How do I safely remove a 60 year old water slide decal?

Decal Remover or "E.L. OFF" abeit in VERY small appiled amounts with a clean tissue standing by! Good Luck!

Just how noticeable are the decals ? If not to bad, I would just leave them on instead of taking a chance of screwing up the paint.

Try "Micro Set" made by Microscale Industries, Inc.  It's a decal setting solution that also will remove decals. I've used it on a variety of plastic surfaces without a problem, including on my 2343 Sante Fe F3.  The nose decal dried out, leading to cracks and a faded look.   Micro Set softened the decal, minimizing the cracks and restoring the color.  Not wanting to remove the decal I brushed it on gently, but I think you could remove your decals by soaking them and rubbing with the tip of your finger.

The products listed above are good, and it may come to one of those, but just in case you don't have any lying around, and before you go buy any, try soaking a paper towel or clean washrag with plain water, placing it on the decals for an hour or two and see if this does not soften or remove them. I know when I was a kid I accidentally removed some dried decals by getting them wet.

The water won't hurt the paint, certainly (it's a "water-slide" decal).

Use bottled water if your area has hard water, I guess. Probably doesn't matter anyway, but we have soft water here. If the decals are well-sealed, as in Dullcote, etc., you may need more than water.

The best way to remove the decal without ANY risk of damage is to: 1) wet the decal with distilled water. 2) wet some tissue paper or paper towel with water and place it over the decal while wet.  3) Wait 15 minutes.   4) Use a cotton swab soaked with distilled water to gently nudge the decal off. 5) If still stuck, repeat.  You can also take some gentle blue painters tape and burnish it into the damp decal with your fingernail.  Then quickly pull up the tape.  

Now, if you want to get more aggressive, follow the steps above but replace the distilled water with MicroSol.  I wouldn't use Micro Set, it's a setting solution designed to make decals stick better.  MicroSol is the gentle solvent product.  It is safe for plastics and paint.  In fact, you can use MicroSol to remove factory lettering if you wanted to, say, change road numbers safely and easily.

The instructions on the Micro Set bottle says it cam be used to remove decals, as well as set them.

Where were you guys last week when I chipped my paint trying to get some off a tinplate car?

George

FWIW I have used GOO GONE with a Q tip.Nick