Best de-tarring product

tech77

Hi.
Just bought Halford's de-tarring stuff to remove tar from the paintwork and it is ABSOLUTELY USELESS.
Anyone recommend any good de-tarring products.
Thanks.

L1011

I've used Holts in the past but it is ESSENTIAL not to get it on plastic trim. It leaches the colour out of plastic and is only suitable for use on paint.

peasant

Good old WD 40 works a treat !

On paint or plastic ...soak for a bit and then rub off with an old cloth

Alun

I've used both tar removal sprays and WD40 in the past with success, but one thing you have to do is to leave them on for a short while to soak in. Don't just spray them on and start wiping it off straight away.

tech77

OK cheers lads.
Should be better than the stuff I have anyway.
Where's the best place to get it.

niceirishfella

tech77 wrote: »

OK cheers lads.
Should be better than the stuff I have anyway.
Where's the best place to get it.

You'll get WD40 in any hardware outlet.
try and get it in the handy spray bottle reather than the can.

happy de-tarring!

rgds,

NIF

tech77

niceirishfella wrote: »

You'll get WD40 in any hardware outlet. try and get it in the handy spray bottle reather than the can. happy de-tarring! rgds, NIF

Thanks.

Masada

the best thing is panel wipe or paint thinners., and it wont damage your paint.,

rebel.ranter

Don't forget to clean & wax afterwards to prevent the paint work being exposed .

Masada

panel wipe is the stuff thats used to clean paint work and bodywork before painting., it wont cause any problems., its great for cleaning white cars in particular, it brings them back to new.,

rebel.ranter

Where would one get some panel wipe?

Masada

halfords should have it., or any motor factors., regular paint thinners/white spirits will do the same job.,

mike65

Anyone else use 95 RON from the lawnmower can?

Mike.

colm_mcm

mike65 wrote: »

Anyone else use 95 RON from the lawnmower can?

Mike.

Nope, find WD40 works fine! (or DT 5 or TT-Double if you're on a budget!)

cantdecide

mike65 wrote: »

Anyone else use 95 RON from the lawnmower can?

Mike.

MMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

TomMc

Autoglym's Intensive Tar Remover is the best option. Spread or spray it over the tar spots, but don't start wiping it straight away, just let the solution do it's job for a few minutes. The tar will start to dissolve and run down paint (brown streaks). Then go over the spots again with a microfibre cloth or pad and some of the tar remover, to wipe away the lot. All but the most stubborn tar will come off easy. Then wash the paint as normal with a shampoo to remove any leftover solvent.

Seperate

I've found Autoglym & Turtle Wax (only stuff in Halfords) didn't shift the more stubborn stuff.

Concept Tar & Glue is great stuff, tar on the paint & wheels will come off straight away with that stuff.

cantdecide

I find Autoglym's range is very hit and miss.

I might try Mer's tar remover- anything I've tried by them has been good. Their tyre cleaner, I find is the best by a long long way.

colm_mcm

I like Auto Glym's air freshener, tyre dressing, tar and glue remover, and instant show shine. I don't use their polish.

stratos

Yes the best and cheapest tar removal is petrol.

yes I can almost hear the cries of oh my god your paintwork.

I have been using petrol to remove tar for 20 years, I smoke while I do it too.
the trick is to wet the cloth rub it over the panel and leave for about 30 seconds then work on the tar spots.

Nothing works like it. clean the car of with a good automotive (not washing up liquid) detergent then polish and seal.

Benny-c

White spirit but you MUST wax afterwards.....fairly cheap too.

JHMEG

mike65 wrote: »

Anyone else use 95 RON from the lawnmower can?

Mike.

The quickest, the cheapest and the shed nearly always has it in stock.

Must try WD40 tho, since it's based on fish oil and not bad for me.

Seperate

I wouldn't put petrol/oil/white spirits near my car personally.

There are enough products designed for the job.

stratos

most of the products you buy for expensive money contain petroleum distillate or petrol or kerosene or paraffin the other stuff just makes it smell nice.
Paraffin on its own is good too a bit slower and hard to get now. either way tar is a hydrocarbon and will only be dissolved by other hydrocarbons.

You can buy a cheap spirit or expensive stuff.

Volvoboy

Yep petrol!! is the one i'd go for, Petrol was replaced by panel wipe a few years back to degrease a primed repair before being painted, it does the exact same job. FACT!


-VB-

BostonB

Seperate wrote: »

I wouldn't put petrol/oil/white spirits near my car personally.

There are enough products designed for the job.

I know what you mean. But I've tried some off the shelf stuff and was baffled why they worked so poorly. Some of the comments here would seem to agree with my experience.

Masada

Volvoboy wrote: »

Yep petrol!! is the one i'd go for, Petrol was replaced by panel wipe a few years back to degrease a primed repair before being painted, it does the exact same job. FACT!


-VB-

yep, petrol is very good aswell., just the smell of it that can get to you after a while., i still use it if we dont have any panel wipe handy.,

Seperate

BostonB wrote: »

I know what you mean. But I've tried some off the shelf stuff and was baffled why they worked so poorly. Some of the comments here would seem to agree with my experience.

To be fair, most of the 'off the shelf stuff' (in this country anyway) in the way of car care is poor. Waxes/polishes/towels etc. you buy here are either too expensive for what they are and/or poor at what they are supposed to do.

Autoglym/Meguiars products you buy on the shelf are not good products. When you go into their 'professional range' - thats when you start to get value for money and decent produtcs. Even then, there are better brands.

Same goes for this stuff. I'd imagine the reason why there isnt much 'intensive' tar remover on the shelf is because someone would inevitably do harm to themselves using it.

mike65

vtec wrote: »

yep, petrol is very good aswell., just the smell of it that can get to you after a while.

Mmm that and matches smell great, just not together

Mike.

MarkN

Any valeting place I've ever been in use petrol to remove tar.

I would have no problem using petrol on my 07 car once it's waxed after.

JoeySully

I have used a few of them - last car i bought was heavily covered in tar. i spent 3 hrs trying to get it off with the turtle was stuff in the black spray can grrrr useless

6 months later i was a spray tar remover - it was soooo easy did the whole car in 20 mins - cant remember what it was called but i do remember that it had a flamable and a dangerouous fo the enviornment sighns on the back- so i think thats a goood rule for serious tar removal if its not flamable nad dangerous for the enviournment then it CRAP - but i wouldnt be using it on a 07!!

daedalus2097

Can't remember the name of the stuff but there's a de-tarring bar available that's like putty. Takes a little bit of work but you rub it over the paint and it takes all the heavy, sticky dirt off and leaves it looking spectacular. Never seen anything come close to it. If I could only remember the bloody name...

Run_to_da_hills

vtec wrote: »

the best thing is panel wipe or paint thinners., and it wont damage your paint.,

Depends on the thinners, white spirits or turps would be ok but cellulose or 2k thinners would destroy paintwork. I use petrol on a rag and then wash off woth sopa and warm water

MarkN

daedalus2097 wrote: »

Can't remember the name of the stuff but there's a de-tarring bar available that's like putty. Takes a little bit of work but you rub it over the paint and it takes all the heavy, sticky dirt off and leaves it looking spectacular. Never seen anything come close to it. If I could only remember the bloody name...

Clay bar. Probably the best of the lot actually!

Just make sure you have lots of soapy water on the surface you are rubbing the clay over.

http://www.detailer.ie/shop/product_info.php?products_id=58

TomMc

A clay bar is best for removing other types of bonded contaminants like industrial fallout, overspray, rail dust & metal shavings (iron particles), etc rather than tar. Stuff that you can feel but not really see with the naked eye. If there is any grit within tar spots there is a much higher chance of marring the paint with a clay bar than with a solvent type of product which will dissolve the tar with much less of a rubbing action.