Removing Sill Plate Adhesive Residue

[hairyhen]

I have sucessfully fitted a second-hand set of Cooper S side skirts onto my Cooper, but I am having some difficulty in removing the adhesive residue left behind when the original S sill covers were taken off.

Can anyone lend me any advice?

So far, I have pathetically attempted to pry it away with a knife but didnt get anywhere! Would soaking it in hot water do the trick you think?

[Hilndgreen]

Mineral Spirits & elbow grease gennerally do it.

[obehave]

Goo Gone and for a lot of these things just plain old hand lotion will work.
It depends on what the base of the adhesive is.
If you have an old toothbrush cut the bristle short and use that to work at the glue.

[bakerjc]

Absolute easiest and cleanest way to do this:

Choose a solvent rated to remove common adhesives. I use "Goof Off" made by Lilly Industries. Needs to be used in a well ventilated area though. Using disposable latex gloves is a good idea also.

Here's the steps:

Lay down a piece of corrugated cardboard, a little longer than the door sills porous side up (not the glossy side). This will collect any spillage.

Then lay down cloth strips about 6 inches wide by as long as the sill plates, preferably something like an old cotton bed sheet. Paper towels can also be used as well.

Lay the sill plate on the cloth adhesive side up, score the "gunk" with a utility knife.

Fold over the cloth strips, then saturate the cloth with the solvent. Do both at once in the same cloth if you'd like, just a little messier. Just lay shiny side to shiny side. Wrap with a plastic wrap if you'd like, but not really needed.

Walk away for 5 minutes or so.

Unwrap and scrape the goo off with a flat plastic blade. I use the faux credit cards they send in the mail. Then clean up fully with a clean cloth saturated with the same solvent.

For the sills themselves it's a lot easier. Carefully pour a small amount of the solvent in the "well", the indentation where the plate sits. You don't need much, just be sure to spread it evenly saturation the entire area. For this wait only about 2 minutes or so, it comes up real easily. Again, clean up with a clean rag with solvent.

Sounds like a lot of steps, but it's really not. The best part is leaving it soaking in the juice allows it to just slide off.

[RVW]

Quote: Originally Posted by hairyhen

I have sucessfully fitted a second-hand set of Cooper S side skirts onto my Cooper, but I am having some difficulty in removing the adhesive residue left behind when the original S sill covers were taken off.

Can anyone lend me any advice?

So far, I have pathetically attempted to pry it away with a knife but didnt get anywhere! Would soaking it in hot water do the trick you think?

I found that Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover did the job Without too much trouble and no damage to body or paintwork

[hairyhen]

Nice! Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Really appreciated!
A lot of the spongy padding from the old covers is still left on the well, so much so when i place my new replacement cooper plates on (without the adhesive), they sit a good 3mm off the bottom of the 'well'.

Anyway Ill try again over the weekend, armed to the teeth with solvents.
Cheers!

[aokdoug]

arm youself with denatured alochol. get it @hardware,paint,or home-depot type
stores. when i debadged my mini (stickers off dash,visors&removing emblems off
bonnet&boot plus taking off stock s wing to replace with aero wing.)
just saturate a paper towel &let soak a few min.some gentle rubbing will give
you excellent results.
doug