Everytime it rains I get water spots all over my car. Some won't come out. Obviously, the color of my car (Velvet Red) shows everything. But what is the deal. I've never owned a car that I've had so many problems with rain water spots. I don't know if it's the finish or crummy paint job but it is absolutely disappointing. I am at the point where I don't even want to drive it if it's raining!

 

Sprinklers are my nemesis. The hard water spots are a pain....the clay bar from Meguiar's works well. See if that does the trick....failing that, their clear coat prep/swirl reducer takes them right off

 

Any good detailing spray will take care of water spots.The high finnish will tend to show off spots,not a poor finnish.

 

There are quite a few degrees of damage with water spots, actually.

Quick detailer will remove the most minor, like those after washing of a light rain before they have baked on.

If they have "set" or if the water has a high acid/mineral content then a vinegar bath is often the method of choice.

If the etching is allowed to leech for too long or is accompanied with too much heat then they can be permanent.

If particulates are in the water beads then clay will appear to help the spotting but this is not the best method to use to remove spotting. It can cause scratching.

Here is a short tech article on how to remove spots.

TIP: Remove spots with quick detailer as soon as you can. I carry a small spray bottle and a microfiber towel in my trunk.

 

I once heard that you should wash the car after every rain (acid rain?), is this true? If so, what a pain in the ar$e for those in rainy climates.

Also, make sure you polish/wax regularly.

 

Regular waxings will keep a protection between your paint and the elements. The better quality wax the less often you have to do this. A periodic "Quick Detail" will help boost the wax protection. That's what I do.

I wash weekly. But if it rains and the car has water spots on it I will wash more frequently or at least QD the horizontal surfaces so the spots aren't baked on by the sun.

 

Regular waxing will DEFINATELY help your spotting problem.