Tree sap paint damage

Stock paint from Vintage with clear coat, destroyed by tree sap. See pix attached. I googled everything I could find. Any ideas besides 3M Imperial rubbing compound, reshoot the clear with my small gun, re-do the whole hood, "magic"? I have the paint color from VS (Aquamarine Metallic) and the Chrysler paint numbers. I was just hoping for someone to have some "trick". I am getting lazy in my old age. I fear is is just take it off and wet sand and paint and clear. All magic welcome.

Turtle Wax rubbing compound followed by wax.

Fred - the pic isn't 100% but from the looks of it the clear is blistered. No fixing that. If you rub the blistered area off you have exposed base-coat.

Sand and re-clear. Pretty sure you won't have to reshoot the color, just the clear.

There are alot of tricks for getting dried sap off paint. This is mine: Park the car in the sun to warm the sap. Then use a razor blade...carefully... Run the blade across your windshield to "curl" the edge of the blade upwards. Keep that side "upwards" and use the edge to remove the sap. When all of it is gone, use your choice of laquer thinner etc., to remove the residue. Polish and wax. Be careful, if you hands aren't steady you will slice thru the paint.

angela

If you have to re-shoot the clear just do the hood and then just polish and shine the whole car; it'll look perfect after you're done.

Thanks gang. That is what I thought but I wanted to quality control the thought. I am thinking I will take off the hood to decrease the overspray and hang it up in my plastic draped garage. Vertical is always better on the spray since no matter what you do on horizontal surfaces, one tiny molecule of dust polymerizes into a big bugger.

Thanks,

Fred Adler
San Diego

The tree sap should not penetrate the polyurathane clear coat. Get some extremely hot water ( wear rubber gloves or some sort of cotton gloves to protect your hands). Wash the car with ivory soap. Then use a clay bar. It's take some elbow greasy but this does works. My car was exposed to a sugar maple last year. The finish is still looks like new.

Unless of course that's Detroit tree sap. That stuff'll burn through nine inches of steel. Even Superman sticks to it! Remember to do the easiest things first...

That would be great if the clay bar worked. I have done that before on dark colored cars to get the swirls out. You are right it is an all day dance with the stuff. Reminds my of the 70's when we all had to Blue Coral our cars. Mother's is great clay bar stuff. I will definitely try that first. There was an article on a detailer site that claimed it might work as well. I just don't know how many coats Kirk puts down when he paints a car. If it were standard Deutschland................3-5 base coats and 3 clear, I am sure it could be brought back.

If there is still some "stickiness" to the sap you might want to try something like Goo-Gone or a bug/tar remover to take away the bulk of it. Then claybar/compound/whatever to finish it off.

Fred, is the car in San Diego now?

Not yet. I am still waiting for a reasonable transport from Michigan. This is my eighth transport so I am used to these guys. They put you up on a board and the transporters line them up and move them. I am antsy. I can't wait to get started on this job. I plan to start by taking off most of the trim and working on the body. I don't know what I need to do in the engine compartment or front but I have done my 914 which I got at an Escondido thift shop for $1100 and my (now sold to make room for more) MGB for $2000 from Venice beach. I am an amateur but I believe if you can read it, you can do it. I bought this one over the one in El Segundo on craigslist since it is a 2001 VS and I wanted to deal with something not "too old" like the 914 was. The amount of rewiring and scrounging for parts took me a year. I figure a wear and tear 2001 from VS can be brought back even if the "rust" monster of the midwest left scars.

My free opinion - Drive it the rest of the summer to see what you like/don"t like about it then tear it down in the fall/winter. Midwest winters have nothing on east cost or upstate NY/PA!

Getting tree sap off is normally not a big deal. I just use bug and tar remover. If you read the label on any bug and tar remover, you'll see that it removes tree sap as well. I've done it many times with great results and minimal effort. Wax when the sap is gone.

It is not the sap I am worried about. The pix I have since the car is en route shows severe lighter color. I wonder how far the sap has eaten into the clear and/or paint. Oh well, start with clay bar and see. I will hit it with clear if it is not into the paint. They must have some trees in Kalamazoo...............must really burn if you get it on you.

Fred Adler
San Diego

If the clay bar doesn't do the trick or not enough repair, try some Meguires "Scratch X". Apply with one of their foam applicator pads and rub like heck...lots of pressure and rapidly. I've seen this stuff work miracles on bird dropping stains. It couldn't hurt, especially if you plan to repaint anyway. Do not use rubbing compound...too gritty and it will require too much polishing to fix.
Good luck,
Joel

Thanks Joel. I actually ordered some of that stuff from a detailer's site. I also found that the Meguire's new super dual action buffer that they charge around $200 for with a few accessories is really a Porter Cable 7424 and with "stuff" is around $120. I got one of those since those wimpey orbital wax buffers don't do it on a touch up and I needed an idiot-proof device so as not to burn the paint on rub out.

I am hoping. I found more articles which say that if it burned through the clear, you can buff up the paint to the same shine. Like you said, what's to lose.

Another tip I picked up was on the chrome (rusty) wheels. It seems there is some stuff called S100 that bikers use on their spokes. There was even a You Tube on the net on this stuff. It is a clay based compound with a rough sponge and it is supposed to take the rust down to the pitting and clean it right up. I will let you know about that stuff with before and after pix when I get it done.

Fred, the PC isn't the same as the Meguiars device, but it will do just as good a job for you.

Make sure you use a suitable polish with that and don't remove any more clearcoat than you need to. If you need any detailed advice, drop me a mail.

I've got a Porter Cable, and have restored the paint on lots of cars with it - just make sure you use the right pad and polish combination to not remove more paint than you need.

Thanks Jon. I will do that. I thought I would start "light" and move to more aggressive if it does not do it. Better than starting the other way around. Waiting for the Porter Cable and pads AND of course the car which is in Indiana so far........

Fred Adler
San Diego

Fred, start here:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=63859

This is a seriously good resource for getting your car looking it's best

Jon -

That's an awesome article about detailing. Thanks for sharing that resource. I learn something new everytime I visit this site.

Peace - Out!

Fabulous how to...............just what I need!

Fred Adler
San Diego

Guys, I've done some pretty big improvements on lots of paint jobs, so if you want any advice on getting your car looking it's best, let me know. I'm happy to help with any questions.

If you want to see an example of removing fairly heavy defects and scratches from an old car, have a look at this thread where I sorted my wife's car:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=44489

Notice the swirls and scratches in the paintwork before, and the restored paint after.

Well it came into San Diego from Michigan last night and "holy sh---t" what a mess on the paint job. Meaning well, the guy who owned it also tried touching up one 2 inch round spot, but i think I can use 3M Imperial compound and take that off to see what is under it. I will be studying all the materials and have multiple pads and compounds coming in. The easiest way I see is to remove everything on the surface including the snaps since I want to replace all the screws with new stainless. I tried one of the untouched spots with fine compound by hand and it rubs down and leaves a haze that a lighter compound will buff out. Some spots may be worse but the next few weeks will tell me that.

Congratulations, Fred!
Good luck with the compounds. Sounds like you've got it well in-hand?

All but the worst is coming off. Unfortunately, that Michigan tree sap is similar to the Alien's blood and ate through very badly in some spots. Even when compounding from yellow to orange to white to blue with Lake County pads a Porter Cable and a series of compounds, the "hood" damage ones are so bad that they are concave even when shiney.

The color was allegedly 2000 Chrysler Aquamarine, BUT, it is not green but blue since when I got the stock paint, it sticks out like a green flag in the middle of a blue hood.

I pulled the bumper off and took it to TCP and they said three days to allow for drying time and they would match the paint closely so I can spray paint the front end and bleed it in to the rest of the car. Only $20 for the match from them with a purchase of a quart. 2/3 of the car rubbed out. 1/3 is trashed. It is funny because the 356 site color printed on multiple inkjets ("Aquamarine") is dead on but the Chrysler paint is way off and green.

Under carriage is not bad (must have sat out of the salted roads, and chrome wheels in process of aluminum painting. Side mirror is total crap. Thin frame is rusted through. Hours of Flitz on the windshield frame have brought it back 80%.

Sanded down the flat 4 wheel and waiting for Duracolor Ivory Gloss from the factory. Ongoing process.

Fred - I am impressed by your perserverence on your car. I look forward to seeing you & that bad boy on one of our SOC cruises real soon!

Perserverance or just stubborness. I am hoping for Halloween. A lot depends on my setting up my spray booth (yards of the plastic on the ceiling and walls with a fan to exhaust the spray when I get to painting the front end of the car (hopefully the paint will match decently). Did OK last time by wetting down the floor before painting to keep down the dust while a dance around the car painting. Thanks for the encouragement. If my amateur work with the carbs and timing don't cut it, I will just have to go to one of the old VW guys in town (the ones not saying "late model VW's) and get it running smoother.

WOW!! After your detail job on your car's interior,it's hard to believe that's the same car!

Thanks Jim. Old and stubborn does it. There are still a lot of cigarette burns on the carpet but with the budget, I will live with it. I hate that skinny shifter though. Even though I am going more "stock" on the thing, I ordered an EMPI trigger for $44.95 from MidAmerica. I figure I can teach my kids easier with a more substantial shifter. Here is the ONE side and back now after rub out. The other side is still ghetto and the front needs to be painted. I also did the third brake light thing with a 3/4 inch thick one from "Command Electronics" that fits nicely under the grill unlike the one for $14.95 from J.C. Whitney (greater than an inch thick). I guess it depends on the fiberglass molding under the grill for how much space you get.

It is nice to have someone appreciate the work (200+ hours so far)

Fred,

What is the model number for the 3rd brake light from Command Electronics?

It turns out they are about 20 miles from me.

003-74R Radius LED 3rd Brake Light 9.95" wide x .75" highx 1.6" deep $26.20

They just raised the price since I ordered. It works really well just tapped into one of the brake lights and the wires with it are long enough.

Good luck

Fred Adler
San Diego

Command Electronics, Inc
15670 Morris Industrial Dr.
Schoolcraft, Michigan 49087
Phone: (269)679-4011
Fax: (269)679-5410
Email: info@commandelectronics.com

Fred,

I got the light you suggested from Command Electronics.

It has two posts on the back for mounting.

Did you use those?

No they lay on the side if you look it. They "stabilize" it. Make sure the lights (LED's) face backwards. The posts are in back. All you need to do is get some clear silicon, the grate, and locate where it fits comfortably with the grate in place. (for me about 2/3's of the way down the grate. I put a blob of silicon in place and stuck the light down on it and taped it with masking to dry. The wire goes right out the top hole on the side you choose to tap into, along the hinge (attached with a cable tie), along the side wall (you can buy wire flex tube at Kragen or any auto supply for $2-3 bucks for 10 feet if you want to protect the wires, and then drop it down at the back of the engine compartment to meet and tap into the regular brake light and ground. Piece of cake. Takes around 20 minutes. I put a lug on the ground from the new light and put it under the same body ground as the regular tail light and I used the usual trailer taps to tap into the brake light wire.

As you look at the unit it has a big side and small side. The big side down, the posts in the back face the lights backward. The unit was made to fit at the roof line in the back window of an Impala or something like that.

Fred,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Mine came with a foam rubber gasket that fits over the posts and two speed-nuts for the posts. It sure looks like they intended the posts to be used for mounting. I realize that other methods could be used too, as you did.

It would be great if you could post a picture of your installation.

I hooked it up to my battery and see that it is most bright if the light is horizontal.

By the way, I am amazed at how many hours you have in to working on your car. It seems like only a few days ago it was still in transit from Michigan.

I am basically nuts...................or what is on TV does not motivate me so the garage is a great place to be.

I will take a closeup tonight for you.

I think it really will keep the SUV's off your butt.

Fred Adler
San Diego

Mike,

Here is the finished product brake lights. Easy and cheap.

Fred Adler
San Diego

Fred,

Thanks for the pictures.

I had thought you put it at the forward edge of the opening. I guess that wouldn't work because of the luggage rack.

Mike

I stood behind it and walked towards it and tried to figure out where is made the most sense. It seems that even on my Boxster, it is about that height. I tried to imagine myself sitting in a reasonable car and the height that would catch my attention.......we will see if I get rear ended. Anything is much better than those two little teardrops.......................plus it is a heck of alot brighter with those LED's.

Fred Adler
San Diego