webs

I now have about 2k miles on my '09 and I'm loving it. Last weekend, however, I took her to the beach for the weekend...bad mistake. I have a black car, it rained, it sat for two days, and now I have awful water spots on the car. I've washed it several times...no luck. I took it to a good detailer...he just called me and said that the marks are set into the paint. He can make them lighter, but they'll still be there. The only way he said they'd come up is with wet-sanding the paint, which he says he wouldn't do on a black car. He also said that the local acura dealership only puts a liquid wax on new cars. Moral of the story (especially black car owners)...immediately get a few coats of GOOD wax on your new ride. Thankfully, I'm leasing.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

sealant over a wax would have been a better option....

i would still say that if you had a udm/pc that you could polish out the water spots...

take some pictures of the water spots up close and let the experts here tell you if they can be dealt with or not....

LoveMyTL-S

A detailer told you they won't come out without wet sanding? Wow! I'm no expert and hopefully they will chime in here shortly.......but it may need a mineral bath.

SweetJazz

post pics please.............

exceldetail

Theres no way two day old water spots, from rain, are permanent.....Unless it was acid rain.....

webs

After thinking about it more, I now realize that the spots are not from rain, but from the sprinklers in the parking lot of my friends beach condo in NJ. I talked to him about it yesterday, and he said that he, his wife, and his dad all have similar spots on their cars...totally sucks. I'm attempting to post some pics now.

webs

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webs

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exceldetail

Short of seeing them from a closer view, they dont appear all that bad........I would at a minimum, see if you can get them out by hand with a light polish. Dont rub in real hard, but use a little added pressure. Consider a UDM/PC down the line for proper maintenance..........

webs

Thanks, exceldetail...can you recommend a polish that I'd easily be able to get at the typical auto store? Also, can I apply the polish on top of the two coats of wax that were put on it yesterday?

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

if you want to try the over the counter approach without a machine, go to autozone and buy some meguiars scratch x in the black tube looking thing...use that with a foam applicator and concentrate on a small area first to see what kind of results you can get...you might have to do the same area multiple times, and work the polish in until it starts to dissapear....then wipe the area clean with a microfibre cloth and inspect your work...once you see that you are able to remove the spots you will probably want to move into a machine like udm or pc to do the whole job...

keep us posted!!

exceldetail

The polish will remove your wax, so rewax when your done.....

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

exactly, just remember, your not appling polish, your polishing down the surface to level it off...polish is always worked in until its just about gone, then you wipe the excess off....rewaxing or sealing is required always after polishing...

Chas2

So just out of curiosity, if it is from sprinklers, does that mean it is hard water stains, primarily calcium. Would a weak vinegar solution take it away much like it does on faucets? I realize paint is much more fragile than chromed metal, so that may be a BAAAD suggestion.

Colin

On a black car, I'd say that you should consider getting another detailer to look at it. Kinda like messing with the Windows registry, if you have to ask, you probably shouldn't do it.

Having said that, there is only one way to learn. I've had many S2000 friends get outstanding results with those Porter Cable random orbit polishers on their black cars. This guy started with no experience and learned along the way so it can be done.

Before:


After:

webs

Thanks for all the advice. I spent all day with these freaking spots and they're still there (I had a good time though). So far I've tried a distilled water/vinegar solution, nu car polish, and maguiars scratch x. The first two did absolutely nothing, and the maguiers made a big improvement, but couldn't beat the bionic rings of fury. I finished up my efforts with two coats of Maguiars NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0. I have no idea if that is good wax or not, as I've never had a car worth waxing, or washing for that matter. I guess my next step is to consult another detailer. If that fails, I'll just have to learn to live with my new friends for the next 34 months...thank god for leases!

lusid

webs - Did you purchase a clay bar?

Usually a simple claying will remove the water spots.

Tech Wax 2.0 is alright, but if you have a carquest by you you should look into the DURAGLOSS line.. specifically the 105.

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

I had water spots on my NBP TL-S and after washing with Dawn, then Zaino Claybar and finishing with alternating coats of Z2 wax, Z6 Gloss Enhancer and topped off with Z5 wax....the finish is like glass....unreal depth! It was a lot of work but well worth it...got rid of the waterspots and lightswirls.

I'm sure there are many other products that will do the same but I was really impressed with the Zaino stuff.

Colin

Webs, I wanted to add that you shouldn't be too hard on the wax that your dealer uses. I don't know of many (if any) products that will stand up to sprinkler water.

TSC17

It sounds like the "detailer" you visited was merely a car washer. Go over to Autopia and find yourself a professional that can make your NBP look better than new. Unfortunately we're too far apart, otherwise I'd help you make yours look like mine.

This is what professional machine polishing can do for you:


Yes, this is the hood. This is not a shot of the ceiling through a fish eye lense!


Best of luck...and stay away from those sprinklers!

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

not that i wouldnt clay the car because i would, but claying isnt going to remove waterspots....

the reason the waterspots wont come off is because they have etched the paint....machine polishing is the answer....

ill45

Porter Cable?

exceldetail

Ya lost me............

TSC17

Yes.

webs

Holy Crap, TSC17! I want my car to look like that!

TSC17

Thanks webs...it CAN!

You'll also need to learn proper washing and drying techniques as well. NBP is very soft, and is easily damaged.

Have fun.

https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/anyone-has-downloaded-movies-net-183430/

bc811

TSC 17 do u mind making a list of product that u use please?
your paint is so shiny....i want my black tsx like that!
Nice job

exceldetail

Black is so fun!!

97BlackAckCL

iTrader: (6)

Sounds like he waxed over the water spots, you'll want to strip down the wax before trying to buff off the spots, then polish it and rewax it

jurock

Your car looks great I would love for my car to look like that. Do you mind making a list of product that you use PLEASE.I'm going to get a porter cable.But I'm not sure what products to use.

CocheseUGA

Slow down, or you'll end up angry at everyone and want to sell all your stuff.

dmassott

just saw this thread! what shore do you go to? i live in philly and am down the shore every weekend, i could take a look at it for you

Rhlieu

exceldetail

Yes, we've seen this before......
Priceless!!
Drew is more then qualified!! Make it happen!