keep it in one spot for more than a few seconds.

 

I've used PPG 330, did the trick for some adhesive, and it still available.

3M film is junk though, worth about 3 years in the sun, then swap it for the future (Xpel).

 

I will keep trying different things until I can come to a non-scientific conclusion. Most of the threads on this topic are old and there are some new products I'll try.

I just wish the prior owner had not left it out in the sun! These cars deserve better treatment...

I wish Xpel was cheaper too. OMG...

 

I tried all the adhesive removers and found that Rapid Remover worked the best. I steamed off the star shield and then soaked the exposed adhesive in rapid remover for a few minutes and then was able to get it all off. Took 22 hours to do the whole front, rear, and sides. Good Luck!!

 

So... Another night at the body peeling shop.. Last night I tried Xylene and De-Solv-It Contractor. The Xylene is the best so far but it still leaves a slight residue which comes right off with the 3M Adhesive Remover. I did not have much luck with the De-Solv-It but will use it for other purposes. I was able to get another 1' x 1' area done in about 45 minutes. I am just working a little at a time but hope to be done by the weekend. I will keep updates coming. Thanks so much for all the inputs and encouragement!

 

Good thread (though I feel your pain). I assume this is something that all of us with the original SS will have to deal with sooner or later. So far, my 13 year old SS is fine (not even yellowed).

 

Wow, I hope to never have to take it off my Chrome Orange 05'. I think the big difference is that my Orange 05' has always been garaged and looks like the day it came off the dealer's floor with I believe the original SS and my Titanium Silver was stored in the Florida sun for at least 8 years. I do not plan to remove it from the orange car but others may consider having it replaced with Expel while it is easier to get off. I also hear that Expel is a superior product. I am looking into installing it when I am done with the body work on the silver 05' which is my current project. :up:

 

I used a rubber wheel for removing decals when removing the starshield from my Elise. It worked fairly well. No matter how you do it, it's a lot of patient work.

 

What really causes it to crack like that? I took my circa 07 oem starshield off my car and it came off in one piece. I had blisters on my fingers it was so tough to peel, but it left zero residue as well. I did use some heat from heatgun, but really it just took me digging my fingers under it and pulling.

The one thing I did notice was how yellow/brownish the starshield was. I guess since my car is CO it was not evident how it had yellowed, but it was rather dingy almost like a film or something that had been in a room with a chain smoker for years.

On the vehicle you just noticed nothing. I could def tell the paint was brighter underneath the yellowed starshield. The new stuff was absolutely clear. I went with xpel which was absolutely clear. Was Starshield clear like that when originally put on the vehicle? or was it slightly yellow when originally applied? I dunno?

oh yeah and well done man on tackling that job! I'm sure it is as tedious as all get out, but how rewarding it looks with all that dead skin looking stuff off your pristine paint underneath!

 

Was Starshield clear like that when originally put on the vehicle? or was it slightly yellow when originally applied?

The Starshield was clear when new. Ultraviolet light degraded the adhesive and turned it yellow - the film itself is most likely still fairly clear. In the last five years or so, adhesives have improved to where thy are much less susceptible to yellowing in UV.

I am about to go work another hour tonight to get a 1' x 1' area done....:crazyeyes

You should wait until you have some Prep-All on hand - I think you’ll find it makes your job much easier.

Glen

 

Wow, you are so lucky that you took it off when you did and had protected it all these years. I have never seen new StarShield but I am positive it was totally clear when new. Otherwise they could never apply it to white cars. I am about to go work another hour tonight to get a 1' x 1' area done....:crazyeyes

 

Literally I have had dreams--nightmares?--about this since seeing the pictures. My cars, other people's cars, I look over and it's all cracked.

 

Day 3 and I have another 1' x 1' done. Should be complete by the end of the weekend. Then I will put on some good stuff! No paint damage yet and I am just going slow and steady. I had a guy say he would take it off for $65/hr and almost hired him but it was too inconvenient to get the car to him. My sympathy to anyone else who goes through it. My suggestion is to remove it at the first sign of any small crack anywhere. Don't let it go to the point the previous owner of my car did!

Parko,
Sorry for the nightmares! -eek-

 

so in your long experience what ended up working best? i just grabbed an 05 elise and have the same cracking star shield. Not looking forward to doing it lol

 

What has worked for me best is a $20 heat gun from Harbor Freight and plastic scrappers from Home Depot. Then I get the adhesive off with Toluene. The Toluene does not harm the paint but be sure to wear gloves because it is nasty on the skin. This is a very slow and tedious job. I was averaging about 1 sq ft per hour. Worst job I have ever had to do on a car but it looks so much better when it is done. Best of luck... Hopefully the Star Shield is your only, or at least major, issue. Where are you located?

 

In fort myers. Car has a few minor issues here and there but nothing else that should be a pain in the ass like the star shield haha.

 

I feel everyone's pain when it comes to removing the factory star shield... I removed all mine except the rear clam corner pieces (because I know for a fact it'll take paint along with it). I probably have more man hours in removing 3 quarters of star shield then I do in the rest of my elise upgrades/maintenance (which is also a pretty extensive list). its beyond f'ed up how tedious of a job it is to remove that stuff

at this point I dont know if ill ever remove the rear film under my ownership since I'm not ready to stomach repainting the rear clam... luckily storm titanium hides the slight yellowing of the film better then most other colors excluding yellow :facepalm