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There was a java sparrow that slept on my rear wiper every night (not sure why) and the poop would collect on the paint until MOH washed it during their monthly service. No stain after over a year of this, though I had Zymol on it always. OTOH my red car (not a Mini) developed a permanent stain after just two days and nothing could fix it. How did the astro black get stained?
My wife thinks I'm crazy for doing this, along with many other things, but I do a walk around my car whenever I get in. I'm on poop patrol! If I find any I whip out the quick detailer & have at it. If you don't have quick detailer use water, but do it quick. As you have found out that stuff etches the paint. As far as fixing the problem goes I'll leave that to the folks more detail oriented. Prevention is my watchword.
Luckily, the MINI hasn't had any permanent stains but our Insight got one. We tried clay bar and all but it wouldn't come out. I think the clay bar even went down through the clear coat. Luckily, we were able to use the clear coat that comes with MINI touch up paint. It's been on there for the past few years and it's probably never going to come off. Get used to it
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'02 MCS, Sport, Premium, Webb Sportbox RAF, 15% pulley, Milltek cat back, H-Sport comp rear swaybar, Powerflex engine and gearbox inserts, Stewart Warner boost and oil temp gauges in E-Pod, Optima Red Top 35, Whalen knob, M7 front grill, Hella FF200 fog lights on Out Motoring brackets, MCAW
Just some notes on Clay:
There several types (brands) of claybar in varying degrees of abrasiveness. The more abrasive types on the market are not the ones commonly available or are used by most of us. (Those types are specifically labeled as "heavy duty" or otherwise) Using clay properly (with a shampoo or QD as a lube) will not damage the clearcoat. If a user even puts a haze or a swirl on the car while using clay he is doing something wrong. (pushing too hard, no lube, rubbing too long..it takes only 3-4 strokes) It would be very, very unlikely that the clay would remove clearcoat unless you rubbed on a single spot for a long, long time. I have never seen this happen yet.
Clay works by shearing off and sucking up 3-dimensional contaminents in the paint. 3-dimensional is the key phrase. If the clay can't "grab it" then it will not be effective.
Bird stains and water spots are rarely helped by clay unless there is residual deposit still clinging to the surface. (usually at the outside edges of the spot where it concentrates and dries) It will not have any affect on the chemical discoloration or damage within the paint/clearcoat itself.
I just didn't want anyone to become scared of using clay...it's an essential and safe detailing product.
__________________ Bloomquist Garage! '04 PW Mini Cooper S....Gone but still here in spirit! My Other Rides.
I agree - clay is not the product to use on a bird poop stain.
From what I've heard, bird poop is highly acidic regardless of what the birdy has eaten. Stains that result from bird poop go INTO the finish, rather than sit above it. If you really do have a stain in the finish, then polishing the edges of the stain are all you can do. Polishing the stain is kinda like feathering a patch on drywall; you're trying to de-emphasize the edge so that you can't see it. Once you can't see the cleaned/feathered "crater", be sure to fill/protect the area with wax. As with any scratch/stain/yuck, always start out mild before going abrasive.
As stated above, preventive maintainance including maintaining a good coat of wax should help prevent bird poop stains.
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- Kevin (Mr. Obsessive/Compulsive)
2005 Jet Black MCS - got it 7/5/05 (sold)
Spec: white roof & mirrors/multifunction wheel/S-lites
It would be very, very unlikely that the clay would remove clearcoat unless you rubbed on a single spot for a long, long time. I have never seen this happen yet.
That's exactly what happened. It's all good though...we got clearcoat back on and now all you see is a stain.
How did you get clearcoat back?? The only way that's going to happen is if you got your car repainted, is that what you did???
Quote:
Originally Posted by kapps
That's exactly what happened. It's all good though...we got clearcoat back on and now all you see is a stain.
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I use the Klasse twins on a regular basis and even they cannot prevent a nice big bird poop stain from etching into the paint, esp. if the car's been baking in the sun. I tried and tried to get it out, with about every cleaner I have, but it seems to be well-embedded. I don't think any kind of wax, carnuba or polymer, can prevent this from happening. And on a black roof it looks especially bad...
__________________ I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
Ugh...I am very upset to hear this. Picked up my car last week (in the rain). Realized on Tuesday that there was poop on it from before I got it. I can't get this off - in three places. My fault for not checking it better at the dealer, but this really sucks on a car with 700 miles on it. REALLY sucks.
__________________ I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
had some kamokushi a few days ago and it was awesome.
kamokushi is grilled goose meat on a kabob stick with green onions.
unless the bird is edible, i think it needs to be removed from the planet.
doesnt do us any good.
Ahh Ken, but you're wrong there! The birds eat those freakin bugs that wind up on our bonnets and bumpers! Its all in the circle of life... Maybe eliminating half of the worlds population of birds would do- they'd eat some bugs but there would be less birds.
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05 JB MCSc - Alta V2 15% pulley l Alta CAI l TCSportline exhaust l NGK Irridium colder plugs l M7 Ultimate Grills l LvS b/o headlamp rings
"IMALIMY"
90/10 all the way, That's the spirit! I hate airconditioning. Period.
just a note on this long dead thread. i had a bird issue week 1 (hadn't had time to get wax on) that drove me crazy. i tried clay, bug/tar remover, even langka step 1 and 2 (without the wet sanding) to no avail. i called heather at detailers paradise for a completely unrelated issue, but figured i'd run the bird poop scenario by her. she recommended maguires scratch-x....which i an happy to say worked!!! even after the stain had been there for over a month.
so props to heather, and you may want to try the scratch-x next time you have a bird issue. happy trails!
__________________ You were born to rock, you'll never be an opera star!
and nothing could fix it. How did the astro black get stained?
I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
2007 MCS PW/B, MFSW, LSD, SS.
