I'm interested to know everyone's way to remove this stubborn sticky crap.?

My neighbor has some on the spoiler of his car and bumper. I've had good luck with claying the area...but wanted some feedback from some of you on an easier way if there was one?

Thanks!

 

If it is fresh, I prefer a wipe with Pinnacle Crystal Mist. If it is dry I use a quick spot claying. On the wifes car, I use Klasse AIO as it removes anything quickly.

 

Yup, a solventy product like Klasse will usually remove it.

3M Adhesive, Tar, and Wax Remover does an excellent job of removing sap, especially if it's hardened. Regular ol' mineral spirits should work well too.

 

Frankly, any answer without knowing the type of tree, the resin emitted that makes up the "tree sap" may not be correct.

Some trees will emit a sap that any all purpose water based cleaner will easily remove if allowed to dwell for 3 to 5 minutes.

Others, simple IPA, "IE, rubbing alcohol", but once again, applied and allowed to dwell, to desolve the resin emitted by the tree.

Others require a simple solvent such as a blended safety solvent or mineral spirits, once again dwell time is important.

With "dwell time", one does not "rub-a-dub-dub" , which will create marring of the clear, but allow the chosen solvent, be it a water based or a hydrocarbon to work, to break down the resin.

With some of the "pine" type trees, the sap is "turpene", which is what "turpentine" is made from. This is the most damaging of all the tree resins/saps, as it may very often attack the clear so agressively that it "cracks" the clear, IE, it desolves it and that requires refinishing of the entire panel.

Clay will work to remove the "deposit" that is on the top surface, but do you know for sure that it can reach down into the porosity of the clear (any modern clear coated vehicle will absorb over a pint of water into it, along with what ever contaminates, etc are liquified into the water), and I don't think anyone with a bit of logic would say that clay can enter the clear to remove what is down inside of it.

Sometimes, clay works great, but then we are back to "what type of sap/resin" is one dealing with.

Just some thoughts for all to consider.

Ketch :flag

 

"Frankly, any answer without knowing the type of tree, the resin emitted that makes up the "tree sap" may not be correct."

C'mon...what do you expect people to do? Go take a sample of the sap to a laboratory or the local cooperative extension for analysis to find if it is water soluble or needs something stronger?:smash:

Kind of ridiculous IMO. Try soaking the sap initially with a strong car wash solution with very little dilution....i.e 1:1 ratio car wash solution to water. If that does not work a quality product like 3M's Tar remover as stated above should work. Just remember you will probably need to rewax/polish the area because the 3M product will likely remove it(wax/polish).

 

Not at all, but I would expect anyone who can afford a Vette and the related cost to be smart enough to raise their head out of their hind quarters and look around, and if they don't know a pine type from a maple or oak, a cotton wood from their ash to ask someone from the area who might know.

Is it all that hard? :banghead:

 

it's pine.

thanx 4 the replies :cheers:

 

Jay, I do not know how long the pine sap has been on your Vette, but first, soak a rag in good old rubbing alcohol and lay it on one area, let it set for at least 5 minutes and then look at it, touch it.

If it is so soft it can be wiped off with the IPA soaked rag, great!

If not, then go get a can of turpentine and soak a rag and wet the sap deposits, leave the rag on them for at least 5 minutes, up to 10 minutes (this will not harm your clear if you follow what I am going to ask you to do later), they should start to desolve from the surface, then use the towel/rag to "gently" agitate them away from the surface.

Now the possible bad side, if the turpene sap deposits have been there too long or in high heat, they may have attacked the clear and you will see discoloring, which is when looked at with a 30 to 60X lighted magnifier broke up the clear and no clay, compound, etc can replace damaged clear.

If the sap spots wipe off and no cracking then wash the areas with your normal carwash soap or shampoo and let it soak for a bit, rinse and dry.

Then do a mild polishing and reapply whatever wax/sealant you normally use.

Best advice as I can offer.

Ketch :flag

 

ketch

sorry, i wasn't clear.... this is NOT on the vette. if tree sap came near my car EVER, it'd be off in a microsecond.

this happened to a neighbors car. i'll chalk up these tips and suggestions and use them in the future if need be.

 

Generally I just use a warm car wash soap mix :thumbs:

 

WD-40
:thumbs:

 

:iagree: I have always just washed it off with soap and very warm water

 

regular can of bug and tar remover took it right off. surprisingly, clay did nothing.

thanks for your help.