Whew I have spent the last three hours prying off a very sticky tar like substance out of the wheelwells, both front and back, could it be track compound? still very sticky when you pry it off, and it was pretty thick (bout an inch in spots) not undercoating thats for sure, good thing is...it acted as a preservative and once it was off, any bolts under it, once you broke them loose, came right out, I believe this stuff is why I have very little rust in the quarters also, much easier to remove this stuff than it would be to repair the rust that would have been there if not for it, but it is still a PITA to get off.
I doubt it's from a drag strip, especially if it is on the front wheel wells. Track compound usually doesn't come off and attach itself to the wheel wells..more than likely sometype of sealer, or undercoating.
An inch thick? it looks like mud would on your car, built up in corners and tight places with none elswhere, it was mostly on the rear corners and up front where the valence bolts to the fender, it's black and sticky, maybe the PO drove on ALOT of fresh asphalt or even worked for a road paving company but it is asphalt/tar based and it was not put there intentionally, even got a bit on the front valence......pics
Maybe the guy worked on the roads? I once bought a car that had a skim of cement on the floor pans, he worked for the highway department.
Looks and sounds like undercoating to me. I have had to remove it from some of the cars I have restored.
It is undercoating. I have the same inch thick sticky mess on my car. It spent it's first 15 years in the rust belt yet has very little rust!
I undercoated cars in the 60's. In order for undercoat to go through the gun, it was pure, like liquid rubber. The stuff you have looks like it has rocks in it.
ID and solution i had the same thing on some marker lights i pulled off of a mav in pick your part. it looked more like the stuff they spray under the car and all the places where the metal is conjoined. i think it is seam sealer. as for getting it off, a razor blade worked best for me. brake cleaner eats away at it, but it takes too much.
I had to use a hammer and screwdriver to remove it, it has sand in it like it was wet then got sand on it and then sticky stuff then sand, you know layered, the more I think about it and look at it, seems like the stuff asphalt companys put down on old pavement to make the new pavement bond to it, PO must have worked for an asphalt company at one time, like I said I'm glad it was there, not much rust to deal with.
I found the same thing or stuff in my Maverick when I first got it. I think the old lady that owned the car lived on a gravel or dirt road that got oiled. Back in the day they used to spray oil (even old drain oil) to keep the dust down. Once I got it out of the wheel wells it was solid and sticky but when I broke it apart it was sandy like.
