Is Road tar everywhere?!?

[Chubs]

My question is, How many of you encounter road tar on a car and how do you deal with it?

I don’t hear many people talking about removing tar in there full details. Now I’m curious if road tar is an issue since I detailed a Trans-Am WS-6 that came from Las Vegas. The car was in terrible shape and it had no road tar. It was just dingy from a sand dust type substance, which cleaned up with a APC. Every vehicle I encounter here in Erie, PA has road tar on it. This can take up quite a bit of time for me and I’m looking for different ways to remove the tar and save some time. I mainly use a specific tar remover that evaporates after I clay the top panels and then I start buffing the car. I have tried using the clay bar and this works, but seems to take longer and it destroys the clay bar. If anyone has any suggestions I’m all ears??



Thanks,

Chubs

[imported_Gears]

For me it depends on the season. Now in western PA in the winter road tar is almost nonexistent but in the summer its a problem. The worst month for me is August, for some reason all the areas around me pick this time to tar and chip their roads. Maybe they need the heat to melt the tar but its a mess.

WD-40 seems to work well for removing tar. Spray it on, wait a while and microfiber off.

[brwill2005]

I think it is everywhere. It is on nearly all of the cars I detail. Removing the tar is time consuming, like you stated. The best thing is a good tar remover. On old dry tar, it seems to take several applications to remove the tar, no matter which product you use. I just got some new stuff that removes tar and leaves a layer of wax. It is called Snap Seal, and TOL sells it. It seems to be pretty effective on tar etc., and leaves the paint pretty slick. The other thing that can help when used with a tar remover is a yellow bug sponge.

[imported_Neothin]

I havent encountered *much* tar on any vehicle ive worked on. some have a little on the rocker panels, but overall, it isnt as bad down here as it is up there in the norhtland. This is actually kinda surprising, i mean, FL`s heat should melt tar in the road... idk, it isnt bad down here.

[brwill2005]

I have notice when traveling south from VA that the highways seem to be made out of concrete rather than asphalt. Up here in VA, all the highways are asphalt.

[wannafbody]

what I did with our work pickup was to spray a panel with Tarminator, let it sit for a couple minutes and then wash-it seemed to get rid of a lot of little tar spots

[ScubaStevo]

I don`t think anyone will ever beat me on this one. Nothing but straight gasahol took this stuff off. Even that left some. Oh, did I mention I had to use a putty knife and scrubbing pad?



http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/8315/tarzilla0027pi.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



Tools of the trade: (the brownish stains came out after a little polishing and more gas.



http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6238/tarzilla0100ok.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[imported_Larry A]

Gas is not a good thing to remove tar with. I think that mineral spirits works the best. It stays wetter longer and wipes off easier.

[Chubs]

Thanks for the replys guys. I guess we all do about the same methods for removing tar. Guess I`ve been on the right track, thought maybe someone may have found a realy trick method.

I agree with ScubaStevo, when I was in FL 2 yrs ago I didn`t notice that much tar on the vehicles and that most roads are concrete. Like I said with that TA I did from Vegas, there was no tar on it!!

Neothin, your right I can`t beat that Grand Am. I hope you charged a good amount for that. Though I have seen a car around here that looks like that but its caked on all the way up to the molding in the middle of the car. Thank god they haven`t stopped to see if I can remove it. I`d might have to turn that one down.



Thanks again,

Chubs

[Ed Fisher]

Wow !! When we talk about tar here in Turkiye, we mean a couple of black spots; not spray like that on your poor Cheekee !! Oh boy ! I would have panicked if I EVER saw THAT on my car !!



WHHOOOPPPSS !! The side panels made me think it was a Grand Cherokee but it` s a Pontiac !! :o