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Washed the car yesterday...got home from work today and found bird droppings on my bonnet. Tried the quick detailer and cleaner/wax but can still see the outlines of it. Any ideas...Thanks, Mike
Okay, I know no one believes me but I'm sticking with my story!!....
Birds have "violated" my MINI many, many times, and have left what appeared to be etched clear coat once or twice. I couldn't remove it w/ quick detailer, but after time and a few good, thorough washes, I could not find any trace....ANY....of the marks. Gone.
Based on this admittedly freakish phenomenon, my advise is to keep calm and not go too aggressive too quickly. Start with the least invasive methods and then progress as needed.
Same thing happened to me. I tried the bug and tar remover, clay bar, wax, quick detailer and the spot is still there and it's been about a month. totally sucks.
I talked to the guys at the place I buy my detailing products and they say the only thing to do is hit it with an orbital.
Paint cleaner works wonders. I recently thought I had jacked up the paint with some static cling decals, but some paint cleaner got all the residue off. I followed up with a polish before I applied the wax, and it looks almost wet now (well, it really is wet now, it's raining... but you get my point)
__________________ Mike
04 MCS - CR/W, GT3 Stripes Front & Rear, Prem Pkg, Cold Pkg, DSC, All Fogs, HK Audio, Chrome Grille, Tinted Glass, Tinted Tails & Side Markers
-this post was packaged by intellectual weight, not volume. Some settling of contents may have occurred during transmission.
I'm with jds on this one. I had a huge pile of bird crap on the left front wing (fender) once. I washed it off as soon as I could but it had etched the paint.
I clay barred, polished and waxed to no avail. Later that same week, when I was washing my MINI, the spot was GONE! These things seem to have self-healing paint.
One thing I noticed though is that the self-healing only seems to happen in hot weather and sunshine.
One thing I noticed though is that the self-healing only seems to happen in hot weather and sunshine.
Oh please! oh please! oh please! let that be true! I went to a car show which was at night and didn't realize until the next day when I was on my way to work, that I had been under a tree where the little varmets were apperently teaching their babies how to aim there poo at small shiney objects and nailed my girl with spectacular precision.
When I finally had time to give her a bath those spots were all over. hopefully when I wash her again I will know something more...wax didn't work, clay bar was and is going to be my next step if it doesn't change. Now I don't feel so bad about the one Tuls nailed doing over 100mph resulting in the head falling off when he pulled it out of the lower grill.
Now I don't feel so bad about the one Tuls nailed doing over 100mph resulting in the head falling off when he pulled it out of the lower grill.
Dude! That was not a visual image that I needed this early in the morning.
If a clay bar doesn't take it off (remember - there is always time for lubrication... when using a clay bar) a good paint cleanser should do the trick. I'm currently working with the Sonus paint cleanser.
Before I give my annual coat of Zaino, I run the clay bar over the entire car, wash, and polish with my DA polisher and the Sonus cleanser. Between the two of these, I can bring my well-cared for paint back to factory fresh. A couple of coats of Zaino (maybe some carnuba on top every few months) and I'm ready for another year.
Chemically, bird crap is water based...this means that the best thing to remove it is water based as well (really hot soap and water). If its too late and it already fudged the clear then some paint cleaner has always worked for me. Meguires makes a good paint cleaner and I use a place out of New Haven for all my supplies...they deliver to your door and have everything under the sun from my experience. Their # is 1-800-548-4321....they are experts so at the very least they can tell you exactly what you need to do and provide you with a professional opinion.
There is a lot of acid in bird crap. It will etch the clear coat the longer you let it sit. To get rid of it, you start with the least aggresive polish and work your way into courser grits until the etching is gone. Wet sanding is a last resort, but that will, absolutely, take care of the problem. The list goes like this. Starting with a cleaner, then a swirl remover, then fine cut rubbing compound, then Meg's Dual Action Cleaner Polish, my favorite, then medium cut polish, then a heavy cut polish and if all these fail, wet sand, starting with 2000 grit, then 1000 grit. Then reverse the process to bring the shine back. If you have an obital machine, it makes quick work of all this. PITA but it works. Mother nature can be cruel at times.
__________________
Ken
Denver, CO
A friend will come and bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn, that was fun!"
It will etch the clear coat the longer you let it sit. To get rid of it, you start with the least aggresive polish and work your way into courser grits until the etching is gone. Wet sanding is a last resort, 
but that will, absolutely, take care of the problem. The list goes like this. Starting with a cleaner, then a swirl remover, then fine cut rubbing compound, then Meg's Dual Action Cleaner Polish, my favorite, then medium cut polish, then a heavy cut polish and if all these fail, wet sand, starting with 2000 grit, then 1000 grit. Then reverse the process to bring the shine back. If you have an obital machine, it makes quick work of all this. PITA but it works. Mother nature can be cruel at times.
