Where to start with sap removal?

[imported_perry]

Was just over at my Uncle`s house with my mom, and her car was parked right under a tree. When we left, there were tiny sap drops all over the windshield and hood (and I imagine the roof and trunk, though I didn`t look). The car has week old S100 on the horizontal surfaces, and it got a couple coats of EX-P about 2.5 months ago. I think I`ve also used WAUD a time or two in the past 2.5 months.



Where should I start with removing it? I`ve seen suggestions of clay and mineral spirits, but I`d like to start with the least aggressive method. Would washing get rid of it?



I may not be able to devote a good chunk of time on it until next weekend... should I have mom run through the touchfree wash on Monday? Run over there now and take the car to the quarter wash?

[imported_perry]

Actually, I think I`ll go back over there now. She has her little nieces at the neighborhood pool and has to take them home, so I`ll just ride along and make her stop at the quarter wash on the way home. Hopefully that does the job since the surface is pretty well protected.

[shaf]

Before you worry if it is actually sap or not, try washing it off first.



Check this out: http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12977&highlight=sap+sugar



If it really is sap and it is covering the entire car like that.... I`m not sure what I`d do! I`d be torn between clay and bug remover, but I guess it`d depend on how big the droplets are and how much of the stuff there was.

[imported_perry]

The quarter wash did the trick, as best as I could tell in the lighting of the wash bay. There was actually a bug remover spray at the wash, so I sprayed using that, then their soap, then rinse, then spot free rinse. Worked fine, but I bet it took off the wax. Oh well, easier to add more S100 than deal with hardened sap (or whatever it was).



I`m not a botanist or chemist, so I don`t know if it was actually sap... Getting the car washed within about 4 hours of first parking under the tree probably helped.



On a lighter note, we pulled in to a parking lot earlier in the day and saw a pretty beat up mid-90`s Crown Victoria. Mom used to have one em, so I guess it caught her eye. She asked me, "Is that what happens when you don`t wax the car?" She`s starting to understand the importance of the work I do :)

[Matt M, PA]

My restored Plymouth seems to get sap on it on a regular basis, as some shows put the AACA Senior cars under shade.



I take a cool, damp towell and some ZAino Gloss Enhancer (instant detailer)....and it all wipes off.