Spoiler travesty, is it crazy to want to try to take this off and buff off horror?

[eimim]

So I recently got a 2009 sapphire black metallic 135i and it has one of the carbon fiber spoilers that was put on by a true idiot. I think it is some combination of something like rubber cement and super glue. It rocks a little back and forth already and I just want to take it off. I checked the local BMW dealer and a good local paint shop and they said that since it is metallic paint they would probably need to match the adjoining quarter panels, which leaves it at about $1500. The good local shop said they'd like to start with just the trunk and it might need the quarters matched.

I'm thinking about taking some floss to take the wing off and try to take this crap off.

I remember seeing people do amazing stuff with Porter Cable 7424XP and the right buffing wheels and buffing goo, but I'm a bit lost where to start finding the right wheels and goo. Anyone have any experience?

Here are some pictures of the carnage:

[box_man]

Check out http://www.chemicalguys.com/, They have some good stuff. Wheel, Polishers, Polish... You're gonna need to get it off first, to see what you're going to need, to polish it out.

[Dackelone]

The last owner probably used "BetaLink" glue. It's what BMW said to use. A lot of guys have used 3M double sided adhesive - that is what I would use. No way that stuff(Betalink) is gonna come off. You will need to have a body shop cut off the old spoiler, paint the trunk lid and then install a spoiler(of your liking). Sorry for the bad news.

You might also want to have your mirror caps and front bumper painted while they are at it. Normaly wear and tear from rock chips suck. Nothing like some fresh paint to jazz up your car.

[eimim]

Is the BetaLink glue spongy? Every time I look at it I wonder what the person that put it on was thinking.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by eimim

Is the BetaLink glue spongy? Every time I look at it I wonder what the person that put it on was thinking.

I don't know. I've never used Betalink. I would assume it dries to a hard like state. I guess you really can't do any more damage to the painted surface... just remove the spoiler and see if that gunk comes off. ? Or let a pro handle it. They couldn't charge all that much to paint your trunk lid. There are also those guys who do smart repairs - they come to your house with their paint truck. Just an idea.

[3002 tii]

As Dack mentioned, assuming they used the recommended Betalink adhesive, no way that’s coming off. Betalink is permanent. If you find a way to remove it, you’ll also take off the paint. What I and others have done is use 3M double sided tape coupled with some black adhesive silicone on the edges/corners to cover any gaps. The black silicone I used has a rubbery texture and is NOT permanent.

Granted the install looks pretty half-a$$ed but it probably only looks worse because the leading edge picked up a lot of dirt. A good detail might make the spoiler look more seamless and less noticeable.

I hate to say it but for the cost of paint, you’re almost better off finding a car involved with front end damage and see if you can take the trunk off them. Or use this as an opportunity to go CF but the cost of removal/repaint is a waste of $$$ imho.

Edit: I see that you said the spoiler is already somewhat coming off, you might be lucky in that you can remove the spoiler with minimal damage. The Betalink does dry hard but if the install was botched, you might be able to remove the excess Betalink since it tends to dry/crumble. I'm not an expert detailer so take my advice with grain of salt but I would try removing the spoiler with fishing wire. Then use a plastic trim remover wrapped in cloth to "chisel" off the beta link.

[eimim]

This stuff is definitely NOT hard. Has the consistency of dried rubber cement.

I called Michael from chemicalguys.com and he suggested I get this:

http://www.chemicalguys.com/Hyper_Fl...flex_443_9.htm

From a little research I'm also going to order some Goo Gone (mild) and Goof Off (harsher) to get the bulk of the stuff off after some dental floss removes the spoiler. From there the kit linked above and then Michael suggested I wax it for protection after the wet sanding. Anyone have a wax they love from www.chemicalguys.com? I see all these options and am a little lost.

[Ultimateone]

Wow, that looks awful... good luck with that dude :/

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by eimim

This stuff is definitely NOT hard. Has the consistency of dried rubber cement.

I called Michael from chemicalguys.com and he suggested I get this:

http://www.chemicalguys.com/Hyper_Fl...flex_443_9.htm

From a little research I'm also going to order some Goo Gone (mild) and Goof Off (harsher) to get the bulk of the stuff off after some dental floss removes the spoiler. From there the kit linked above and then Michael suggested I wax it for protection after the wet sanding. Anyone have a wax they love from www.chemicalguys.com? I see all these options and am a little lost.

Might explain why the spoiler isn't that secure. Permatex is like cement lol.

[Gray_Panther]

Love to see the outcome of this.

I would get these two:
http://www.chemicalguys.com/V32_Opti...gap_v32_04.htm
http://www.chemicalguys.com/V34_Opti...gap_v34_04.htm

And then top it off with a coat of wax. Be sure to wipe the area off with a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water (50/50) before applying the wax

[eimim]

I found a local detailer that I'm going to take it to Thursday morning.

http://www.detailwerkz.com/exteriors...ml#theconcorso

I took the spoiler off tonight with floss and some brute force and it was put on with a combination of tape and that black rubbery glue on the outside. It is too dark outside to really get a good look, but there are definitely a few scratches that are deep and will never be repairable. With the right tools I'm really hoping that it can look pretty good, and maybe sticking one of the OEM lip will help disguise the problems after the detailer.

I'll be sure to update you guys as progress happens.

[motley2012]

If that was me and I knew that the boot would need painting anyway I'd take it off with the string method then used a coachline removing rubber wheel on a drill you may surprise yourself with the results.

Good luck

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by eimim

I found a local detailer that I'm going to take it to Thursday morning.

http://www.detailwerkz.com/exteriors...ml#theconcorso

I took the spoiler off tonight with floss and some brute force and it was put on with a combination of tape and that black rubbery glue on the outside. It is too dark outside to really get a good look, but there are definitely a few scratches that are deep and will never be repairable. With the right tools I'm really hoping that it can look pretty good, and maybe sticking one of the OEM lip will help disguise the problems after the detailer.

I'll be sure to update you guys as progress happens.

I'd get a good detail and then try covering up with Langka touch-up OR install the oem painted lip spoiler. You can find paint matched replica lip spoilers on eBay for like $50 shipped.

[eimim]

Ordered one of the $88 spoilers from Ebay found in this thread:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=877512

Got the old spoiler off myself with dental floss to take a look at the damage and then took it to a local detailer here in Dallas that knows his stuff:

www.detailwerkz.com

He got it to this point, which shows the damage (pardon the pollen, today is nuts).





Got the spoiler from China after ordering it Thursday and it looks great and almost covers up all of the damage.




Good enough for me. This is my daily driver and a few blemishes here and there are fine. Looks WAY better than when I started, so I am happy.

[Gray_Panther]

Looks great but I think your local detailer left holograms all over your trunk hahahaha

[Mach1er]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

Looks great but I think your local detailer left holograms all over your trunk hahahaha

Yep, paint correction time! (Don't take it back to that detailer)

[Killswitch]

Glad to see it come off...looked hideous before. Just trying to figure how the previous owner could live with that.