Ok, so a can of spray paint somehow got punctured a few feet from my truck. There are hundres of little silver dots on my red paint now. Any ideas on how to remove the silver spray paint without damaging the trucks paint? It was cheap walmart paint, so hopefully it doesn't have much adhesion to it.

 

If you had a coat of wax on it, or even if it was dirty, rubbing alcohol and WD40 are your easiest bets. They will not harm your paint as long you keep the rag clean, I'd start with the alcohol. The alcohol will loosen the paint for a very short period. If the alcohol doesn't get it all, the WD40 and a lot of elbow grease should do the trick.

Other wise, you will need to get something abrasive like rubbing compound or polish.

 

later end resort could be easy off oven cleaner - should work like a charm if all else fails

 

If the truck has a clear finish you will want to be carefull with anything abrassive. A mild cleaner wax should remove cheap paint with little effort. I would avoid using harsh chemicals, this can cloud the clear coat, and can discolor enamel finishes.
The WD-40 idea is a good one, but as mentioned, the cloth must be clean, or you will scratch the surface.
Body clay would be a great idea. It will take a little while to remove the overspray, (dots), but it will get the job done without removing, or risk of damaging any of the trucks finish.

 

A 1997 will have clear coat paint. A clay bar will remove 90% of it. The rest can be removed by a cleaner wax made for clearcoat paint. Dust the finish first before using the bar.

 

x2 on clay bar... i'm suprised i forgot to mention that (sorry)... that's usually one that i point people towards...

 

I use a product made by Zep at work to remove grafitti from our trucks. It's called
Erase and it works great and doesn't damage the finish. Just spray and wipe it off.

Dave

 

Dampen a clean soft cloth with actone, gently rub the splater off. Wash the area well and rewax.

 

Clay bar, clay bar, clay bar!!!!! oh, and some quick detailer spray as a lubricant. DO NOT USE SOLVENTS OR HARSH CHEMICALS! ok?

 

if nothing else works goto a autobody supply shop and get a product called "final wipe" or "final prep" this stuff will not attack clear coat it's all we use at the shop here for over spray and stuff like that if you use a clay bar CAREFUL I have seen to many cars and trucks come in for touch up cuz somone got agressive with one of those take 2 or 3 swipes and check then do another 2 or 3 then check and use LOTS of quick detailer you don't want it drying up on you and then after your are done with the clay bar if you use it use swirl/fine scratch remover then use a good wax on the truck then if it ever happends again you can use a wax cleaner I really like the techwax does a nice job

 

Gasoline. Works every time when wiped on with a rag...

 

Clay bars are your safest and best bet.

 

This is one for the books. As a commercial driver with a zillion miles and perfect record I thought of myself as one who pays close attention to every detail on the road. Somehow my trailer got tagged by a graffiti artist on the highway! Not just a little bit either, 20 feet long on a 48 foot trailer! I didn't see it till I parked and some of the spray paint was still sticky.
I didn't feel like Mr. Safe Driver after that.
I bought nail polish remover in a truck stop (don't even ask why there would be nail polish in a truck stop!) but it took the spray paint off my new trailer without harming the factory paint.
I think the other idea using WD-40 was best!

 

The ingredient in the polish remover that took off the spray paint was acetone.