Removing OLD Registration STICKERS?

I've got a 56 California license plate with a 1960 and 61 one already on it. They are crooked and mangled and I want to remove them to put a nice 57 sticker in there place. Whats the best way to remove old registration stickers without hurting the plate paint?

jay

 

Maybe heat them up with a hair dryer and see if they will peel off?

 

Definately plenty of heat. Any leftover adhesive can be removed with a little lighter fluid as well.

 

i've had good luck removing old decals using naphtha ...as in lighter fluid. it will dissolve most adhesives and not harm paint. try in in an unseen spot first

 

From the ALPCA website...


Removing stickers:
Use a chisel-pointed x-acto blade (carefully, so as not to damage the underlying plate). Moistening the sticker can help it come off cleaner; but can cause the sticker to split and crack.

Removing sticker adhesives: Goof-off, brake cleaner, Goo-Gone, Castrol Purple Power (this may also remove oxidized paint), and believe it or not, hair spray.

I would also suggest 3M adhesive remover.

 

Just removed a 1960 sticker from a 1956 plate so I could mount a 1959 sticker. I ran it under hot water first and it loosened a bit, but not enough. A hair-dryer worked well. Got the adhesive left behind off with acetone-based adhesive remover. (Dealing with the California DMV for registration is far "stickier").

 

I have heated from the back of the plate useing a heat gun or even a lighter (carefully)

 

A few years ago we still had annual stickers for our roadworthy tests. They were easy to remove by heating from the back with a cigarette lighter and slowly slicing a stanley blade under the sticker. Don,t ask why.