JoeTaylor

Hi Everyone,

Washed the car today and I have thousands a speckles of road tar on the lower part of the car, this because our lovely highway crews have been paving A1A here in Ponte Vedra Beach (Jacksonville area).

Are there any recommendations for removing massive amounts of road tar off the car body with original paint and painted Cup 1 wheels? I have an old can of Dupont Bug and Tar remover, but I dont want to mess up the finish.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

VTY,
Joe

No HTwo O

Simple Green or Wurth Citrus Degreaser. Then, re-wax area.

SharkSkin

My dad used to tell me that Coca-Cola worked really well for this. Denatured alcohol will take it off with nearly zero effort, but don't get it on your skin. It will also remove any wax or other paint treatment but is harmless to paint and most plastics/rubber/etc.

Leon Speed

I'd try a wax bar.

Shark_Week

WD 40 ? worked for me

Marine Blue

P21S Total Auto Wash.

You will need to be EXTREMELY gentle when removing the tar as it could contain silica or other contaminants which will scratch your paint. I would spray the area with the P21S in a shaded area and let it sit a minute. Use a wet microfiber and gently rub. Once clean rinse and wash with car wash soap. Wax all of the affected areas with your favorite wax, at least two coats.

I know most auto stores also cary a tar and bug remover which should work but I've never useed one so I can't really comment.

Regardless of what product you use, don't waste time. The longer you wait, the hard it will be to remove.

Iwanna928

Brow Royal!

Stephen

Mrmerlin

I would start with a few sprays of WD40 let it sit then wipe the tar off clean with car soap and water

hacker-pschorr

Denatured can be tricky to find in some areas, IPA (isopropyl rubbing alcohol) 90% mixed 50/50 with distilled water is what I keep in my detailing arsenal.

+1 - Meguiars or 3M medium can be found at Sherwin Williams Automotive stores.

They also sell Last Touch by the gallon, mixed 50/50 with distilled water is an excellent lube for the clay & the best quick detailer I've ever used. I always have a gallon or two around the garage now.

No matter what is used to remove the tar, I would go back over using a very soft micro fiber and the IPA 50/50 mix to make sure any residue from the cleaning agent is gone before waxing.

SharkSkin

Erik, the Isopropyl will work too but it's much weaker than denatured on tar. IMHO if there is a lot of tar then getting it off without much rubbing would be optimal. The denatured is just as safe for the paint but the downsides are, it strips right through wax, also the need to wear proper(nitrile, not latex) gloves. Curiously, it doesn't seem to faze properly cured Rejex.

hacker-pschorr

I know it works better, but like I said, it can be tricky to find at least around here. Just trying to help the guy try and find something he may already have around the house if the old can of bug remover doesn't do the trick. Some glass cleaners have so much ammonia and alcohol they work really well for jobs like this.

Your local auto paint store will have similar chemicals that are usually cheaper by the gallon anyway.
They are usually labeled surface prep or something similar. Right now I have five gallons of mineral spirits for tough jobs.

Denatured alcohol is just ethanol cut with something like methanol, jet fuel, kerosene etc.... to make it undrinkable.
Due to the various agents that can be in denatured alcohol, I've found many claimed experts on detailing forums staying away from it since the wrong mixture (like acetone used in some lacquer thinners) can soften the paint.

Whatever he chooses to use, the key is to let it soak in and soften up the tar. Let the chemical do it's job.

Heavy mix of dawn dish-washing liquid strips any kind of sealant I've come across, including Rejex. It doesn't hurt to add some kind of citrus cleaner.

No HTwo O

Any hardware store will sell denatured alcohol. This is the same fuel used in fondue burners.

As a side note, you can also use the denatured alcohol (1 part) with distilled water (2 parts) to make the best window & glass cleaner.

hacker-pschorr

That explains it, I've only purchased it at drug stores and it's medical grade, I have to sign for it.

I'm not sure I would pour any old denatured alcohol on my paint. Acetone is a common component that is not the most paint friendly.

There are plenty of known paint safe chemicals on the market that will eat through tar. I wouldn't take the chance if it were my car, YMMV.

jeff spahn

I am pretty sure good old MEK ( methyl ethyl ketone) will take the tar right off and leave you with a shiny silver surface! We used it for prep on the Tomahawk Missile surfaces prior to priming. Super clean!

JHowell37

Mineral spirits or WD40 will remove it. They're available everywhere and cheap.