Tree Sap
 

I'm trying to clean up a 99 Jeep to sell for my son. The hood is in terrible shape. It has been left outside and I would guess under a tree.

It appears to have tree sap on it. I've tried a clay bar and misc. cleaners to no avail. I'm fearful that it has caused permanent damage to the paint.

Any suggestions?

I'm going to recommend you take it to a detailer and see what they can do. With any luck it's just the clear coat that is damaged and a detailer would be able to fix it with a variety of abrasives and polishes.

Unless of course you want to try this yourself? I suggest the detailer because they have the proper tools, products and hopefully the experience to do this. It may run you a couple hundred but might pay for itself in the sale...

Get a PC orbital polisher. They sell them at Lowes. It'll be well worth the result before placing a for sale ad. Its funny how much a solid detailing job can jump the price of a car, particularly one sold sight unseen through the internet.
And of course you can use the PC on your Porsche. This is a must have piece of equipment for a black car IMHO. You'll need to order a flexible backing plate and
and a polishing pad and buffing/finishing pad. I recommend Menzerma Intensive Polish or one of the Optimum polishes. I've seem miraculuous transformations with these products. And the Jeep is only 7 years old, there's a brand new finish under all that crud.

besides,Taking it to a detailer will cost you the same price of buying the PC.

Crappy paint on a Jeep is called "patina". Leave it alone.

Seriously, however, the clear coat has probably been damaged and about the only thing to do is possibly see if the shine can be restored by a little judicious use of abrasive cleaners such as Maguire's Heavy Cut Cleaner.

The forum's resident detailing expert, Perfectlap, will doubtless weigh in with recomendations on magic potions and special incantations that will restore it to pristine beauty in nothing flat, so watch for his post, and then disregard mine.

See what I mean? He even beat me to it.

Have you successfully removed all the tree sap? A clearcoat-safe solvent would be best for that.

I can testify to the excellent idea of using Menzerna Intensive Polish to clean up a damaged, scratched clear coat. It really does work wonders when used with a PC random orbital buffer... but you may have to hit the hood multiple times as Menzerna is properly advertised as:

"A rubbing compound that thinks it's a polish" or "A polish that does the work of a rubbing compound without the potential dangers"

What this means is it does the job well, but for tough assignments, multiple applications of the product are in order. My boxster's paint needed 2x with the Intensive Polish to remove the deep swirl marks.

Final Polish comes after that, and then I used Klasse all in one to seal it all and BLAM! I got one amazingly shiny and swirl-free black boxster.

I owe all my detailing success to Perfectlap. He is our resident guru, the one with the deep luster and GT3 Sport seats!

PS - I bought my PC online and saved a bundle. It was $119 and had free shipping.

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Dude, you're nearbye!
Try a product called S 100. I've always found it good at gidding ride of bugs and hard stuff.

^ that image is disturbing..

RN,2X's? wow I'm sursprised you didn't have to do the shirtless rain dance around the PC. Your boxster must have been woeful. That stuff is potent.

I saw a 993 black that looked like HELL (from Spain) the guy took pics after Menzerma IP and IPII and he had the gonads to take the pics IN THE SUN! Not one swirl! I wonder how many a P-car lover have been duped into a repaint by not having this info.

p.s.
I've tried removing long standing tree sap (actually oxidized the clear coat!) from a friend's SUV and that would not come out manually. You need speed not pressure. You may get the tree sap off but the result might end up looking like chocolate chip cookie, clean spots amongst a dirty background.

I've used Throttle Body cleaner and a rag to get sap off my other cars....i dont park the porsche under pine trees or fresh cut trees.....IT works well but you will have to wax that area once your done getting the sap off, cause the throttle body cleaner strips the wax and other protectants from the paint surface. Use in moderation