Sap Stains

[pinklemonade]

Have a green ‘96 Cadillac Deville coming in in a few weeks and the owner says there are a lot sap stains in the paint. Any thoughts on how to deal with these safely? Will claying be enough? Thanks!

[Ron Ketcham]

Suggest you look closely at them with a 30X magnifier before quoting any job prices or creating expectations in the customers mind.

Usually, on that age of vehicle, the paint is not so much stained, but "cracked" or "crazed".

Grumpy

[Alandf]

Have a green ‘96 Cadillac Deville coming in in a few weeks and the owner says there are a lot sap stains in the paint. Any thoughts on how to deal with these safely? Will claying be enough? Thanks!

Try isopropyl alcohol as a first step. ( drugstore ) It will help keep your clay from getting clogged and dirty.

[Lonnie]

IF it`s pine sap, the paint will be etched (or more correctly, chemically burned). You may need to colorsand some of the areas; not for the inexperienced or do-it-your-selfer. You can try buffing them out, but I doubt that unless you have a good rotary and the skills to handle one, you will make the surface "acceptable" by the Autopian standards. THen again, the owner may be pleased with just getting the sap off the surface and can live with some of the etching.

Let us know what happens and post a few pictures would help as well.

[imported_animes2k]

I`ve found long sitting sap to etch and even raise the paint surface underneath it. I`d be hesitant to try and correct it beyond compounding or polishing.



But removal of the sap itself is usually quite easy with an isopropyl soak and wipedown.