ca993twin

I probably have the only 2004 LS430 that had to get flat-towed to a dealer because the engine died while at freeway speeds (hiway 101 Southbound, 10 miles north of King City). By the time it got to the dealer, the engine started just fine. They keep it a few days, and changed the fuel pump (there were no codes). OK... so what does this have to do with the subject?

Somewhere along the trip, it sat outside and got those little tiny "bubbles" on the paint... my guess is tree sap. I've always been able to wash that off, but not this time. I used bug & tar remover... still bumpy. I used swirl remover... still bumps. I used cleaner/wax... still bumpy. I used polishing compound followed by swirl remover... still bumpy. I'm getting worn out. Is there some good chemical product that just removes that crap?

Thanks in advance... you guys know everything.

Allen

As a last resort, you can use fingernail polish remover that contains acetone. Be sure to wash and wax the area when done.

You can also try a product called "Goof Off"...available at Home Depot

993Dave

Another product for a last-ditch effort (to be followed promptly by washing and waxing): tiny blasts of WD-40. It's pretty effective on road tar and tree sap, but you might be talking about too much surface area for that to be a viable solution.

Full disclosure: I've yet to use this particular solution on my C2. The old Probe GT? Sure, who cares. The Porsche (or in your case, Lexus)? Well ...

Whatever alternative remedy you use, you will probably want to follow the standard advice of most cleansers: try in an inconspicuous place first (sorry, that's probably obvious).

Rob 97 993c2

perhaps im missing the obvious .. but little bubbles are often indications of rust, but either way, those imperfections in the paint should be covered under some type of warranty as your Lexus is new (2004?)
PCNA repainted a little bubble in my new TT as well as replaced the windshield under the 10yr body/no-rust warranty. Im sure lexus should extend you the same consideration as your car is new.

Jon 'Bama

I would hold off on the really hard stuff.

If it is a tree sap, try something more organic than goof off. Go get some P21S total auto cleaner (or S100 total Cycle cleaner, its the same stuff) spray down the entire car and let it sit out of the sun for 20 minutes or so it should soften the sap up enough that warm (almost hot) soapy water with dishwashing liquid (use something mild like Dawn) and a regular wash mitt should take it right off. Then wax.

or even better don't listen to me, go to the detailing boards on autopia.com and ask those guys they will know for sure.

still i think my way would do it

Jon

Bob D.

Guys, you are all trying too hard. Steve, my strong hunch is all you need to do is clay it....

dr kenneth e garchow

i vote for clay also, that is special detailing clay
used w/lubricating spray

it comes in different grits

but you will most likely need to machine buff the car after all it has been through , so you may just want to hand it over to a good detailer and let your arms rest.

point out the problem areas to them and dont look for the lowest price shop in town.

you might look in your pca local publication to see if any detail shops advertise in it. they would tend to be good since porsche owners tend to be, say, detail oriented

Mark in Baltimore

Unless you're out of coffee and need a nice jolt to your day, do not use Goof-Off on your paint. I figured it was the same stuff as the tar and bug remover. Wrong. When I used it, the stuff made the clearcoat cloudy. After a bried moment of panic, I managed to buff out the cloudiness.

Goof-Off, bad.