Just bought a 1999 Lexus LS 400. Really nice car. On the way back, literally, with the car, something splattered up on the side, down low,
passenger side between the wheels. Tried rubbing it off with (1) wet paper towel (2) Goo Gone (3) gasoline and (4) Turtle wax polishing compound, the
stuff that came in the old green steel can. Nothing seemed to touch it. Any ideas on anything else to try? At this point if I can’t get it off, I am faced with
either just leaving it alone, or spending money to have some body shop paint over it. Advice appreciated.
While it probably won’t work, I’d try Turtle Wax Bug and Tar remover.
Be VERY careful with that polishing compound, it could damage the finish.
Any way to post a picture of it?
Got a picture? We might be able to give better tips if we had an idea what we were dealing with.
Based on the products you have tried, I’d take it to a detailer and have them do it. Last fall our car was parked overnight at a motel in Fishkill, NY. When I came out in the morning there was some kind of crud splattered all over the back. I don’t know what it was and had a heck of a time getting it off. It was almost like stucco over-spray. I ended up just starting over with the clay bar, plastic scraper, then machine polishing compound, machine swirl remover, machine glaze and wax. I still find a spec once in a while. If you don’t have the skill, materials, or equipment though, just pay a detailer a hundred or so to do it instead. A clay bar alone won’t probably get it off and will need to be carefully scraped and polished.
What color is it at least!
A detailer is definitely the way to go. They’ll have it cleaned up post-haste.
If the things you’ve already tried didn’t even make a dent, concur w/the above, you’ll probably need to bring in a pro. This might be some kind of teenager practical joke where something is placed in the road intended to splash up on any car that drives over it.
If it reflects shiny with a light on it at night, …it’s stripe paint.
And a paint remover for that may just take off the car paint too.
I vote pro too.
For the record, a story with a moral…
When I first bought my car in 2005, the first thing I did was give it a good wax job with a good wax. Only days after, I came out of a K-Mart and some schmuck had sprayed a neon orange paint stripe across my new car’s back end. I went straight home and washed it off… completely, totally, and without residue.
There’s no guarantee that a wax job would have protected your finish. But it couldn’t hurt it either. I’ve done the same “first thing” with all my new cars since my first one in '72 and never regretted it.
The car already had a coat of Megular’s wax on it.
The splatter looks just like a bunch of tar was on the road. There would be no new information from putting up a picture. Of course, it’s not tar.
Maybe I’ll just have it painted over.
Ask a detailer first. If that splatter has any body to it, an overspray won’t make it right… and might even be more costly than having a detailer remove it.
Bug and Tar will remove tar. Worked for me.
A fingernail can be a wonderful tool!
Goo Gone and gasoline both remove tar. It isn’t tar.
Try carb cleaner or lacquer thinner on a small spot.
Maybe its tar but I suspect it is something harder. I don’t believe any of those chemicals are going to do anything, just like in my case. Gotta lubricate the surface with the clay bar detailer solution, and carefully use a plastic or even razor scraper. Then polish. See youtubes on removing overspray for the general idea. I don’t think this is normal stuff just like mine, and way beyond Turtlewax consumer stuff.
@“the same mountainbike” 's story reminds me of a funny thing that happened to my truck a few years ago. I noticed one morning my poor truck was totally covered in what appeared to be dog poo! Seriously, from the roof to the rocker panels, hood and tailgate, someone had purposely rubbed dog poo all over. It must have been quite an unpleasant job for them to do. And time consuming. And in the middle of the night … lol … No worries, since my truck had been recently waxed, it took me about 5 minutes effort to wash it all off with just a garden hose.
Lacquer thinner didn’t work either. Detail shop guy said have a body shop paint over it.
Suggest that a home shop paint job might not work because the panel is plastic and painting it might result in a poor color match. DS guy also suggested I might just leave it alone, since it is down very low and not noticeable to a casual inspection. Bothers me to do that, since the car is otherwise so nice looking.
There would be no new information from putting up a picture. Of course, it's not tar.
Then there is nothing more constructive we can tell you other than “take it to a professional.”
I have not tried a clay bar. I thought it would not work if the Turtle Wax Polish did not work, but some apparently think it is worth a try. So I will.
Professional: $566 to paint all the lower panels on the passenger side of the car.