Salt Water Stains on the Clearcoat

[DP 08 GXP]

here is my first and probably not my last question lol. when I bought my car they had to bring it up from Florida since they didnt have any closer then that. well when the car came up it looked really good (paint wise) so after driving it I bought it. I got it home under my fluorescent lights and i noticed that if you look at certain angles you can see what looks like spots of water. it is kind of hard to explain but i guess the car sat on the dealers lot for about 8 months so it was exposed to a lot of salt water that probably was allowed to dry on the car. i used the fine machine polish on my last major detail with my PC and it helped a little bit but you can still see them. others dont notice them but i am just a lot more picky then most.

 

i am goin to be getting the swirl and haze remover for christmas this year and i was wondering if that would help get rid of them? i have the orange LCC pad to use along with it. any help or info you may have will be greatly appreciated.

[Team Adam's]

stupid question, but have you clayed it yet??

[DP 08 GXP]

stupid question, but have you clayed it yet??

 

yeah i have clayed it probably 2 times since i have had it (owned it for 1 year) with a medium grit clay and used a fine grit 2 times. claying didnt affect them at all. after using the MFP i followed it up with a dark foam glaze that is supposed to be geared toward darker colored cars and it helped a little bit but they are still there.

[Team Adam's]

yeah i have clayed it probably 2 times since i have had it (owned it for 1 year) with a medium grit clay and used a fine grit 2 times. claying didnt affect them at all. after using the MFP i followed it up with a dark foam glaze that is supposed to be geared toward darker colored cars and it helped a little bit but they are still there.

 

If you run your fingernail across the spots can you feel it catch at all?

 

If you can then the damage has etched the clear coat and you're pretty limited on options, if you can't then polishing using all the steps might be enough to clear it up.

 

yellow pad + SHR

orange pad + SHR

white pad + FMP

[DP 08 GXP]

If you run your fingernail across the spots can you feel it catch at all?

 

If you can then the damage has etched the clear coat and you're pretty limited on options, if you can't then polishing using all the steps might be enough to clear it up.

 

yellow pad + SHR

orange pad + SHR

white pad + FMP

 

it doesnt catch at all so thats why i was thinkin i still had a chance of saving it. looks like ill have to invest in the yellow pad also since all i thought i would need was an orange one.

 

my father in law (he is the detailer at my pontiac dealership) said if you polish too much you will eventually make the clearcoat look dull since you will work your way through it. is this true or are adam's products not that abrassive? also how careful would i have to be with the yellow pad so i dont damage the clear coat? thanks for the help.

[Superdutytd]

it doesnt catch at all so thats why i was thinkin i still had a chance of saving it. looks like ill have to invest in the yellow pad also since all i thought i would need was an orange one.

 

my father in law (he is the detailer at my pontiac dealership) said if you polish too much you will eventually make the clearcoat look dull since you will work your way through it. is this true or are adam's products not that abrassive? also how careful would i have to be with the yellow pad so i dont damage the clear coat? thanks for the help.

 

It is true that you can polish enough that you will wear down through the clearcoat but that would take ALOT of polishing with a PC and would take even longer as Adam's (even the SHR) aren't super aggressive on the cutting scale. I would take a couple hits at the spots with the orange/pad shr (like 3-4) and if they still aren't out I would try the yellow pad. Hope you can get em out.

[DP 08 GXP]

It is true that you can polish enough that you will wear down through the clearcoat but that would take ALOT of polishing with a PC and would take even longer as Adam's (even the SHR) aren't super aggressive on the cutting scale. I would take a couple hits at the spots with the orange/pad shr (like 3-4) and if they still aren't out I would try the yellow pad. Hope you can get em out.

 

thats kind of what i was thinking because from ive been told the GM clearcoat is pretty hard. i know with a professional buffer it wouldnt take much to mess up the clearcoat but the PC is kind of "dummy proof" for the most part lol. once i get some of my gift cards for christmas ill be putting in my order for the SHR and hopefully i will be able to report back with good results.

 

just makin sure i take the right approach to it when i do tackle it. the areas that need the work done will be washed and clayed. ill try it out on a small spot with the orange pad on speed 3 to work in the SHR slowly and then increase to 5 until the SHR is worked through. then ill check my progress and either continue on or move to the yellow pad and repeat. sound right to you guru's lol?

[Marylander]

I feel your pain, brother. My car lived in Tampa before I bought it and it has what sounds like the same kind of spots. I've tried to get pics of them but they're really hard to capture. And no amount of product or polishing seems to get them out.

 

I've pretty much learned to live with them, but if you get some good results be sure to let us know.

 

Rich

[DP 08 GXP]

I feel your pain, brother. My car lived in Tampa before I bought it and it has what sounds like the same kind of spots. I've tried to get pics of them but they're really hard to capture. And no amount of product or polishing seems to get them out.

 

I've pretty much learned to live with them, but if you get some good results be sure to let us know.

 

Rich

 

i know what ya mean about trying to get pics...i couldnt tell ya how many times ive tried to get pics of it but the camera just wont pick them up. if i do get them out ill be sure to let ya know....my father in law said wet sanding would get them out but i would rather live with them then having my car wet sanded.

[Team Adam's]

it doesnt catch at all so thats why i was thinkin i still had a chance of saving it. looks like ill have to invest in the yellow pad also since all i thought i would need was an orange one.

 

my father in law (he is the detailer at my pontiac dealership) said if you polish too much you will eventually make the clearcoat look dull since you will work your way through it. is this true or are adam's products not that abrassive? also how careful would i have to be with the yellow pad so i dont damage the clear coat? thanks for the help.

 

Well the fact theres no catch is a good sign, you should be able to polish them out IMO.

[jjwvette]

Hope you get them out Derek...

[DP 08 GXP]

Hope you get them out Derek...

 

me too lol....im sure ill be posting in january (thats when then the next order goes in) sometime after i give it a whirl

[livingwater]

I love to drive the New Hampshire coast (Hampton, Rye, Seabrook, Etc)

but because of the salt spray I probably will never take the vette.

[Chris@Adams]

I love to drive the New Hampshire coast (Hampton, Rye, Seabrook, Etc)

but because of the salt spray I probably will never take the vette.

Nice looking Vette Ron!

[whiterp199]

Nice looking Vette Ron!

+1 I just watched the you tube video for the first time yesterday, and I almost ruined my laptop from drool. I was like a St. Bernard waiting for a meaty bone.