I got my car with the plastic wrap still on the exterior. What's the best way to remove the glue that holds the tape on? Is that a job for a claybar or something else?

 

WD40 works well as does most bug/tar remover. I'd personally recommend the latter as it's been forumated to be safe with paint.

 

If your car was new, the dealership has a responsiblility to prep the car. Point it out to them, and for your inconvenience of bringing it back in, ask them for a freebie.

 

+1 . . . Your car should have received a thorough prep and detail prior to you driving it off the lot.

 

No, I asked them not to wash/wax it.

When I peeled off the plastic and washed the car I see that it left fine lines of sticky stuff just around the edges where the plastic was. It comes off if I rub it kind of hard with a microfiber towel, but I don't want to rub that hard.

 

Use Stoner's Tarminator to remove the adhesive residue. It's paint and clear coat safe.

 

I think you were smart to not have them prep it.

I would suggest soaking the car with a diluted bug and tar remover (something like Poorboy's Bug Sqaush if my favorite) so that you can dissolve as much as possible without scrubbing. Note, this will remove any wax you may have on the car. After that, I would wash it and then clay bar the whole thing. You will then be ready for a final wash and application of your wax or sealant.

This is what i did with my 06 and found it to work very well. The trick is to try to dissolve the glue residue before doing anything else.

-GT

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Hopefully Grand Auto or Pep boys will have some decent bug & tar remover.

 

both of mine came with the sticky lines still there. I used Honda polish. It is a motorcycle cleaning spray that Honda sells, and it smells good too. It is an aerosol that is designed to be safe on bike paint (which is frequently as good or better finishes than cars) and able to remove grease and oil as well as road grime.

It worked great both times.

Did I mention it smells good too?

 

Definitely smart. Mine apparently used a scotchbrite pad to apply the wax, and 8 grit sandpaper to take it off. Unfortunately they are 4 hours away so I just took the porter cable after it. All better now.