Boomyal
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2003
- Messages
- 12,072
It's fun to rediscover old tricks and techniques. I bought a 2006 Explore a year and a half ago. It desperately needed to be detailed, especially on the outside. The wheel wells, the running boards and rockers and the chrome wheels were spattered with hardened road tar. I do not know how long ago it occurred but it has least been on it since I bought it. Along the way I tried various things to remove the tar but they were so tedious that I never made much progress.
Now I had the time and desire to get to cleaning it up. I started by using hydrogenated kerosene (spray engine cleaner). It was working but was still very slow and tedious. I came in an googled "remove road tar" and ended up on a forum where a poster talked about gasoline.(all amidst predictions of doom from some other posters)
Bingo, I knew that but it had been so long since I did it, it never occurred to me. I got a rag and a little plastic tub and started with the wheels. The tar just dissolved. I then moved on to the paint. One pass with a wet rag, wait a few seconds then go back and start wiping. The tar just slid off the paint. In short order I worked my way all around the car. Slick as a whistle now.
Now I had the time and desire to get to cleaning it up. I started by using hydrogenated kerosene (spray engine cleaner). It was working but was still very slow and tedious. I came in an googled "remove road tar" and ended up on a forum where a poster talked about gasoline.(all amidst predictions of doom from some other posters)
Bingo, I knew that but it had been so long since I did it, it never occurred to me. I got a rag and a little plastic tub and started with the wheels. The tar just dissolved. I then moved on to the paint. One pass with a wet rag, wait a few seconds then go back and start wiping. The tar just slid off the paint. In short order I worked my way all around the car. Slick as a whistle now.