Not tar this time... it's worse.

[PurpleTowel]

Hey gang, I need some help. I was absolutely stumped today by a car in the shop.


After my last success with a completely tar covered Subaru BRZ (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/120310-tar-covered-subaru-brz.html), I figured I had a pretty good grasp on what was due in this morning. Turns out I was very wrong.

There aren't too many external issues on a finish that I don't have a solution for, but today's really got me good. It was a white 2012 Ford Fusion, and the left side of the car had what looked to be black tar splashed down the kick panels and all up the front and back doors. It licked the underside of the side mirror, spattered the back wheel and was dabbled around the right rear fender lip, too. The owner said it happened sometime last fall, so this has had almost a whole year to cure and take a set.

I generally have a batting order of 12 for foreign material removal from any surface, starting with the least invasive to the most invasive. Here's what was tested (in order) for removal of what I thought was road tar:


soap & water
straight car wash soap on a towel
denatured alcohol
naptha
mineral spirits
kerosene
gasoline
Stoner's Tarminator
acetone
Goof Off
lacquer thinner
methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)


By the time I got to MEK, I was already in the mindset that MEK would remove everything, including the latex gloves from my fingers. As it was, in fact, it didn't even touch the black fleck. Acetone and Goof Off made the most in-roads on the specs, but it was slow going, and on the entire right side of the car, it would have taken me 12 hours of removal at the rate I was getting it off.


I think it was black road paint. Chicago is almost 365 days of road construction, so it could have happened anywhere at any time. I haven't ever seen paint that I couldn't get off with one of those solutions, though. I'm stumped. My next solution was to set the car on fire and run away. I don't like getting beat.




Does anyone have any experiences or ideas on what might be something I could add to my list of gunslingers to try to get this meconium off of the side of this Fusion?




Doug

[Paul A.]

That's quite a list of "batters", PT, and only two got on base. This just may be one of those jobs you have to charge for the time to remove all that black paint from a white car.

I have always used acetone for those situations but, yeah, it takes time. I would be afraid of the MEK or similar method but I know you'd like to find something like that to work quicker with wide wipes. I don't know of any. Sorry.

Paint is a heck of a lot more work than tar.

[PurpleTowel]

Yeah, it sucked. After a 10 hour detail yesterday on an Imola Red E46 M3, I was already wiped out. Good thing this Fusion is my sister in-law's car, and considering I got all of the stains and spills out of the interior, she was already thrilled.

I still hate to get beat, though.

[Mantilgh]

I stick with my previous recommendation from the first thread

XENIT Natural Citrus Cleaner & Remover.

Search - “autogeekonline.net mike phillips xenit natural citrus cleaner & remover”

[Farmallluvr]

I hate getting beat as well,,after your list I would be out of ideas too,,quite the arsenal you cut loose on it.

can you scrape it off with yor nail or maybe a plastic razor blade?

[LEDetailing]

Maybe try heating it up with a heat gun to soften it up. I agree with Xenit, that stuff is amazing. My last order at AG I wanted to order 6 cans. It was sold out:(

[Mantilgh]

Road paint is a pain.

Even the Exnit that I mentioned needs to dwell. Definitely not just spray on and wipe right off.

The plastic razor blades do help too. But of course then it probably wouldn’t hurt to polish after.

[PurpleTowel]

I'll see if I can find Xenit tomorrow at the local True Value hardware store. Not many other places around carry it. Not sure if the methods that I just read about differ too much from acetone/GoofOff in that it needs to be really worked. Plastic razor blades are out of the question as the greatest concentration of paint is on the factory rough textured lower rocker panels.

I may have another opportunity to try some new ideas on her car next weekend. The whole car needs a full compound, polish and wax anyway, so I'm not too worried about beating the finish up too much at this point.

[PurpleTowel]

I haven't ever seen paint that I couldn't get off with one of those solutions, though. I'm stumped.

Oh yeah, I lied. I must have blocked this out of my memory banks.

When I was in my late teens, I spent my summers painting R/C bodies, VANS sneakers, helmets and anything else someone wanted me to paint. One of my dad's employees asked me to paint a BBQ grille propane tank to look like a can of MGD. After it was all hand painted, lettered and ready to go, I put a clear coat of Imron on it. I shot the tank outside of the garage and used a floor fan to keep the fumes away. Masks, gloves and everything to protect myself, and the tank looked awesome when it was done.

Too bad I didn't protect my dad's '92 LT1 Corvette 'vert as well as I protected the garage and myself.

A fine mist of Imron clear made its way downwind and onto the hood and windshield of the white Corvette. I was sick to my stomach. It was like someone sprayed clear PlastiDip on the hood and glass. And it was Imron. Imron. Only the toughest paint known to man.

My dad was livid, obviously, and took the car to his paint and body guy when nothing he had in the garage would touch the stuff. The painter got it all off (except for a fine layer on the plastic 'vert back window), and wouldn't tell my dad how he did it other than, "you don't want to know" but I think it was a combination of steel wool on the glass and mechanical wet sanding on the paint.




This stuff on the Fusion made me think of that (shudder) horrible day shooting Imron clear upwind from my dad's car.





Blech.

[Dr Oldz]

Have you tried mechanical abrasives. Maybe a polish or compound will do the trick. Especially after the list of have tried you already have compiled.

[swanicyouth]

After what you’ve tried - it sounds like there is no magic chemical that will remove this stuff. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.

So, the way I look at it - you need a synergistic approach. I would use a compounding pad soaked in mineral spirits with compound on the face and while heating the panel area to try to remove it by hand.

That has worked for me in the past. You are using the leverage of 3 things: solvent, abrasives, and heat all at once. I hope you are getting paid well for this, cuz this is above and beyond decon.

[PurpleTowel]

After what you’ve tried - it sounds like there is no magic chemical that will remove this stuff. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.

So, the way I look at it - you need a synergistic approach. I would use a compounding pad soaked in mineral spirits with compound on the face and while heating the panel area to try to remove it by hand.

That has worked for me in the past. You are using the leverage of 3 things: solvent, abrasives, and heat all at once. I hope you are getting paid well for this, cuz this is above and beyond decon.



Good suggestions.


Sister-in-law = gratis
I don't charge family for work. Which is also why I didn't do anything too extreme or damaging to my tools. I will have an opportunity to attack it again if I want, though, so that's a positive.

[talonted]

I see that you've tried some very alkaline products (which would remove an acid based material). Try an acidic product just in case the black stuff is alkaline in nature. I ran into this once when someone drove through wet concrete (very alkaline). Hit it with Meguiar's Hot Rimz Chrome wheel cleaner (the chrome one is an acid) and it came off fairly easily.

[Coach Steve]

Plastic razor blades with plenty of QDS. Use one with a high lubricity. This will remove everything down to the surface leaving a much smaller amount of contaminant to remove.
Next, Tarminator using a towel. Spray the Tarminator directly onto the surface and let dwell for 30 secs. or so then wipe the area with a towel.
Any shading left will easily be removed using a cleaner wax and a good quality cutting pad. I recommend ThinPro Gray Heavy Cutting Pad. If the Cleaner wax is still not abrasive enough, step up the aggressiveness as necessary until the shading/stains are removed.
I've been in your position, and it sucks to get defeated. Using the plastic razor blades will eliminate the bulk of the problem leaving you with an easily manageable, everyday type situation that comes intuitively.
Post back with your results.