Black lines matter. It’s no secret. You don’t have to hide your love for the destruction of rubber via the sustained loss of traction method; arguably the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to dispose of old rubber.
It’s a tradition as old as time itself, where man and woman alike can express their feelings like adults by destroying property in spectacular fashion.
What you do need to hide, however, is the god-awful mess that ceremonial rubber sacrifice leaves on your car in the aftermath of such delightful acts.
For some people, like D1NZ driver Kurt Blackie, tyre rubber everywhere is an occupational hazard! And I can tell you for certain, even the pro’s hate the clean-up. So, we looked for, and discovered, the solution to easily cleaning up after smoking a set to death.
But before I tell you what it is... let’s check out some more traditional ways we deal with sticky rubber issues.
The following acts of detail must not be performed in the sun…
Solvents. Petroleum based solvents, not alcohol or acetone based, are the best. Alcohol won’t work and acetone is too volatile and expensive.
Any detailing brand will have a tar and wax or wax and grease remover and most will be pretty good. We use and recommend Fireball Tar Remover. No points for using too little, you need to coat the rubber/panel and let it dwell/sit for a minute. You will see the rubber start to dissolve and run down the panel, start helping with a cloth and more product.
It can take a few goes depending how coated the area is but you will get there. Check on an unseen area how it reacts with any plastics. Often, they are fine but once and a while you will get reactions and discolouring.
Glass and chrome are fine with these products, but some older rubbers will react and so once again I suggest you test an area if unsure. Your paintwork won’t be harmed by these solvents they are very mild.
Clay bars. Are pointless. Don’t bother.
If you don’t have any solvent, maybe you have some Carnauba? Carnauba wax is a very powerful natural cleaner and can often come in handy at a time like this.
Picture the scenario; Gender reveal burnout complete and now we need some photos of the Ceffy with the first cuzzy’s kissing over the bonnet for prosperity… A good Carnauba paste wax, rubbed in using a sacrificial applicator (sacrificial because the rubber will destroy it), will help loosen the tough bits of rubber and restore your chameleon finish to near new and ready for Insta moments in no time! #blessed Always choose a paste wax over a cream wax in this situation but either will work if that’s all there is.
A Carnauba wax applied prior to the burnout will also aid in removing the rubber residue easier as it helps lessen the ability to bond to the paintwork. We use and recommend T1 Pro Carnauba Show Car Wax from Surgical Shine, or a cream wax alternative, Butter Wet Wax from Chemical Guys.
So, on to the solution to easy clean up after a multiple set shredding.
Now, if you’re from Inglewood or Levin, you might be happy to rub Vaseline all over your panels. But, if you’re from the big smoke of Warkworth or Hawera, you spray on peelable PPF!
We all know what Paint Protection Film (PPF) is, right? If you don’t, Google is your friend. It’s difficult for us mere mortals to apply and just as difficult to remove. It’s not designed for temporary use and, if it’s quality, it’s not cheap.
There’s no way anyone would suggest PPF as an easy to use, temporary and cost-effective solution for avoiding burnout rubber stains on your paint. Until now.
Well, we finally have a product designed almost totally for the soulful purpose of protecting paint from burnouts.
The spray-on protective film can last up to three years and is a perfect temporary and effective paint protection solution for burnouts, track days, tyre skidding, gender reveals, hooning, burnouts, being a right lad or lass behind the wheel, burnouts and more!
Have a look at the before, during and after photo’s we have! There’s even a “real-world” example of how it performs when you burst a tyre and the straps come out to play!
If you aren’t a complete twit, it’s easy to use.
It’s from Refract Car Care Products in Australia and available for purchase in New Zealand direct from us at Doctor Cuts Detail Shop in 1lt, 4lt and 10lt.
Check out how we are applying it on Chris’s KE rotary wagon and Kurt Blackie’s LS powered Toyota 86 drift car. Both for different reasons and purposes but both with the end goal of protecting the paintwork.
Chris wants to be able to destroy a couple of sets with his 13b turbo and not spend the next 2 days cleaning rubber off his guards. And Kurt, wants to go sideways around corners at 100mph with zero rear wheel traction and not have rubber, tyre smoke, or exhaust fumes destroy his newly painted inner guards!
Once you are done making a mess, you simply peel it off taking all the rubber with it and leaving behind nice clean paint.
How does it work?
Prep the panel like you would for painting, without sanding of course… we use a tar and wax remover and an Isopropyl cleaner to remove all silicones. Then, using a primer HVLP spray gun with a 2.0mm nozzle at standard 2 bar, lay down a tack coat and wait 10-15 minutes depending on temp. Then up to 4 full coats with 10-12 minutes between coats.
I recommend removing the filter from your spray gun and being extra vigilant with clean up when you are done.
No getting wet for 4 hours min and after 8 hours you’re good to go! You can apply it almost anywhere you like to protect from rubber and tyre/exhaust smoke, road grime including tar and sap, bug splatter and even industrial fallout.
Check out the product description in our online store for a list of stuff not to apply it to; these include porous materials and windscreens.
It was easy enough for me, and I’m certainly no pro painter! There’s links on our social and at the end of this article to check out Chris’s burnout and the subsequent reveal of how incredibly easy the rubber clean-up was after.
It can even be applied by brush if you can’t or don’t need to spray and can also be tinted with any quality water-based tint or pigment to match existing paintwork!
Check out the online store on our website for more details and to order. We are even seeking trade partners and applicators so send us an email if there’s something on your mind.