The highway that I use to get to work every day will be having work done on it starting Monday. The Highway Dept. has a sign up saying they will be doing chip and seal work and it is over about a 20 mile section of highway. What the MO Hwy. Dept. mean when they say chip and seal is they will be dumping tar on the highway and then spreading small rock over it. I would much rather not have this crap all over my car. Is there anything preventative I can do to keep this from sticking to my car? If I could I would take a detour but the only option adds 30 miles to my 45 mile drive. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? The only other thing I can think of would be to take my wife's car.

 

Well, you could also rent another car, put a few extra coats of wax on the car, especially on the lower areas that will get the most tar and dust.
Once thing I once saw off roaders doing to preserve their paint jobs is to spray non-stick cooking spray on their vehicles. You'll have to ask some of the more knowledgeable detailers on here what effects this might have to your car's finish.

 

The non-stick cooking spray is a great idea as long as it doesn't eat through the paint or some thing like that! Has anyone had any experience using this? I would think the tar and rocks would do more harm to the paint (and windshield) than the spray might.

 

Personally, I would drive the longer route. But I like to drive and in a specialty vehicle, I like to drive even more.

I guess you would need to see what your time is worth, the added mileage costs, and then weigh that against potentially having to repaint your car.

That should give you a pretty definitive answer.

 

Sticking isn't going to be the big problem. The chips are going to destroy the paint. Tons of tiny chips. Don't drive it in your car. I have ridden my streetbike on many roads that were just chipsealed and the fairings are destroyed. They litterally feel like 60 grit sand paper.

If there is no other option, I'd rent a car.

 

wow, I hadn't thought about the stuff actually damaging the paint. It looks like I will be taking the long way home. That sucks but it is better than a new paint job.

 

Try this: http://www.autobarn.net/duplicolor-spray-on-bra.html
I've heard it works well. I will be trying it next love bug season.

Good Luck!

 

Crazy as it may seem, I know of a few people who have taped their MINIs with the wide blue painters tape, just make sure you lap the tape correctly or the wind will rip it right off.

Some do a partial like a clear bra, others take it all the way up to the windshield. From what I saw it comes off pretty well, but you may have to do a peel and reapply daily if the heat is real high.

You would not want to bake the tape onto your MINI.

 

Going through the same thing right now. The highway use was just resurfaced about a year ago for no apparent reason. It was fine before they did the work. Problem is, they did a crappy job, and it began to desintegrate earlier this year. By the time I ordered my Mini, summer had set in and the big rigs were literally ripping the asphalt right off the concrete surface they paved over. Then, TWO DAYS after I took delivery, they decided to re-tar and rock the road I exit off the highway on! I found a couple of alternate (longer) routes. It's better than ruining my less-than-month-old car. Besides, it's way more fun driving to work in my Mini than it was in my big SUV, so it's all good.

 

get a rental car or use someone else's car. carpool? lol

 

I like the idea of this. I'd also look into the one Griots has here:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?&SKU=20264

The benefit to me is this one peels right off, it won't wash off. However, you need to mask the car, but I'd suppose you'd need to do that with the wash off stuff, too.

 

Painters tape is a good suggestion, for the stuff that does stick to the paint though, I use WD-40 to get off bugs and tar on my cars.