Well, the birds themselves didn't attack my SB/S MCSa, but they sure have good aim... needless, I had about a half-dozen large bird poop splatters on my MINI...nice berry-red droppings on the bonnet, the roof, sides...even the boot suffered from the ASSault (pun intended).

Well, the poop only stayed on about 8-10 hours (car parked in parking lot, fairly sunny, too) and kinda of baked-on the finish in that little time. I gently removed the droppings by first applying a water-soaked microfiber rag to each spot for a few minutes to soften the stuff...then gently swiped it all off in a few passes so as to not scratch the paint. However, when I view the areas from certain angles (oddly, only certain angles do the marks show up) I can see a ghosted mark of the splatter in the clear coat. The MINI was waxed three weeks prior with 2 coats (maybe even 3 in some spots) of Zaino. Hand-applied.

I tried using clay to remove the etchings to no avail...it reduced them but you can still see them.

Will these marks be permanent? I even tried a bit of 3M Swirl Mark Remover on a couple of the spots on Space Blue surface and that did not remove the marks either.

I try to keep my MINI so clean and blemish free... oh well, I was upset at first but I can't stay that way...I do try to say "it's just a car" but that just helps temporarily. I can't imagine how bad the etchings would be after sitting on the surface for say, a week. This damage was done in just 8 to 10 hours!

Any advice on how to remove the etchings? Do you think they have eaten through the clear coat or just the top coats of the Zaino layers?

Thanks,

-boognish

 

I don't have advice on how to remove the poop.

But to prevent this happening in the future, you should train your MINI to do this: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...oid=1053369159

 

You will need some polish to minimize the marks. Try the most gentle and if that doesn't work, keep trying more aggressive polishes. The swirl remover is a glaze as I remember, it just tries to hide the mark, while a polish will remove it if it's not too deep. but 8-10 hours of corrosive poop might be tough to fix

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA

 

Same thing happened to our Miata.

http://www.ssscc.org/forum/viewtopic...ght=damn+birds

But it didn't have a fresh coat of wax on it like yours did. I'm really bummed now that I know the Zaino won't protect the finish from them. :(

 

Boognish - You should try the Zaino Z-PC. It is a polish that should take those blemishes right out. Just use a small amount on a foam applicator and start rubbing. When the Z-PC turns clear add some more. This is a diminishing abrasive like Scratch-X, but I think it works a little faster.
There is another thread on this problem somewhere, though I can't find it just now. Bottom-line is that if the Scratch-X or Z-PC don't work, the poop has stained that paint and you won't be able to get it out short of removing the stain and repainting. Hope this helps - good luck.

 

FYI, bird poo etchings occur within seconds. 8 to 10 hours is a lifetime! I've wiped bird poo off after only 10 or 15 seconds of being on the paint and it was already etched. If it was on a dark color like black, the etching is even more visible.

Fixing them is simple, and no won't require a repaint at all.

To fix it your self, you will need to use a product like Meguiar's ScratchX. If you've never used it, go to my website www.ShowCarGarage.com and watch the demo video on using it. In short, you need to apply it to a foam pad and work it in until your arm falls off. Fingers should cramp up, you should be sweating, and you may have to repeat the process 5 to 10 times to completely get the etchings out.

If that doesn't work, contact a detailer who is proficient with removing swirls from paint. You really need a rotary buffer, not someone that only uses a Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher. With a rotary buffer and the right chemical, I can remove an etching in a few seconds.

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions.

Richard