Tar everywhere! Cleaned it off, but what's with my paint now?

[oldmodman]

It is possible that the carb cleaner dissolved the topmost layer of clearcoat finish and has left it hazy. You will need to experiment on a portion of the finish to find what level of correction is needed to restore the shine. Start with your least aggressive cleaner or compound, least aggressive pad and so on.
Or you may get lucky and just a good cleaning and wax may take care of it.

[mg6045]

Carb cleaner likely softened the crap out of the clearcoat, and the paper towel left vicious marring I would imagine . The paint will need to be corrected.

[mg6045]

No, in order to remove those swirls you must polish the paint beforethe sealant and wax.

We need photos to give you more precise information, but bottom line is:

1. IronX the paint
2. Clay
3. Polish with Meguiars 205 on a WHITE lake country flat pad.
4. Polish again with Menzerna SF4500 on a BLACK lake country flat pad.
5. Apply the sealant/wax you like the most (i recomend Finish Kare 1000p, $16) with a BLUE lake country pad.

But depending on the condition of your paint, it may require some compounding before hand.

I've got to question your recommendation.

Why would IronX be required as a solution to the OP's problem ? Especially as a "bottom line" as you say ?

When I think of bottom line, I think if the least amount of requirements. ie: the bottom line. So I've got to question why Ironx, and the finest polish offered on the market (SF4500) that a professional detailer has at his disposal for show car results would be considered a bottom line ?

I could be wrong, but if the OP used carb cleaner to remove tar on his paint, i'm doubting he used it on a show car. again I could be wrong.

I just see the forum trending away from what used to be known as "keeping it simple", and making some recommendations that just seem far out IME.

IME, posts like this scare new members away rather then make them feel comfortable.

I'm sorry to single you out. I dont mean to be argumentative.

[tguil]

This is a question that should be answered by someone with a bit of experience that can see the actual damage...especially for a person with almost no experience in finish care. I suggest having someone at a good detail shop or body shop take a look at the damage. Carb cleaner contains acetone. Acetone will really mess up paint. I think at the least your car is going to need a thorough buffing by a pro.

Tom

[FanaticFan]

As with many things, it's a question of balance. Experts here I'm sure are just trying to help, and perhaps on one side being over-optimistic about a do-it-yourselfer really being able to handle this correctly, or on the other, misinterpreting the extent of actual damage from afar.

I'd go with the "have a professional look at it" approach as long as you can find someone trustworthy, and that's always the hardest part.

I would tend to feel that carb cleaner on the paint has risked doing serious clearcoat damage, but then you really need to know who to talk to about doing the fix that is right for you.