What is this crap?

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Joined
Feb 20, 2013
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Location
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So it would t be a day of working on Pappy without some weird thing coming up. :) I am replacing the window runs and when I pulled off the door panels, this is what I found-some kind of black tar holding the plastic to the door. Based on my research of the doors, this is not normal. I can barely get it off my hands without simple green or paint thinner and a lot of scrubbing. Anyone have an idea what the heck this is and how I get it all off fairly easily? Also, what can I use to re-stick the plastic barrier on? Thanks!

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leave it and re stick the plastic to it.

It melts and runs down the doors when it gets warm so I'd prefer having it gone
 
That is what the factory put on there to hold the plastic on. It is what we put back on also when we rebuild them.

Darn...it is nasty stuff. I think someone may have put way too much on bc it's all over the door panels and leaking out the bottom on hot days. Any advice on how to clean it off?
 
I think I used mineral spirits and a plastic scraper, also, but every time I finally got a run of it off it would run in the same place - almost like I broke a dam wide open. I ended up running a strip of black gaff tape along the panel/door to cover the ooze. My doors are almost black so it kinda disappears. That crap will not come out of Sarah's clothes so that was my door-on fix.

--john
 
looks like it has gotten old and broke down. it is used to adhere the plastic on the door, which keeps the water from damaging your door panel. I would clean it off some mineral spirits or some acetone (if you need something a little stronger, but use lightly) I would lay down a knew bead of sealant and plastic once you get it cleaned up.
 
Every car i've ever owned except for the mercedes, has that in it. As others said it is what holds the plastic up behind the door panel.
 
Some forums have actually suggested using dry ice in order to make it less pliable and stretchy, so you can roll it up and get larger sections off the door panel and it's less messy. Then you can use a solvent to clean up the remaining residue. 3M evidently makes a product specifically to remove the "tar and adhesive" used in the auto industry.
 
Prep-Solv from the auto body supply store

Lacquer thinner would also work but could damage the paint

Use an old credit card or starbucks card to gently scrape

Wear gloves and do this outdoors or setup a fan!
 
Thanks all for the advice. Got some of the excess cleaned off and it all put back together so I could drive it today but will definitely be going back and doing a full clean up job when time allows. And John, I see what you mean about the clothes...definitely won't come out...guess I'll finally have to start throwing the old college shirts in the work clothes pile. Haha!
 
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