Thread: tree sap

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what is the best way to get tree sap off of my paint? no money for buffing. trying to use bug, tar, and sap remover, but it took me a 1/2 hour just to get the spoiler cleaned off. with my first car show sunday i'm looking for a faster way. any ideas?

laundry soap and a good stiff brush. Anything that will dissolve the sap stronger than that will ruin your paint. Otherwise i would suggest rubbing Alchohol.

try good old hot water, really hot.

it's like bugs. biodegradable. falconstien is steering you right. HOT water and dawn soap works well. you have to break it down first.

Vinegar might help, works on bug guts on windshields.

i forgot to mention that i put it in storage two years ago with the sap on it, so now it has crystalized. not my smartest move, but had a lot come up all at once, so i kind of forgot i even had the car until about a month ago. now i'm paying for it, in elbow greese. i've tryed soap and water, but that has no effect. this stuff is on there good. thanks for the help though, i'll just keep on scrubbing.

i use 1 cup powder soap and 1cup bleach per gal hot water for wax and bug remover, of course you start shine over.

will vinegar hurt my paint? if not thats worth a shot.

not know vinegar

if you are trying to just remove the sap and don't care about the finish then try some harsh abrasive soap.If you are interested in saving the finish, hot water will remove most of it. Sap when hard is like sugar, hot water will melt it. Lay a towel on say the roof saturate the towel with hot water leave it there till it softens the sap, reapply the hot water if needed. I've cleaned some of the worst sap messes up this way. Elbow grease is the best answer and the best way to learn a lesson about car care.

I had a problem close to yours with a paint issue. I got a flat tire in the desert on my highboy roadster, used fix-a-flat to fix it. The hole in my tire was real big from a screw driver on the freeway. The fix-a-flat just slowed the leak down till I got to a place to get a new tire. It was real hot that day 115deg the fix-a-flat glued itself to the side of my car coming out of the tire hole while driving. I also tried everything, also had nice paint to worry about. The only thing that worked was Turtle Wax bug & tar remover and it did not damage the paint. www.hotrodinteriorsbyglenn

If its actually crystalized or hardened - try charcoal lighter or mineral spirits on a small spot.

Otherwise -
What shine and falconstein said!

I deal with oak sap on a regular basis.
Hot soapy presoak gets it started, then rub it out.

Use and old soft tee shirt, and rinse it a lot.

But that's before its hardened for a long time as yours has.

Bert

Clay Bar should take it right off

the turtle waxis what i've been useing. takes time, but it's comeing off. went down to the local body shop, and he had some orange bug remover that worked real slick, so i bought a bottle for 5 bucks. looks like i get to go to my first car show after all.

good news, all of the sap came off. left some small yellow dye spots, but there not to noticeable. good lesson, know matter how hectic life gets always clean my car. hopefully i'll have pics up, sometime next week, from local car show sunday.