What to do about the etched clear coat besides take up bird hunting?

Kirkster

Someone used my car and got 3 nice shots of bird poop on the hood. I sat on there for three days (I was out of town trying to kill myself on a dirt bike) before I came home and washed the car.

I tried Adams Swirl and Haze remover and FMP along with Super wax with my PC but when I was done the etched clear coat was still there...

Now what???

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PapoZalsa

Don't know, find a good detailer. Bird poop is acid!

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Ridgerunner

You might try the Quicxx (SP?) scratch remover kit, get at any auto parts store. It has three strips of high grain sand paper for wet sanding. Don't get scared about using this. Mist the spot with a bottle spayer and lightly sand it for about 15 seconds. Then use two polish steps 1& 2 in kit and follow with wax of your choosing. I had five nice parallel scratches from a shopping cart. Regular buffing with buffer and swirl remover did not work. The wet sanding did the trick, can't tell it was even there. You are just taking off a little bit of the clear coat which got etched with the acid.

I was scared first time and practiced on my pick up.

AdamsPolishes

If the etching is bad enough it may require wet sanding like mentioned above.

You might also try a more aggressive approach. We just released a step up from our Orange Pad + SHR system.

A green 60ppi foam and a more aggressive polish (Severe Swirl Remover)

Really its hard to say what the solution is going to be as it will all depend on how severe the damage is. Did the SHR make any noticeable improvement?

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christian370z

The only real form of protection against bird bombs are new nano technology coatings such as Gtechniq, Nanolex, and Cquartz just to name a few. The issue with regular waxes and sealants is that they are much softer and less resilient than the paint they are protecting so when a highly acidic dropping hits the car, it almost immediately eats through whatever wax or sealant you have on the car.

With nano coatings like the ones I mentioned, they physically form a layer of what is basically a semi-permanent ceramic coating where the molecules that make up the coating are incredibly strong and are bonded together as well as with the paint. Since these coatings molecular structures are much tighter and smoother than paint, they are harder (more resistant to scratches/etching), easier to clean since there are not as many ridges/space or pores for dirt to adhere to. These coatings are typically 2-3 times harder than the paint itself and last years (no marketing gimmicks either). Check people's experiences with them on detailing forums if you are curious, I know my own experience has been awesome to say the least.

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Junkman2008

That's interesting because I only protect my paint with a layer of Adam's Machine Superwax and 1 coat of Adam's Americana and I have had absolutely no instances where bird dropping etched through to my finish. As a matter of fact, bird dropping, hard water stains from sprinklers and rain have had no effect on my finish at all.

No nano technology needed on my finish.

As for you etched paint OP, take it to a professional who is experienced in wet sanding. Don't even think about doing it yourself. It is way more complicated than I make it look.

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Cmike2780

Not complicated... it just takes a lot of patience which few people have. It's best to have a pro wet sand if you have a hint of doubt. It will be a lot easier on the the paint and your wallet in the long run.

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antman22

i'm curious to how it looks, any photos? I once thought I had some acid etching due to bird poop that i left on my old car; after i washed it off, i had this haze of sorts where the bird poop used to be. Couldn't wipe it off and wax did nothing. I tried claying it, and by mistake, I had forgotten to reapply lubricant spray as i was applying (dabbing/slowly dragging) the clay and oddly enough it lifted the haze. I was very careful with it, trying to ensure I wasn't damaging the paint and after about 10-15min of dry clay work, it was gone. I was able to wipe off the excess clay and apply wax over it. Looked just like new, no sign of damage anywhere. I can't say this would work for you especially since we can't see the damage, but its just some food for thought since it worked for me.

Good luck with getting it fixed!

dixon cider

christian370z

There are other products out there than Adam's, just like how you used to scoff at paint depth gauges but now profess how they are very important for safe paint correction.

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Junkman2008

I have absolutely no clue who you are but you need to do your homework when supposedly quoting me. I have You Tube videos of me using Zaino, Meguiar's and Adam's so I am well aware of the multitude of products on the market. Secondly, I have NEVER scoffed at a paint thickness gauge. As a matter of fact, I tell people not to attempt wet sanding without one. Go look at my wet sanding videos.

You obviously have me mixed up with someone else.

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christian370z

I don't have you mixed up, but you essentially put me down by saying "no nano technology needed here " My apologies for the paint gauge remark, it is not relevant (it happened on DB, if you are curious).

Anyway, your initial response to my post provoked me to respond because you came off as discounting nano technology and being on the number of detailing forums you are on, I would have assumed you would be aware of the massive benefits over traditional waxes and sealants nano technology has.

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dixon cider

There is only one way to settle this.......

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christian370z

We should just both put on some wash mitts and box it out!

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Junkman2008

I'm not discrediting you or putting you down (you're being way too sensitive here). What you said was:

What I ASKED you was if that was true, why do I not have a problem with water spots and bird droppings if that's the case and I'm not using that type of product? Maybe what you should have said is that YOU have found that type of protection extremely helpful in those types of situations. You can't responsibly put it out there as if it is in stone when that is obviously not the case.

One thing that I can vouch for is that a lot of detailing forums contain a lot of personal opinions that get passed on without a lick of research. Personally, I like to use the products myself and run my own simple little test. Luckily for me, I get sent quite a bit of product from all over the place asking me for my opinion. Most of the stuff I have never heard of.

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