RVRBTR

Hi Folks, How do I remove the original decals on a 1985 Trek 670 without damaging the paint. They’re very dried out and faded from age, and do not appear to be clear coated. I’m guessing they’re some kind of water transfer, similar to old 60’s or 70’s scale models.

Steel1

https://velocals.com/how-to-remove-old-decals/

CliffordK

I like the vintage look, but it is up to you.

That doesn't look plasticky, so it may be a type of paint transfer or stencil which would make differentiating between logo and base paint more difficult.

It also means you may be replacing paint/stencils with decals.

dedhed

I'd try something like this first

https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/...07-7-oz-liquid

C9H13N 

Please don’t scrape those off and replace them with vinyl replacements.

Mr. 66

I think those can clean up well. They look good, even light oils can clean well. Some light oil on a rag with some water spray wipe down. Can do wonders as an early step of refurb. There's a bunch of car products that can be gental. I've used car wax as cleaner, just soaked the area and wiped clean without letting it dry. Both are good on oxidized paint and rusting.

RVRBTR

Thanks for all the responses. The rest of the bike is pristine condition, so those original waterslide decals were a visual distraction. Plus, I already have a replacement set from VeloCals. After some Googling, it turns out the solvent of choice is vinegar. Yes, vinegar. Soaked the decal with a damp paper towel for a bit, and it came right off with a plastic scraper. Sadly, that doesn’t say much about the quality of the originals. The paint was not damaged in any way and polished up quite nicely.

RVRBTR

I hate to disappoint the purists, but here's the results of my Velocals experiment. This one's a keeper!

smd4

Looks pretty awesome to me!

Classtime 

You are forgiven.