I had to park my ZX3 under a tree the other day at work. Sure enough, I ended up with a couple of sap stains!! I scrubbed and scrubbed but could not get it to totally come off! Does anyone know of any products that would remove the sap without also taking off the paint?

Try a light rubbing compound and a soft cloth. That's what I used to remove stains I had from when somebody egged my hood (where it didn't eat through my paint. Doh!)

NO! DON'T USE RUBBING COMPOUND!! Use a Sap & Tar remover from Turtle Wax. If you can't find this product then use some nail polish remover and/or turpentine. You won't remove the paint. It's already set. In order to remove the paint you must use "paint remover." Most chemicals that disolve sap/tar and road grime do their job while leaving the paint behind. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T USE RUBBING COMPOUND ON YOUR CLEARCOAT!!! YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU DID.

Ok... too bad i didnt know about rubbing compound...<br>the day i got my car, some wet paint off the road came up and hit my hood, and i used Turtle Wax Polishing Compound... did i hurt the clearcoat [and can i get my clearcoat fixed or something?]???

It depends upon the grade of compound. Compounds are used to "grind" away imperfections in the paint both right after the car's been painted and then later to get that mirror shine. The process is called "cutting." Most compounds you get at local auto stores are considered to be fine to medium grade, but they are not to be used on clear coat paint. This will scratch the clear coat and make it look dull. If you are experienced with using various grades of "cutting" compounds and a buffer you can "cut" through this part of the clear coat to expose undamaged clear coat. BUT, you have to be very careful with the buffer and be very careful with the amount and the grade of compound. You can "cut" right through to the metal of the car! <br><br>To answer your question about getting it fixed, yes you can fix it (or have it done) by a professional detailing shop. They have the equipment and proper compounds to buff out the area that's been slightly damaged by manually compounding and restore the clear coat to it's original lustre. Remember though, the area that's been restored will have a slightly thinner clear coat than original. Also, we're talking microns of thickness here. You won't be able to tell by touch that there's less clear coat in a given area. <br><br>The product you say you used is great on older cars that aren't clear coat nor metalic paint. Solid colors clean up great using this product, BUT you still have to be careful about rubbing preasure and/or exposure to an area being buffed using any mechanical buffer. Orbital air driven buffers are the best to use, but are also have the most difficult technique for proper application. These spin at very high rpm's and can burn through the paint to the metal in mere seconds. A very light pressure is employed when using this type of buffer. The buffers you buy in the auto parts stores are fine for most hobbists as they have an "orbital action" but don't actually spin, they vibrate in a circular motion. <br><br>Compound 101 Class Concluded<br><br>Focus On DUDE!

well, i used the Turtle Wax and a towel to get the white paint off my green focus... i just put some of the polishing compound on the towel and rubbed in circles until the white paint disappeared and then i moved on to the next spot...<br>(A) do you think i messed up the clearcoat and should get it fixed and<br>(B) how much do detailing shops charge to "repair" a clearcoat?

Since the area that you describe is small, it doesn't sound like you could have damaged the finish. Just keep the car waxed, and don't use anything that has an abrasive or a lable stating "cleaner" wax as these have a small amount of compound in them. Use only waxes specifically formulated for clearcoats. Maquires has a full line of excellent products for these finishes.<br><br>Most detailing shops charge somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 for "clear coat restoration." Some go higher and others not quite so much - but this is what I'm finding here in the SF Bay Area. <br><br>Remember . . . Keep it Focused!

I spoke with a body shop supervisor at the Ford dealer where I bought my ZX3 yesterday and asked him about the Turtle Wax polishing compound that I used, and he said that it shouldn't have messed anything up... which, needless to say, made me a little happier... I should get my car back some time today [hopefully] :c)

Whoa you guys got it all wrong, rubbing compound won't work, and it will screw up your clearcoat, and bug and tar remover wont work either, I've had the same problem with tree sap before, the only thing that works is detailing clay. you can buy it at a body shop, or buy the expensive/ripoff Mother's Clay system at Kragen/Shucks, that works just as good. It'll take it right off but make sure you use plenty of spray-on wax to lubricate the bar.