Help! Did i ruin my paint job ?

[Chromelore]

I just got my car painted on thursday and they said to remove any bird crap on the paint immediately. Well, I did this on my passenger side door and now it appears to be full of scratches!? I'm afraid to clean it off my hood because of what heppened to my side door. Is the paint ruined ???

Thanks
-Kevin

[f1guy68]

Chromelore,

What did you use to clean the bird poop. Chances are you have scratched the paint as it is not cured fully. How much pressure did you use?

If you can show me a picture, I might just be able to help you out of this! With good luck I think i can help you rub this out when the paint has cured up! About 30 days from now!

Sorry to hear your news! You were just trying to do the right thing! Bird Poop Sucks!

[Chromelore]

I used a rag and some water...(which im guessing is the wrong stuff), I didnt use too much pressure, but unfortunately i was kinda stupid and thought they were just marks from the water and tried rubbing it more

Ill try and take some pictures, but its dark outside so im not sure how my camera will do.

Also, what should i do about the bird poop on the hood ? just leave it there for now?

I was thinking of taking the car into where i got it painted and seeing how much it would cost to get it fixed...i can't imagine that it would cost too much...

btw...thanks for the quick reply

[f1guy68]

when you say rag..i cringe...lol

I can almost imagine that it was course in nature and that'll do no good for a new or old paint job!

For the future, I would suggest a really soft terry towel or microfibre cloth and some Mothers Instant Detailer or Meguiar's Quick Detailer. Spray a little on and gently wipe off. Stuff works amazing at removong bird poop. Even if it's dried on somewhat.

Here's a tip....take a blank cd and turn it to the recordable side...rub it with your cloth...if it scratches the CD DO NOT use it on your paint!

Please..get some really soft 100% cotton terry towels or really soft and plush microfibre for these kind of things!

You can take it back and see if you can get it fixed up, I'm sure they will understand! If not..snap me a picture and I'll see what I can do for you!

For the bird poop on the hood...just try using some water (for now) and a very soft towel! But don;t let it sit too long!

Good Luck!

[Chromelore]

Here is a picture that I got...it looks a lot worse than I initially thought
It doesnt look like its repairable =/
It isnt that noticable when you look at it normally, but the camera really picked everything up...

[f1guy68]

nah..that's not that bad!

called cobweb's/swirls and they can be removed by hand in many cases (depending on the depth)

I would suggest that you try some Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover and follow the directions on the label! It's a mild polish with low abrasiveness that should reduce/remove these minor issues. If they are really bad, than you need to get a more agressive product and then you need some patience or a pro.

I would take it back to the shop first!

They could buff that out in seconds. Otherwise..wait 30 days or so, and try it yourself if they will not do it for you! Or stop by a reputable local detail shop!

Let me know how you make out! Another tips..never rub your paint in circles! Always linear (back to forth). Prevents a lot of these marks in paint!

[Chromelore]

Thank you for the quick responses. I will take my truck into the paint shop tomorrow and also buy some proper cleaning materials. I'll post back with an update tomorrow night

Thanks again,
-Kevin

[f1guy68]

You're Welcome! And good choice first to take it back!

If you need help getting a decent car care kit together for a minimal price, I would be happy to help you get the best for less! I don;t sell them, I just reccomend some good products for you!

Richard

[twospirits]

Originally Posted by f1guy68

Here's a tip....take a blank cd and turn it to the recordable side...rub it with your cloth...if it scratches the CD DO NOT use it on your paint!

Its funny how something so simple can be so helpful in determining the scratch content of a cloth. Very good tip.

Question:
I've read in other places that taking a dryer sheet and wetting it will take out the bird poop and not damage the paint/wax/clearcoat. How true is this?

TS out

[f1guy68]

TS,

Yes..the little tips are always helpful, and I like to share what I have learned from others as well!

I have heard the theory of the dryer sheet, but I have never tried it. I will ask and see if I can get some validation on this!

f1guy68

[Chromelore]

I went to the paint shop today and the guy basically said that when I wax the car all the scratches will go away. Is this true or is he just trying to avoid fixing it? I figure that in a month I'll just take it to a detail shop and have them fix it. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[f1guy68]

Chromelore,

No..Wax alone will not remove them! It will "fill" them a little, but as the wax reduces they will re-appear!

You will need to polish them out in my opinion!

Yes..wait 30 days then take it to a detail shop! Sounds to me, like the paint shop really didn;t want to get involved!

[special_k188]

You guys seem really helpful so i have a ?. I have kind of the same prob. i was using my meguiars quick wax the other day like i always do on my black civic but this time i accidently got water on the cloth as i was buffing the wax off and the finishing result was many swirl marks all over the whole car making a 3D effect to the paint. Would you recommend the same thing you said above or is their something else i should do. By the way its a 00 civic so the paints is in very good condition, washed usually once a week. didn't know if that info would help

[f1guy68]

special_k188,

Opps..sorry to hear about the swirls! I highly doubt that water mixed with quick wax would create any swirls, so I'm going to blame the cloth. What type of cloth were you using?

However, as water was mixed, it would obviously require more effort to remove the quick wax and the combination of rubbing harder with a poor cloth could wel induce swirl marks!

Also..never rub your paint in a circular motion..always linear (front to back) as circular motion will always show on the paint, even light colors!

But..you can follow the suggestions above to help remove them!

[special_k188]

Thx for the quick reply... yea i wasn't really sure about the whole water thing, thats just what one of my buddies told me that it was from. I only us MF cloths when i buff so i know it wasn't the cloth (brand new). Any other ideas what it might be from, i know i shouldn't buff in a circler motion, if water were to mix w/ the wax would that cause that effect at all or no?