Hello,

I was wondering what is the best product and procedure to remove tree sap on my TTS. Clay bars, PS21 orange stuff ??? Any help appreciated.

 

I'd start with claybar. We're talking just little specs of sap, not big gobs, right?

Be REALLY careful with the claybar- plenty of very soapy water for lubricant. Don't let the bar fall or touch anything dirty- if it does, throw it away. Keep folding it to 'bury' the particulates of sap that it picks up.

GL

A

 

Mainly specs but a few small gobs unfortunately....by the fall my new garage should be build and won't have to deal with this again.

 

Concours & Car Care section will give you ALOT of answers

 

A pre-wax cleaner won't do it?

Stay away from the clay bar. I've had a long talk about them with the guy who runs carcareonline.com. They're meant for removing paint overspray and have been remarketed as something they're not. I think his website has an article on them.

 

try a search at:

Autopia
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
link 4

for starters

 

3M Tar and Adhesive Remover.

 

And if the 3M tar remover doesn't work, consider a Citrus oil based cleaner.

 

Also; get it off there soon, I've seen sap (pine sap) burn holes in a number of clear coats....highly distructive stuff. Keep it in the garage and out of the sun until you can get at it.

 

I read his article.

If you have contamination that looks like overspray (specs of dried, baked tree sap) why not use a product that is designed to remove overspray?

He has some pieces of truth mixed into his discussion. Claybar will not grind off the paint. (If it did so, you'd see optical imperfections after claying a car- not a clean reflective surface!) BUT, used incorrectly (as any car care product) it can cause problems.

No need to 'stay away'... just 'use it right'

A

 

I think if more people realized how thin the clear coat is on these cars, they would take GREAT care when using anything even remotely abrasive.

 

Why rub it off when butter or veg oil will simply disolve it?

 

The sap needs to be rehydrated to come off easily. It's just like leaving an almost empty glass of orange juice out for a few days...it gets sticky and gummy in the bottom, but if you pour water in the glass, an hour later you can just dump it out and have a clean glass.

So, based on advice I got from the guy at carcareonline.com, what I did when I had this problem was mix up a warm, dilute (1:4) silution of the P21S Total Auto Wash, which is a citrus based cleaner. I then soaked towels in the solution and put the towels on the car for an hour, wetting them down every 10 minutes or so. Most of the sap washed right off after that.

But, the only way to get the little bitty specks that were left off was to use a clay bar. Used carefully, I don't think you can do harm with a clay bar. Just keep it well lubed and continously keep kneading it to expose a fresh surface.