Hey fellow addicts

I returned home from my holidays (had to rent a Charger for a third passenger) to find my bonehead neighbour had coated his side of the driveway with that black goop while my car was parked there. Of course, there are many spots of black on my car now. I have not seen him yet but I am going to fine tune his brain! Is there any safe way to get that crap off the finish?

By the way, it took me awhile to get used to the substantial delay when I pressed the gas pedal in the charger. I drove 4500 kilometres and came to think of the beast as a mode of transportation only. I am sure the upgraded models are nice but this rental was a dud.

I will be retiring a 1991 jeep and I am looking for a replacement south of the border. Used cars are still quite a bit cheaper. My ex found me a good one in Phoenix but that's a bit far for me to drive!

 

Well...after you crack your neighbor in the head - try a little Bug & Tar remover on a towel. If it has dried for a while you may have to spay and let it soak for a few minutes.
Of course you will be required to give it a good wash and wax (or sealant) afterword.

 

Be careful of using bug and tar removal on paint. I'm sure Mike-in-Orange can assist with a Mequiar's product.

 

Meguiar's makes a nice Bug & Tar remover.
I did mean automotive finish specific cleaner.

 

That black goop is called sealcoating. It's a modified version of coal-tar emulsion. Very closely related to asphalt binder.

There's a product called "oil-flo" (can't remember if there was a "w" in that or not.) that's specifically made for getting sealcoat off things it's not supposed to be on.

You have to be very careful though......that stuff is pretty strong. I know it'll take off the sealcoat, I'd be nervous about what else it would take off!



I only know about this because I applied the crap for 3 years when I was going to school.




EDIT.......here's a link to their site http://www.titanlabs.net/oilflo.htm

 

If all else fails, try some clay bar on it.
That stuff works pretty well. Rub lightly and take your time with each spot. Don't be in a hurry.

James

 

Try WD-40 if you have it. Most guy's have some around the garage. Spray it on and let it set for a while. You will see the spots start to dissolve and run down. I've never noticed it damaging the paint. WD-40 is also good for removing the stickey residue left when you remove a sticker.

I'm sure that other products work faster, but we all usually have WD-40 on hand.

A real man never is without WD-40 and duct tape in his toolbox. If you can't loosen it up, tape it down. That's my motto.

 

As a general bit of information.......sealcoating usually has about 5 pounds of silica sand per gallon to aid in traction, otherwise the stuff becomes like ice when it's wet. Silica sand is also a very aggressive media used in sandblasting.

I would be VERY EXTREMELY cautious doing anything that involves repeatedly rubbing the spots. I'm having bad visions of the spots being gone, but a whole bunch of swirlie scratches.


Personally, if it were me.......I'd find out if the neighbor did it, or more likely, had a company come in and spray it on. If a company put it on then I'd hold them responsible and demand a re-paint. Sue, if need be.

When I put this stuff down years ago, you occasionally had something go wrong, and wind does blow the overspray around, but there is NO EXCUSE for getting it on a vehicle!

 

mineral spirits (cheap) will disolve the tar spots right away with little rubbing.........you MUST wash the car right away.

mineral spirits is a paint thinner.

 

Agree with the WD-40. I am sure a couple od the expert car detailers will pop up to help out. But the WD-40 is the easiest. Where some gloves so your hands don't smell for the day.

 

I use mineral spirits on mine as well for tar, gum, ect.. Just make sure it says mineral spirits on the container not just paint thinner because just paint thinner could be something other than mineral spirits which could hurt the paint.

 

I use Wurth or 3M adhesive remover.
You will need to re-coat the areas with wax after using it.

 

thanks guys. I will try the WD-40 tonight since, even though I no longer have the man, he left some WD-40 behind! I have lots of duct tape too although since I am an army brat, I tend to call it gun tape. My son is an audio guy and he calls it gaffer tape.

Nice to know, I can always depend on you guys!

 

Depending on how nasty this stuff really is a bug & tar remover may or may not get the job done. At least the Meguiar's Gold Class Bug & Tar Remover sprays out in a gel like consistancy and will cling to the area for awhile as it works against the crud.

The WD-40 and mineral spirits ideas are sound as well and may actually work better if this stuff is as nasty as it sounds. Mineral spirits, as mentioned by Imafink2, are perfectly fine - we use it regularly here at the Meguiar's Garage to remove all traces of compound/paint cleaner/polish etc when inspecting a finish after machine buffing - primarily during product development and testing.

You really do want to avoid any heavy scrubbing of the affected areas though so as to avoid scratching.

 

Hey Mike, do you work with Mike Phillips? I did a class with him awhile back, great guy.

 

Yep. He works from home for the most part managing our discussion forum but also handles the bulk of our Saturday Clinics. I work several of those with him as well as all of our Thursday Night Open Garage sessions among other things.

 

Thats good to hear. Those open garages are a dream for a detailing freak like me. Gives me another reason to move to SoCal along with the weather, In-N-Out Burger, and being able to be as tan as Barry all year round.

 

My dodge got overcoated from a roof with silver polyurethane. Nothing dissolves it. I got a VERY hefty settlement from the company to have my dakota repainted.

Then I found the clay bar, magic and 8 hours later, it was good again. Oh yes It paid for my time. Contact the company that sprayed it, home owners dont spray, they coat with a bucket.

 

WD40...will make it go away or paint thinner...