Washing The Car With Paint Thinner

**explorer** · 10-12-2003, 03:52 PM

:scared A friend of mine was working on his garage and accidentely sprayed tar all over is Explorer and he told me that he just washed the hole car with paint thinner:nono but he said he does this all the time even when he gets road tar from the hot asphalt (this happens during the summer months).

Is this guy crazy by washing the car with paint thinner almost every two months :nixweiss

I told him about P21S total wash , his reply "save your money I have been detailing my cars for 15 years never bought anything but car soap and my cars are rust free"

The thing is his cars are rust free, are we missing something here , should I stick to the P21S total wash or buy paint thinner by the gallon

:scared

Doesn`t paint thinner weeken the plastic?

**BradE** · 10-12-2003, 03:55 PM

What do you mean by "paint thinner"? Minerial spirits? If so, Minerial spirits won`t harm automotive paint, but it`s not something I`d use if I didn`t have to.

**explorer** · 10-12-2003, 04:03 PM

Yes , Mineral spirits, I do understand that it is OK on paint but what about the plastic trim , is it OK on them to?

**BradE** · 10-12-2003, 04:04 PM

It depends on the type of plastic, how it`s colored, etc. It`s almost impossible to make a blanket statement if it will, or will not, harm plastic.

**explorer** · 10-12-2003, 04:27 PM

Thanks for your replies ShowroomLincoln.

Would non coulored plastic (grey right through)not smooth a little rough like on my XLT, absorb this mineral spirit and if so damage it in any way?

**BradE** · 10-12-2003, 04:31 PM

Like I said, it`s impossible to tell without knowing the acutal composition of the plastic.

If the plastic is gray, it`s colored. :p

**explorer** · 10-12-2003, 04:44 PM

Thanks again, I`ll stick to the P21S and look into the make up composition of my trim.

I`ll let my friend`s car be the guinea pig on this one.

Thanks again ShowroomLincoln.

**Mizzuri** · 10-12-2003, 08:44 PM

Bmw in Australia use Kerosene to dewax cars once they are imported.

They are then washed a few times and sealed/waxed.

**imported_Larry A** · 10-12-2003, 09:03 PM

Back in the mid 60s I worker for a Pontiac dealership, new cars would come sprayed with cosmoline, I washed the cars with kerosene to get the cosmoline off.

**69-912** · 10-14-2003, 10:01 AM

I used paint thinner sometimes to remove embedded bugs on the PT. Also it is good to use on the section of the bumper that you can see behind the back tires where the tires throw tar and such upon. However be careful with it. I have seen it remove the color from many plastics.

It also works good on seatbelt stains sometimes.

**togwt** · 10-14-2003, 12:20 PM

Back in the 50s new cars (BMW/ Mercedes) would come sprayed with wax (I think it was cosmoline) I washed the cars with kerosene, then used Autoglym resin. Now I use Zymol Strik to get the cosmoline off (still using Autoglym for protection :-) ).