What's the best way to stick something to my car without damaging it?

May 9, 2014 7:28 PM

I have a very old political bumper sticker I'd like to affix to my car. (I think the idea of a Prius driving around with a "NIXON/AGNEW" sticker on it is pretty funny.) Unfortunately, the original adhesive has long since lost its stick, and I'd like to affix it in a way that is a) semi-permanent, and b) won't hurt the finish. Any suggestions?
posted by tweebiscuit to Home & Garden (15 answers total)

How about an adhesive magnet?
posted by swift at 7:33 PM on May 9, 2014 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Search for "magnetic bumper sticker holder" or "clear bumper sticker sleeve" to see some options. There are ones with suction cups that will stick on the inside of your back window, too.
posted by limeonaire at 7:44 PM on May 9, 2014 [2 favorites]

Or you could buy a clear bumper sticker blank in a size larger than your sticker, then stick the sticker on with that over the top, smoothing it on carefully. Then, since the original sticker underneath in the middle isn't sticky, you should be able to pull it off with the clear blank sticker later, or carefully cut through the clear blank sticker around the original sticker, freeing it from its encasement.
posted by limeonaire at 7:53 PM on May 9, 2014

You could just get another regular bumper sticker, put that on the car, and then stick the other one on top of it.
posted by vignettist at 7:56 PM on May 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Scan the bumper sticker and print it out on an adhesive magnet sheet like swift suggested. Or, laminate the bumper sticker, glue a few magnet strips to the back and stick it on your car.
posted by plastic_animals at 8:13 PM on May 9, 2014 [2 favorites]

One thought: scan the original, and create a Gelaskin of the proper size. Although they are made for devices, perhaps a laptop sized version would get you 2 bumper stickers. I have not used a Gelaskin as a bumper sticker, but I have used them on Kindles, iPads, MacBooks, and iPhones. They are very durable but come off cleanly. How weather-resistant they are, I have no idea. But this method also lets you preserve the original bumper sticker if you want.
posted by The Deej at 8:14 PM on May 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Most of the solutions you're going to get involve buying something anyway, so why not buy a Nixon/Agnew bumper sticker off ebay?
posted by tapir-whorf at 8:20 PM on May 9, 2014 [6 favorites]

Rubber cement?
posted by jpdoane at 8:50 PM on May 9, 2014

I would use double-sided tape for this. Very handy stuff. You can buy it in wide rolls.
Just tape it to the bumper sticker, remove the plastic protective film on the other side, and you have a new bumper sticker.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:03 PM on May 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

Stick it (or your scanned copy, or brand-new reprint, etc.) onto the rear window glass --- personally, I never stick anything directly onto a painted area.
posted by easily confused at 2:19 AM on May 10, 2014

Glueing them to magnetic stock works very well. Magnetic stock trims very well with an exacto knife or box cutter & metal ruler as a guide. It also affords you the ability to remove certain stickers if you travel to places where they might not be appreciated.
posted by Devils Rancher at 3:54 AM on May 10, 2014

Seconding tablet screen skins. I use them to stick parking stickers on my car every new semester.
posted by tilde at 4:29 AM on May 10, 2014 [1 favorite]

Magnets will work so long as you put it on a metal part of your car. Most, if not all, actual bumpers of cars are plastic. Plus, a magnet is obviously easily removable...as in stolen. You could tape it up on the inside of the rear window.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:01 AM on May 10, 2014

Super glue the sticker to another sticker.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:58 AM on May 10, 2014

3M command strips? Those things rock indoors, not so sure about how well they'd work in rain/sleet/snow at 55mph....
posted by lostguy at 1:22 PM on May 11, 2014