Well I detailed and polished my car a few weeks ago but I couldn't for the life of me get rid of the water spots. They are only on the hood and the front fenders. Its etched into the paint it seems so I used a orange pad with SIP with no results. Didn't really want to use a more aggressive combo as all I have is a yellow pad. I was jus wondering if there is any tricks for bad water spot removal. Thanks in advance. I can try and get pictures if needed but they didn't come out well at well. I also used 2 or 3 passes with the orange pad and SIP.

Wes

 

Water spots can be easy or impossible, all depends on the depth of the damage. I'm guessing in your case the damage is a bit more severe whether it looks bad or not it may be deeper then it looks.

Also if this is Viper clear coat, they are typically much harder then the average and will require more aggressive approach if SIP and orange pad didn't cut it. Also are you using an orbital machine or rotary?

No real tips or tricks, just have to keep trying till you find what it takes to cut it.

Josh

 

Can you try and get some pictures? What polisher are you using? What speed and how much pressure?

 

using a flex orbital on speed 6 with a light to medium pressure..more medium I would say..i can try and get pics tonight if not tomorrow for sure

 

Many times you will need to damp sand the paint before polishing to get rid of the water spots. Is it on the SRT-10 in your avatar? Because of the composite body, it is difficult to get the paint to heat up properly using SIP, and a more abrasive step will probably need to be done. Please post some pics when you have a chance.


John

 

these are all I have for now. It looks a lot worse in person and they are all over. It is etched in the clear coat for sure. I have gotten out water spots in the past with no problem at all but these are getting the best of me. I can try and get better pics tomorrow if need in the sunlight..they are just very hard to pick up on camera.

 

you can kind of see them on the hood a little in this one

 

You may need to step up to a rotary, not sure if an orbital will remove those completely even with a more aggressive combo and as mentioned wet sanding may be in order.

If you're not confident in those areas I would seek out an experience pro detailer.

 

I've been thinking of trying a rotary out. I've been using the orbital for a few years now and might take the plunge soon. There's just some stuff I can't do with the orbital but I still get worried at times of the power of an rotary. Who knows the new flex rotary looks tempting.

 

I've tried an orbital once and never used it again ,I've been using a Flex rotary for years now and it's much better than an orbital polisher.

 

Unless you detail for a living, I'd stay away from a rotary. To truly get the results you need, you have to be around 1200-1500 rpm, the danger zone. You'll also need to invest in a paint meter, a good one runs about $700. I think your best bet is to let Josh take care of it for you. I'm sure he has all the right tools and will do an excellent job.

 

+1 for josh doing it! You'll want to go with a professional on this one. If you want, go to the junkyard and get a hood or something and try a rotary on that before you touch it to your viper.