Removing oil-based paint splatter
 

On the way to work today in my Honda (thank God it wasn't the Boxster) I came up on some slow traffic and discovered a flatbed truck had lost 30-40 gallons of what looked like beige paint or thin sheet rock mud.

I navigated my way through it fine and then a pick up truck went through a very large puddle of it and sprayed my front bumper, plastic headlamp, hood, passenger side glass, mirror, and doors with the stuff.

Any ideas as to what I should use to remove it without damaging the paint job or clear coat or the plastic lens of the headlamp?

PS - I doubled back to get the paint truck's license plate, but by then he'd secured his load and vanished. Grrr.

:ah:

Most hardward stores carry "grafitti remover", a solvent that removes paint without attacking the underlying paint.

Try that on the most inconspicuous splatter you have before moving on to the larger surface areas.

Follow up with good coat of Klasse or similar treatment.

Good luck!

:cheers:

I also thought of using some bug and tar remover that's clearcoat-safe and trying that. Any other ideas for me?

bump..............

I got this stuff of just with a scrub pad and some soapy water on my old 88 Eagle Premier. It was similar to a brillo pad but non-metal and alot less abrasive. I would just try to find a good pad to scrub it off with.

Hi Randall, I presume this is the same Honda that was destined for PC guinea pig duty? Did that happen already? If so, the new slick surface may make the whole thing a lot easier...

I'd start with the mildest thing possible and work up from there. For instance, start with P21S Total Auto Wash spray, applied to a small/less conspicuous area like Brucelee says. If that doesn't work then start climbing up the chemical strength ladder, but slowly. If at all possible I'd try to stay away from anything involving scrub pads unless you're sure they won't scratch. A good microfiber may be a great help?

BTW, if the stuff is drywall mud then it will: a) fall apart with water b) be abrasive as hell to the paint if rubbed. If you could hose off most of it first... worth a try?

It happened to the Honda pre-buff and detail. Kinda good in that if this happened after I put 10+ hours into the car buffing it, I would be PISSED beyond what I am now... although I agree with you, it would probably fall off with a sponge due to all the carnauba on the car. (FYI, pissed means angry, not drunk for all you brits reading this post.)

I have done most of the paint removal sans what I missed in the dark. It was indeed paint and not drywall mud. I cannot tell if it was oil based or water based, but it stuck to the car like superglue. I first tried bug and tar remover from Turtle Wax (only thing available at Pep Boys this side of rubbing compound) and that worked, but took forever to get a 2x2 inch square done.

Then I lubricated the paint surface with detailer's spray and tried a clay bar. Also worked, but scratched the clear coat quickly as the clay bar absorbed all the paint bits... $15 clay bar shot to hell in five minutes.

I finally just took a bucket full of Dawn and a little water and soaped up each panel and took my fingernail in a microfiber towel and picked it off one piece at a time. Took me nearly three hours, but the car's road-paint free now. My fingers are killing me to type this in though, and I have a mass of microscratches from the various ways I tried including the last one.

Menzerna's on the way though... I'll get that porter cable polisher busy on it the day I get the supplies and have it all shiny. I will take before and after pix.

If I ever see that flatbed truck and driver again, you guys won't be reading posts from me any longer unless the prison library has an internet connection. I'm gonna go postal on him!