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Was after the all white paint in 2022 I put red letters spelling F O R D on my white tailgate, fit was perfect, they were a vibrant red too. Here in 2025 they look a redish hue of orange. I can get them in red or retroreflective red even, or black, or even a retroreflective black (looks silvery white white like say when a set of head lights hit them at night). I don't think other colors would look too good. Red would match the interior, but black works too as there is a lot of black on the truck with the white. Anyways, I can decide that later. The retroreflective black would look black in daylight unless the sun hit it in the right angle for a following driver.
Question is getting these off without pulling any paint. I'm thinking should get an edge lift started, apply some heat gun heat, maybe just be in the sun, apply some WD-40, and then slowly pull. If there is any chance of paint pulling, I'll leave them be and put next set on top of them.
Anyone care to offer opinions or experiences?
The last set were white on a red tailgate, they never faded as white is good about that.
I removed the "Explorer" stripes that were cracked and peeling from a '79 F150 I had years ago. Use a heat gun, which removed the stripe fairly well but didn't really do much to get the adhesive off. I used plastic "scraper" which was a repurposed putty spreader normally used to mix and apply body filler and lots of "goo-gone" I think it was that seemed to dissolve the adhesive okay and not hurt the paint. Extremely time consuming getting that adhesive off. 4 letters on the tail gate wouldn't be so bad. None of the paint came off when I removed the stripes, but I would say that heavily depends on how well the surface prep was when the paint went down.
Since that time I have learned about a tool I saw used in a body shop to remove adhesive and if I were ever going to try and remove stickers of any sort I would use it.
Red color dose not stand up to UV rays. My 81 F100 is red (single stage) and it is showing signs of fading and other than when I took it to work or at shows it was in the garage, only been done maybe 6 years ago.
I would go back with the red but go reflective for 2 reasons.
I think it will stand up better to UV rays and it can be seen at night other than the 2 small tail lights.
I went white reflective letters on my red truck as I was doing a lot of driving in the dark to / from work.
As for getting them off hard to say. I would try a heat gun to soften the glue on the letters first.
Then if that did not work then the eraser thing. That would not work on factory decals on a 75 car back in the 80's, being I was going to repaint the car I had to use 40 grit on a DA sander to get them off.
Dave ----
I ordered some samples, was only $5 for 5. One I ordered was the retroreflective red, one was the retroreflective black. I've seen that retro-black years ago on the rear of some Colorado State Police Crown Vics, between the tail lights & license plate where Ford shipped them black, but either the state garage or the troopers had added to retroreflective black over it. Was following one up along the Big Thompson River, up past the "Best Dam by a Dam Site", and was mid morning, and at times the sun behind me caught the police car just right, and the black lit up silvery.
I agree that the retroreflective red likely is more UV resistant than just red.
I thought about retroreflective white, but then they would only be seen at night.
I like the red letters on the white tail gate and they match the inside.
Yea the white just does not cut it for me either.
I have never seen black letters on a tail gate but have seen what you say on the police cars around here.
They make it look like a un-marked car till right on top of it in day light. Fire dose the same on some of their cars too with white decals.
In the long run it is your truck so do it the way you want it.
Dave ----
My pack of samples are due about Monday. There's 5 coming, several just reds, besides the retroreflective ones.
I got to thinking, if the letters are cut on the same exact pattern, I could apply the new letters right over the current ones after a good clean to remove any wax. No need to peel them. They all are a vynil, and apply with a solution to allow sliding into final position. If there is a darker red, might go with those?
Long ago, those white letters I had on it when TG was red, and before that with a Chevrolet that was blue, those letters were all simple peel & stick, I never used a solution on them. Maybe I just didn't need or know of solutions?
I had forgot I done this until we took it out for a ride and had the cover off. I did the silver in 2013, added the horses in 2017. I used the same type for stripes on the Mustang, then later put the retroreflective black (have more of a double dark grey look) horses on top of the silver base stripes.
So, I already know what the retroreflective black looks like.
I anxious to see how the retroreflective red sample looks lit up.
I dont think I would put new letters over old letters even after a good cleaning.
I think it would leave a higher lip that dirt and crap can get under and start to peel the new letters off.
The solution I used was just Dawn dish soap and water in a spray bottle.
I worked in the shade installing the letters.
You spray the panel and then place the letter on, the solution makes it so you can move it into the right position.
You use a rubber squeegee, 3M makes them and can get at the local auto paint stores most of the time.
You work 1 letter at a time and before you know it they are all done.
Once all are on I placed the gate facing the sun to help dry and set the letters. I did the sun thing for a few days before I put any water to the truck.
Back in the day when station wagons had the fake wood grain on the sides that is how we installed that big sheet, soapy water to move it and set it and squeegee the water out, install moldings and call it done.
Dave ----
My pack of samples are due about Monday. There's 5 coming, several just reds, besides the retroreflective ones.
I got to thinking, if the letters are cut on the same exact pattern, I could apply the new letters right over the current ones after a good clean to remove any wax. No need to peel them. They all are a vynil, and apply with a solution to allow sliding into final position. If there is a darker red, might go with those?
Long ago, those white letters I had on it when TG was red, and before that with a Chevrolet that was blue, those letters were all simple peel & stick, I never used a solution on them. Maybe I just didn't need or know of solutions?
I had forgot I done this until we took it out for a ride and had the cover off. I did the silver in 2013, added the horses in 2017. I used the same type for stripes on the Mustang, then later put the retroreflective black (have more of a double dark grey look) horses on top of the silver base stripes.
So, I already know what the retroreflective black looks like.
I anxious to see how the retroreflective red sample looks lit up.
This is pretty slick and I never thought about using reflective material for custom decals.
I will have to adopt this to some of my plans in the future!!!
This is pretty slick and I never thought about using reflective material for custom decals.
I will have to adopt this to some of my plans in the future!!!
Look at Emergency cars and truck at night as most of them have reflective decals in different colors like blue, yellow, red, white, silver and lately black on state police cars.
There may be other colors but they are the ones I see most.
Dave -----
Look at Emergency cars and truck at night as most of them have reflective decals in different colors like blue, yellow, red, white, silver and lately black on state police cars.
There may be other colors but they are the ones I see most.
Dave -----
Speaking of which, in the '60s with Dad and later in the '70s/'80s after he passed, went to Charlotte, Rockingham, N. W-boro, etc for races. Got to see many NC trooper cars up close. Silver was paint, the black on several I noticed as I walked by going in or out of tracks was vynil. On a hot day, your fingernail would leave a dent like mark that gradually faded, and a unit told me once that when hot, you could move it if not careful. I kept going with my Dad's buddy Wallace at GE, even after he moved to Knightdale in NC with Aerotron.
I can get them in red or retroreflective red even, or black, or even a retroreflective black (looks silvery white white like say when a set of head lights hit them at night). I don't think other colors would look too good. Red would match the interior, but black works too as there is a lot of black on the truck with the white. Anyways, I can decide that later. The retroreflective black would look black in daylight unless the sun hit it in the right angle for a following driver. 
