Clay Bar on Black

[njarmstrong]

Thanks JCMoya - is there anything on the market that will take off water spots with just a wash job? I doubt it, but you never know these days. I'm thinking just a bunch of hand polishing with Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish is the only way to really get them off, or maybe clay bar would do it too.

In order to know what to do, you need to know what kind of water spot you are dealing with.

If it is a dried mineral deposit from hard water, or rain water that HAS NOT etched the paint, then a quick detailer and a cloth will be enough to fix the issue.

If the water spot HAS etched the paint, then you will need to level the clear coat around it, this will require polishing. By hand might work, a DA polisher will be better. The amount of levelling will depend on the water, how long it was left to dwell, and if it etched the paint.

First, try and remove the deposits to determine if you are left with craters i.e.: etched out holes in the clear. If that is the case, move on to polishing. No amount of clay bar will fix this.

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[GT Pony]

^^^ I was able to remove the water spots by just hand polishing with Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish. I didn't see any etching or craters in the paint where the water spots are. Most of the water spots are on the horizontal surfaces - hood, rood & trunk lid. Looks like it's time to build up the arms with lots of rubbing on the paint.

 

[njarmstrong]

^^^ I was able to remove the water spots by just hand polishing with Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish. I didn't see any etching or craters in the paint where the water spots are. Most of the water spots are on the horizontal surfaces - hood, rood & trunk lid. Looks like it's time to build up the arms with lots of rubbing on the paint.

Good to hear! Invest in a Porter Cable - very safe DA polisher and will save you so much hassle. It is basically impossible to damage your paint with it. It can be done obviously, but it is very user friendly and a perfect entry polisher that can be had for under $200.

 

[saesteve416]

I got my black last week. I washed Sunday evening and tucked her into the garage for a full detail this week in the evenings. I clayed last night and used the clay mit from Chemical Guys. No issues except I had to dry the lube off quickly to avoid streaks. I didn't have this issue on my Fusion or Explorer in Blue and Red, although it was probably there and I didn't notice.

I got a layer of jet seal on so far. Tonight I plan to do 1-2 coats of Black light and then a layer of Black wax (all from Chemical Guys). I can send pictures after done, but my dealership really did a nice job on the detail. Before I clayed and sealed the car already felt like glass.

My only pain point is the dealer had left a weird spot on the hood (looked like they left their orbital sitting in a single spot and went on lunch break). I used a swirl removed and cutting pad (hand held) to try and get it out. I was successful in removing the spot, but obviously applied too much pressure and caused some swirling.

I tried to remove the swirling by using a softer pad with the swirl remover. It made it better, but can still see it at certain angles. I've read the black wax can really help reduce swirl visibility on black. So I'm going to try and finish things off and see how it looks. If still an issue then I may try to find a professional in the area to fix.

As for water spots, the car shows everything. I drove it to work the first two days and after a short drive and a few hours in the parking lot there was a layer of pollen. A quick detailer and microfiber towel cleared it and the few water spots from random rain water left in our streets right off.

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