We picked up a new (to us) Mini a few days ago. It had snowed when we were test driving it, so didn't get a really good look at the paint, and when we picked it up it was dark so didn't really look it over that well either... it's a 2017 with only 14,000 miles so figured the paint would be fine. On closer inspection in the garage the next day, noticed the hood has spots all over it, which seem like they COULD be water spots, but are all over the hood. From what I can tell I don't see them elsewhere on the car. I thought maybe it was just some residue that the dealer had used and since it was cold at the time, maybe it didn't get fully cleaned off... I tend to use Adam's Polishes pretty regularly, and I found the Adam's FAQ on removing water spots, and short of the final polishing step, gave the steps a try... also tried searching around their forums and the forums here as well before posting in case this had already been answered... but I'm not even positive these are water spots so not sure if I'm looking at it all wrong. I tried to see if these had an "edge" to them I could feel with my nail etc. and I couldn't feel anything. Tried to get some pics (attached) but it didn't photograph all that well.
- I first tried some basic detail spray on it with a microfiber.
- tried rubbing it with some distilled vinegar in a small spot just in case in case this did more damage. Didn't notice any difference.
- tried using an adam's clay bar I had in my kit but I've never actually clayed before... this didn't seem to help either and could've made it worse as I noticed some swirls that weren't there before after trying this approach. To be fair, this was a pretty old clay bar, and had never been used/was still sealed, but perhaps was beyond its useful life. It wasn't easily manipulated.
- next step, according to the FAQ, might be to do a polish perhaps with some compound, but this area is new to me and I don't have a polisher and I don't mind investing a little money to make it right, but I'm not a regular detailer to this level either, so not sure if it might be better just ot bring it to a real detailer who knows what they are doing and have the right equipment already.

 

There are multiple compounds out there. If you are an occasional user you could get some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. Most big box stores carry it. If you want to spend a little more time you could use Meguiar's M105 and M205. If you don't want to invest a ton of money head over to your closest Harbor Freight and buy their dual action polisher. You should be able to get it for around $50. The Harbor Freight polisher is fairly low powered which means you are very unlikely to damage your paint using it. Just watch a few YouTube videos from reputable detailers to understand the process and go at it.

 

Check with Richard Lin and share your photos with him at showcardetailing.com. He used to be very active on NAM.. While you're in there, get a bottle of Black Wow for your fender arches and black skirt.

 

They look like hard water spots to me. I have had good luck with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound as stated by crazy4trains.

 

I use Griot's Complete Compound or Complete Polish on spots like those either by hand or with a Porter Cable polisher. When done use a high quality polish or sealer and you'll be good to go.

 

Thanks for the tips! I'm going to give that a shot and will let you know how it goes

 

A detailing website I spend a lot of time on recommends doing a "test spot" when doing paint correction. That is to mark off a small section of your paint and test your tools/products and techniques to find what works before going after the whole car. A section approximately 18" x 18" or so should be pretty good.

To me, those pictures looks like hard water spots on the paint. Generally recommended is to use the least aggressive combination of pad and product that gets the results you want.

I'm not a professional detailer at all, just a hobbyist but I think I could write enough about detailing to bore most people to tears and my knowledge only scratches the surface compared to many others.

If you're interested, the detailing website I like is Autogeek.com.

 

Thanks for all the tips! I ended up checking with the Adam's Polishes forum as well, since their warehouse/headquarter is only a 20 minute drive from my house and I have extensive history with their products... got some recommendation of using some scratch & swirl remover followed by hand polish... took two courses to get it close to being right, but I think it's finally where I have to look pretty hard to see them even under the bright garage lights and out in the sunlight it's barely noticeable... the stripes aren't quite as good as the paint, but pretty good... finished it up with a coat of wax and it looks pretty dang good . I have a feeling I could've done it better with an actual buffer but had a hard time justifying the expense... working on making my way around the vehicle now with some of their detail spray, clay bar, and wax... but I have a fairly bad back and it's been really cold, so I've done the hood and the passenger side... hopefully get driver side and hatch over the rest of the week.

 

www.detailersdomain.com

Give Phil a call, he has had annual MINI and classic car detailing sessions for as long as I've had a MINI. The photo's will help him direct you to a product he can sell you. All products he sells have been vetted thru his shop, so no wasted time searching....I am doubtful anything on the market will fix the stripes. I'd photograph the hood as is to remeber their locations, remove them with aid of hairdryer heat, and work on the hood then re-install them.

 

I had the same.

Claybar with lots of soapy water, then re-wax.
No need for compound, overkill.

 

oh wow that came out looking great! i think a light polish could solve the rest