Wizbit Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 I spent 8 hrs doing my first detail on my car on Saturday and it looked absolutely stunning afterwards. I started with a wash & dry, then clay bar, then a coarse polish on selected areas of small scratches. Next a coat of super resin polish, then a coat of Carlack acyrilic sealer, followed by a coat of meguiers paste wax. After doing all this by hand I have decided that a DAS-6 machine polisher is on the shopping list for next time! Anyway, took the car to the pub for lunch yesterday and parked under a tree. We were only there for one and a half hours but when I got back to the car it was covered (and i mean covered) in sticky sap. Gutted. How am i best removing this? Just a wash or do i need to go over it all again with a clay car? If i do use a clay bar again, will it also strip off the wax and sealer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelwind101 Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Hi! Thats pretty bad to hear after all the hardwork, it might just wash off. Pine sap seems to be pretty tough to remove other types sometimes come off easier. There are a couple of ways to get it all off, i would start by getting ready to wash the car, so pre-rinse then then sink a couple of MF cloths in to some very hot (normal strengh soap) wash mix and leave them on the car until they cool down. Its work well at softening bugs and sap! Then was wash the area as normal, use your finger to see if the sap will easily come off. Failing that your probably back at stage one with needing to clay. It will probabaly remove the protection and you will need to apply SRP again to ensure that pores of the paintwork are clear/clean otherwise the Carlack sealant wont have as good bonding as it requires. Pre-soak tough sap spots with APC or bug and insect remover first. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizbit Posted May 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try a hot MF towel as suggested and hope that works, as i can't face starting the whole process again after only 2 days! Managed to get some pictures before the tree sap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 To get hardened pine or eucalypt sap off my babies, I fill a watering can with fairly warm (not hot) water and flood the affected surfaces - works every time for me. Especially just after they have been cleaned... Otherwise i make sure I have a very warm water rinse as the first rinse when washing them - that too seems to lift the sap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelwind101 Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 The car looks great....and what a lot of car it is too! Im not suprised you dont want to want to go over it all again. As with Rachels suggestion and my towel suggestion, if you can get sap soft it should come off a lot easier with out extra chemicals etc. The silvery colour looks great, which Meguiars wax did you use? Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 I reckon a regular wash will remove it ok. Your fresh coat of wax should help. One step at a time - you don't want to undo your hard work in a hurry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Sounds like you wont have too much trouble getting it off as its fresh but for anyone looking to get more stubborn tree sap off that has hardened try Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) it works great but will strip any wax / sealant applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizbit Posted May 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I used some warm MF towels last night before a wash and it all came off reasonably easily in the end. Phew! Someone told me it might have been aphid droppings? There was a hell of a lot of it, so i'm not sure about that... The silvery colour looks great, which Meguiars wax did you use? I used Meguiars #16 paste wax. Only £12.95 for a tin, but it came out awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted May 18, 2010 Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 Glad you got it sorted ok. Car looks excellent. I like that colour (Akoya??). I used to have an A3 in that colour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizbit Posted May 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 Car looks excellent. I like that colour (Akoya??). I used to have an A3 in that colour. It's Quartz metallic grey. It does look a lot brighter and nicer now it's had a good polish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelwind101 Posted May 18, 2010 Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 HI Wizbit, My old green Peugeot used to get lots of bug droppings on it, they do look a bit like sap. #16 is a great wax, very durable too! Its great to here thats all cleaned up good esp. after all the hardwork! Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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