Black Vette - Water Spots

[Tim]

Now that I have a black Vette, how about getting those water spots off??? What are you guys using? Thanks

[MOTV8]

Avoid them like the plague. Number one, my car wash hose is tapped directly from my soft water system in the garage. Basics for the rest, foam cannon, microfiber wash mitts and towels, etc...some great how-to write ups in the care & detail section.

[Two Fangs]

If I get them, I have some green stuff from Zaino that gets rid of them.

[Buccaneer]

I don't have black paint, but it's a PITA being a dark color anyway. I wash mine in the garage which helps a lot, just a suggestion.

[markallamerican]

I used mcguires polish to get rid of mine, then waxed it with mcguires gold class wax. Worked pretty good

[jstrutt]

I ended my problems with a black Vette and sold it............wish I didn't though........

[Wishbone]

The dreaded water spots or in technical terms calcium build up after the water has gone and dried away. The first thing that any car enthusiest owner must do is try hard and avoid water spots from public water systems. Most rain that we get here in Phoenix is actually really good and will not have calcium in the droplets so you dont have to worry soo much there. So how do we clean water spots if and when we get them? Depending upon how bad they are and if they have had a good amount of time to set into the clear coat you may need to introduce more invasive measures. For starters DO NOT try scubbing them off with any soap or solution. All you are doing is adding scratches into your clear which is going to cause a ton more work then was needed before you started going to town on your car. First and fore most wash you car completely from head to toe. Detailed procedures and examples have already been presented. After you car is good and dry and out of the SUN and the temp of the car is lower then preferably 90 deg. Nice and cool that is the key. Why might you ask, because the pores in your paint like to breath and in warmer weather the molicules in the paint will open which allows nasty contaminents such as calcium to in bed into your clear. The second thing you want to do is go over the car with a 50/50 mix of DISTILLED water and Alcohaul and not the kind that you drink, denatured you silly drunks. Take your solution and go around your vehicle from top to bottom making sure you do not use circular motions but an even back and fourth smooth slow motions. All we are trying to accomplish is taking off any top contaminants and calcium above the clear. This mixture will also take any wax or synthetic wax off your car so be prepaired to put on a good wax of your choice after you have completed your damage control. After the entire car has been stripped off all wax and substance, you should now have a naked car without any residue, greese, grime, dirt or any other top contaminant. Now break out a new clay bar. There are many to choose from. If you are not familiar or do not understand what claying does, please see previous write ups on this topic. Once again clay bar the entire car and not just the effected areas such as the top hood and top of the front fenders. There are reasons why we do things this way and there is no short way of doing it other then doing it wrong and creating more damage then what you started with. After you are completely done once again you will want to wash your entire car all over again to get off any reminants from clay baring the car. Once dry slap on your personaly choice of wax and enjoy the new wardrobe on your car. If after doing a complete wash, wax stripping, and clay bar do not take the calcium deposits out of your car I am afraid to say you need more serious and invasive measures to be done in order to PROPERLY takecare of the problem. You can email me or call, I would be more then happy to assess your situation or you can send pics as well. There is no chemical off the shelf that is going to majically take calcium deposits off your paint without damaging the paint. Hense when you see sprinklers drive away far far away. Because after all the work you are about to do, you will not want those nasty water spots on your nice black ride ever again if you can help it. Happy detailing!

[Tim]

The dreaded water spots or in technical terms calcium build up after the water has gone and dried away. The first thing that any car enthusiest owner must do is try hard and avoid water spots from public water systems. Most rain that we get here in Phoenix is actually really good and will not have calcium in the droplets so you dont have to worry soo much there.

So how do we clean water spots if and when we get them? Depending upon how bad they are and if they have had a good amount of time to set into the clear coat you may need to introduce more invasive measures.

For starters DO NOT try scubbing them off with any soap or solution. All you are doing is adding scratches into your clear which is going to cause a ton more work then was needed before you started going to town on your car.

First and fore most wash you car completely from head to toe. Detailed procedures and examples have already been presented. After you car is good and dry and out of the SUN and the temp of the car is lower then preferably 90 deg. Nice and cool that is the key. Why might you ask, because the pores in your paint like to breath and in warmer weather the molicules in the paint will open which allows nasty contaminents such as calcium to in bed into your clear.

The second thing you want to do is go over the car with a 50/50 mix of DISTILLED water and Alcohaul and not the kind that you drink, denatured you silly drunks. Take your solution and go around your vehicle from top to bottom making sure you do not use circular motions but an even back and fourth smooth slow motions. All we are trying to accomplish is taking off any top contaminants and calcium above the clear. This mixture will also take any wax or synthetic wax off your car so be prepaired to put on a good wax of your choice after you have completed your damage control.

After the entire car has been stripped off all wax and substance, you should now have a naked car without any residue, greese, grime, dirt or any other top contaminant. Now break out a new clay bar. There are many to choose from. If you are not familiar or do not understand what claying does, please see previous write ups on this topic.

Once again clay bar the entire car and not just the effected areas such as the top hood and top of the front fenders. There are reasons why we do things this way and there is no short way of doing it other then doing it wrong and creating more damage then what you started with.

After you are completely done once again you will want to wash your entire car all over again to get off any reminants from clay baring the car. Once dry slap on your personaly choice of wax and enjoy the new wardrobe on your car.

If after doing a complete wash, wax stripping, and clay bar do not take the calcium deposits out of your car I am afraid to say you need more serious and invasive measures to be done in order to PROPERLY takecare of the problem. You can email me or call, I would be more then happy to assess your situation or you can send pics as well.

There is no chemical off the shelf that is going to majically take calcium deposits off your paint without damaging the paint. Hense when you see sprinklers drive away far far away. Because after all the work you are about to do, you will not want those nasty water spots on your nice black ride ever again if you can help it.

Happy detailing!

Yup "bone" that's what append....sprinkler at work malfunctioned.

thanks

[Blurr]

Robert, the east valley hoodlum's are ready for one your detail clinics. Sent you a PM with some dates

[AZhitman]

West valley is interested too. I recently had mine detailed, and I'm NOT pleased with the way it turned out. Robert, great writeup. Anytime you want to do a Detail Day, I'll host it: Beverages, food, big well-lit garage, soft water, the whole deal.

[Wishbone]

West valley is interested too.

I recently had mine detailed, and I'm NOT pleased with the way it turned out.

Robert, great writeup.

Anytime you want to do a Detail Day, I'll host it: Beverages, food, big well-lit garage, soft water, the whole deal.

Now wait a minute here! You had your Car proffesionally detailed and you are not happy with the results? We need to talk! I am really interisted in what your car looked like before and after which you said you were going to provide! We can talk in private PM me and tell me the entire story "Your Side" that is.

[AZhitman]

PM sent.