911! PinStripe Removal problems

So I have a 99 Ford Explorer Limited
I am going to be going with a black/silverishgreenish look to my car, Pretty much just going for the blacked out look, but my car is not black so thats where the other color comes in, any ways

Yesterday I removed the badges and got it all cleaned up behind them.
and now Today I went to take off my little pin stripes and I got the whole passanger side done, looks good....Headed around to do the driver side fender got it off....then went to my driver door to find out that I couldn't grab it with my finger nail so I looked closer and I believe that my door has been ethier repainted or that it has at least added a clear coat on top! I checked the drivers side rear door and the same thing, but the driver side rear quater panel is good.

Quick pics here to help show
http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/browse/sparkyXplorer/7595_ILtUh

If you click on the thumbnail it gets bigger and if you click on the pic again it gets HUGE so you can really see detail

Could I just use a buffer and go at it or IDK
Please help
and thanks for all advice

 

[Ben97X]

I had the same problem when I removed my pinstripe. Alot of the discoloring is from weathering. Think about it, the paint under the stripe has not been weathered as much as the pain that was not covered. You can try buffing it, but it may only make the problem more noticable. After a few months, the paint will fade due to weathering.

 

[sparkyXplorer]

I mean the other side there is no weathering/ or very minimal but this side has been painted or something cause there is a ridge

 

[Ben97X]

i had the exact same situation. I do not know if it is something from factory or not. It would not make sense to have one side of your vehicle repainted and the other side not.

 

[MONMIX]

no we paint just one side all the time

sorry sparkey it seems you are the proud owner of a hack repair job

It is almost certain wet sanding and buffing will only lead to crapy results.

Sorry buddy.

 

[sparkyXplorer]

Thanks Monmix (I wish you lived colser to do some body work on my rig) and thanks to others also, I was afraid to hear this now that my passanger side is Pin Stripe free as well as my driver side fender....Do you guys ever just want to say a few choice four letter words!!! Well what to do O What to do?

Does any one know if ford makes a black replacement Stripes or Do you think I could get a hold of Replacement Stripes and paint the face black and apply those to where the old ones used to be? I don't want my car to look "Ghetto" but it looks that way now with half the pin stripes missing.

 

[Tbars4]

you could use 320 or 400 grit sand paper to knock the ridge down and remove the clearcoat so you can get down to the stripe.....when you are done you can use a spray can of clearcoat to cover...goodluck...

 

[sparkyXplorer]

If I was to do that don't you think that 320 is a bit rough?? I mean should I use like 2000 grit IDK, Im not expert in paint by no means...

 

[Tbars4]

it's perfect but i tend to use 400 grit paper myself until i feel confident 320 will do a better job...

 

[Bmwz389]

2000 seems a little high for that. I used 1500 on my 87 Monte to get rid of some clearcoat scratches.

 

[sparkyXplorer]

I was just saying 2000, beacause I know a friend has quite a bit from wet sanding his Trans Am Ws.6

 

[bisjoe]

If you want to go back to stripes on both sides and Ford doesn't have it, go to your local sign shop with a hunk of the old one. They may be able to come real close to matching the colors and put together stripes for you. Or, have them make new stripes of a different color and place them over the old clearcoated one.

I once did vinyl lettering on a van for a contractor, and for some reason he had it clearcoated. A few years later he came back and wanted me to remove the lettering so he could trade it in. When I saw what he'd done I told him he'd have to go to the body shop.

 

[sparkyXplorer]

Just to let you guys know ford does sell the replacement Pin Stripes if you ever need them, I went into the local ford dealer and after looking around at some beatiful new Explorers, O man were they nice, any ways I went and asked if they had them and what not....I got my answer for a 1999 Ford Explorer limited Replacement Pin Stripe on the Right was $73.00 and the Left was $74.00 so after the total with all was $150 something. I did not pick them up yet cause I am not sure If I want to replace them or what I want to do yet but to my dismay they only came in the "Tan" color

 

[Bmwz389]

Yea I find it funny that they carry replacement parts but can never seem to interior match. I called my 4 rear hatch Christmas tree clips and they said it only had one part number so he didn't think it color matched. He told me to go buy some spray paint and paint them. No thanks...