I just bought a 2006 all Black F150. It has been a real nightmare to keep clean to begin with but now I have a really bad situation. I went through the Wendy’s drive through a couple nights ago and they were painting the outside of the building. The next day I had cream colored overspray all over my truck. I got all of the big stuff and loose particles off with a pressure washer and some scrubbing but there are still little tiny specs all over my truck. You have to be extremely close to see them, (and some people I show cant see them at all) but they are definitely there and its bugging the hell out of me.

What do I do?

Ok so that was my first and most important problem, now my second.

Like a week after I bought my truck I went through one of those automatic car washes that has the rotating rubber scrubber things. The damn thing left swirl scratches in my clear coat. They are extremely visible in certain sun light, I swear those things should have warning out in front of them “CAUTION this car wash may Royally F*%#K up your vehicle”

What do I do about that?

Is there anything that might take care of both problems with a single product?

 

that's what ya get for going thru the drive-thru, Joe Pesci http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/07/joepesci.html

 

Use a Clay kit like this. You should be able to get it off with that.

http://www.meguiars.com/?auto-detail...rface-Clay-Kit

 

a blue claybar that is sold at alot of auto parts places. Or they have a website - claymagic.com, I believe.. This should as others have said, remove most or all the overspray. As far as the swirls, you need to get a good swirl remover. My experience with these products has brought me to the Zaino ZPC-Fusion product; its the best I have ever used and is the most paint friendly in my experience too. You can apply it with a Porter Cable 7424 and a Yellow Lake Country foam pad, or anything else, including a soft 100% cotton towel or a foam, pad. You may have to do it more than once, if the swirls, scratches are deep, but if done per directions, you will be amazed.. Good luck, there is hope, you will get through this, after be more careful with that black paint.. You can no longer go through any kind of carwash that touches your paint again, if you want to keep your paint as swirl/scratch free as possible.. I know, have had several black vehicles, my latest is a new '06 Harley Davidson F150. Took major hours to correct the factory lame-o paint preparation, but now you can read small print in the paint if you hold it up next to the panel.. Let us know how you do, we are here to help. Good luck DanF

 

First and fore-most, CLAY! Get a clay kit, I like the Meguiars Clay Kit and see if they helps.

Secoundly, it really depends on how much you want to spend.

 

This is pretty much dead on correct...

Clay will be a very effective and very safe way to remove this contamination. In fact, this is EXACTLY how clay is utilized in your local body shop as it's an integral part to make sure that the paint is free and clear of bonded contamination.

What clay does is provide an abrasive cleaning action. A bonded particle (in your case, a paint mist spot) is sitting on the paint. The clay is moved across the paint using simple downward hand pressure (basically, the weight of your hand) and the use of a lubricating spray (included with most clay kits). This abrasive action beneath the clay bar itself cleaves off or snags the particles that aren't able to be washed off with simple washing action or a pressure washer.

It is VERY safe and VERY effective.

A couple of hints...

1. If the clay bar hits the ground, it's trash. It's an equal opportunity picker upper and a grain of sand embedded in the clay and then rubbed across the paint can spell disaster.
2. Chop your clay bar in half. By doing this, you'll have a back up for when you drop the first half on the ground and have to toss it in the garbage.
3. Clay all the 'flat' surfaces first (roof, hood, tonneau).
4. Knead the clay often thus providing a new cleaning surface to the paint.
5. If the clay starts to look dingy, chuck it. Get a new bar / kit.
6. Don't over lubricate but, don't under lubricate. Use the mist spray that comes with the kit and spray on. Work in small sections. Don't move to the next section until that section is complete.
7. Assess your paint before starting by rubbing your hand across and by looking VERY closely at the paint. You have paint specs so, it's not going to be difficult to feel them but, you may be suprised to note oodles of other 'stuck on' gunk beyond your paint spots.
8. Know your goal. Your paint should feel like GLASS when you're done claying with little to absolutely NO 'bumps' on the paint.
9. It's black paint -- use your noggin'. Black is a monster as we both know. Do EVERYTHING in your power to keep it in good shape. This includes using good products, techniques, etc. One thing for sure, don't use shop rags or something goofy like that to remove your excess lubricant from clayed areas -- only VERY nice quality microfiber. I'd even shun most cotton-terry towels honestly.
10. Gotta rewax... you're going to remove some film build by claying. Additionally, those little specs will pull off wax as they're being cleaved off as well. Rewax when you're done to ensure protection.
11. Maintenance. Use good techniques when washing and drying from this point forward to ensure that you don't introduce more problems to your paint -- because black is a beast and impossible to keep looking perfect.


Kind of a bonehead move getting one of those car brush things for your BLACK paint... black will scratch if you look at it cross eyed and, as such, you need to look at it straight at all times.

Do some research here on two-bucket washing, rinising, drying, and detailing. Ask questions if you need to.

Several of us here detail professionally and can probably help if you have questions...

-RP-

 

When you say clay in small sections, do you mean a door panel, or smaller? Could you lubricate a section the length of your hood and just run it down? How fast should you run the clay down the certain section you are working on? Obviously the more time you put into it, the better it will look, but I don't have hours on end to spend with my truck (unfortunately... ). Thanks for your help.

 

i usually do about a 2'x2' area. The QD will stay wet for a awhile, and that way i'm not constantly wiping off and spraying. As for clay speed i go about as fast as i would if i was drying. Just nice easy strokes back and forth.

One trick that i did hear on here somewhere, is to hold the clay in the palm of your hand so that your fingers can lightly touch the hood. That way you can feel when there is nothing on the surface anymore. And just keep making passes iver the same area until you don't feel anything with your fingers. I hope that made sense.

And here is a video that can help you. It helped me when i started.:
http://www.adamspolishes.com/videos/clay_bar.cfm

 

You're asking and answering... As such, I'll encourage...

Yep, a door panel, half the hood, half a fender, etc... those are all good examples of smaller areas.

The reason to attack it along these lines is to ensure that you get good coverage across the paint. Also, I'd encourage you to wax in a similar fashion.

The last post gives some good advice on clay bar usage that I agree with and thus, am not going to regurgitate...

 

Thanks RP and Red, I appreciate it

 

You bet.

Red and I will be forwarding invoices that are due upon receipt. Please enclose the said fee and forward in the enclosed envelope.

Now, some folks haven't paid in the past and, knowing what I know about Red, he kind of knows some people who know some people from 'the family'.
We wouldn't want to have to call one of the 'family members' to come over to visit you now would we?

What I'm getting at is you should probably pay the invoice and avoid the hassle.

JK of course... Gweedo won't be stopping by... or will he?

 

Man, no, not Gweedo.... I last one he visited for no pay.... lost an arm, leg... and worst, he drives a Chevy now.....

But have you seen Gweedo new F150, said a guy just gave it to him after he paid an arm and leg for it......