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

[F-150]

I had a tar problem a while ago, I tried the turtle wax bug and tar remover..it did very little. So I just bought the body solvent from the detailer line..heard it's the way to go. It's shipped on its way to me.

[buda]

Chubb

If you are speaking of the normal asphalt that you would get on a car then if you are using the proper tar and grease remover it should easily remove that by simply spraying it on the asphalt, letting it dwell and wiping off with a towel.

If the products you have been trying to do not do this contact me directly and I can steer you to one that will.

If you have heavy concentrations of asphalt on the car, first thing you do is add the extra time to remove into the price of the detail, without question. In fact, a motorist can often claim the cost to remove heavy concentrations of asphalt or road paint on their comprehensive without any effect on their insurance rates.

That aside, the way to remove heavy concentrations of asphalt is to spray, of course, with a true asphalt or tar remover. Then take a paint and tar scraper and scrape it off using more chemical as needed until it is all gone.

A paint and tar scraper is a "LARGE" plastic razorblade, so to speak. It is 1.5" wide x 3" long and is quite handy for this purpose.

Regards
Bud Abraham
DETAIL PLUS
buda@detailplus.com

[Pete-FWA]

Chubs,

In our types of climate (PA, IN), where the ground freezes and thaws, the roads blister and crack. Pothole repairs are a way of life.

This isn't necessarily the case in the warm climates. Sure, they have road repairs too, but they're not as frequent and they don't have to use cold patch nearly as often as we do. This cuts back on most of the exposure to asphalt/road tar.

Right now, I use a clinging solvent. From what I've read, it's very similar to Meguiar's Body Solvent. (I'm still working out of a 55 gal drum I had left from my business, but it's almost gone.)

This product goes on as the very first step of my detailing prep wash process. I spray it on, then it works while I go around the vehicle spraying other chemicals (APC in wheel wells, bug remover, wheel cleaner). **Caution: do not let it dry on the surface and do not apply to a hot surface.** If the tar is bad, I spray a second application before I run the pressure washer on the wheels, wells, and the clinging solvent. This saves a great deal of time when removing tar.

After being saturated by the solvent, some of the spots will lift during the acutal vehicle wash. After washing and drying, some will often remain. The most difficult spots get worked by hand later using wax/grease remover or even lacquer thinner. If there's not much left, a quick pass or two with the clay does the trick.

[Chubs]

thanks for the replies guys. I've thought about prespraying before I wash, but have been afraid too. One reason is with it drying and the other is with the tar or asphalt clinging to my wash mitt and scratching the cars finish. Then I have more scratches to remove when buffing the finish. Pete your right on with our roads. They ****, big time. I loved it when I was in FL 2 years ago. The roads were so smooth.I realize I have to move if I want to reduce the time dealing with tar and asphalt. I'm just looking for new ideas. Guess I"m gong to play around with some different tar removers in the near future.

Buda you're going to have mail!

Thanks, chubs