I understand the emotions from when it happens to how you feel the next day. I was freaking out when it happened to me, but the next day I was much better.

***** is gonna happen. If you drive/use your vehicle, you are taking a risk. If you don't want to risk something happening to it, park it in a garage and leave it there. At least that's my outlook on it.

Anyways, the damage I suffered will probably be nothing compared to what happens during deer season!

 

You have a good point there. I kinda feel like I'm being overprotective of 'her.' I found myself rinsing off bird poop with the hose, then going back a few hours later (when I had time) to examine the area. Noticed there was brown leftover gook from the bird poop, so I ran inside, grabbed an old rag and some dish soap (I will be detailing her this weekend, that's why I used dish soap). Sprayed her with the hose again, just on those few areas. After I dried those spots and made her 'perfect' again, I noticed the surface on the hood was kinda gritty lookin. So I took my hose, then my rags, then.....

I had to go inside before it got any worse. LOL! She's just my baby, and I want to take care of her the best I can If I hadn't stopped, one thing would have lead to another, and I'da been washing all of her with NXT.

Sometimes us 'parents' have to just loosen up the leash a little (like not freak out over such minor instances).

I now consider myself 100% Car Crazy.

 

You definitely did he right thing there FL.

Bird Poop has Lime in it and it WILL eat your paint if left on.
It's always easier to keep a car clean if you get things while they are fresh and don't let them dry on.
Bugs, Tar, Mud whatever. Get it off as soon as possible

I know what you mean about overprotective. I stopped at Wal-mart last night in the HD, took one look at all the craziness in the car park and drove straight out again.

I may have to go grocery shopping on the bus

 

The bird poo was fresh, thank goodness. I guess it's good to be a little nutty

 

Get a bottle of clearcoat touch-up, some 3000 Unigrit paper and a garden hose. Dab, sand, buff. Pretty.

SL

 

I would have no problem wetsanding if I felt a WHOLE LOT MORE confident in my detailing skills. I'm still at the dual action polisher stage. Rotary and wetsanding is to come! But it all takes time...

Well it took me about three days to be over it already. I'm not flustered anymore, Can't wait to detail it on sunday anyway.

 

Ford Lariat,

If it makes you feel any better, I noticed a huge rock chip in my window today that is starting to crack. It had to have happened today, but I don't know when. I noticed it on my way home.

I have had this truck for 10 days and so far lots of bad luck. I am beginning to think it's cursed and I need to sale it and buy another new one!

 

Oh man! That's not good Could it be covered by the warranty?

I find myself being exceptionally picky about what happens to my new Focus.

 

FL, With something as tame as 3000 paper, you should be able to do the job with a minimum of buffing. If you want get some practice, go to a junkyard and grab an old trunk lid. Jab it with a screwdriver in a couple different areas. Do it just enough to chip the paint, you don't want to ding the metal inward.

Now, you need to be careful, tape off the areas you don't want the sandpaper touching. Dab some touch up paint in the affected area and wait for it to dry. Repeat as needed until the paint is a tad higher than the original paint. For a very small area, you really don't need a hose. Get a bucket of water, dip the sandpaper into it, and let it soak. Retape closer to the touched up area, leaving about 1/8" around it. Sand gently until the high spot is gone. Keep dipping often to keep the paper wet and flush the paint off the paper.

You will know when you're close when the surrounding paint starts to dull from the paper. You'll know you're done when the halo of original paint-just outside of the touch-up blob-sands away. On an area as small as yours, you may not need a sanding block, but it's always good insurance for a flat surface when you're done.

If any of you are wondering, when I use the word "sanding" it's in a technical way only. Wetsanding is not what most people consider sanding. Wetsanding removes material very slowly. The higher the number on the paper, the less material it removes in the same amount of time/effort. It also takes longer, but the "scratches" for lack of a better term, are not as deep, making them easier to remove. I tend to wetsand VERY lightly, so it always takes me longer.

And FL, while a rotary is normally required for jobs like this, you could always try your DA with increasingly heavier cutting compounds on a test panel. If it doesn't cut through the haze, get yourself a rotary and practice, practice, practice.

The idea of buying junkyard panels to guinea pig on may seem like a waste of money to some, but you can really test your limits, as well as your buffers, to the core. If you burn the paint, the panel goes in the trash or back to the junkyard, and you start over. It also gives the opportunity to see the results off different compounds at different speeds and pressures. Here are product use charts from Meguiars: Rotary buffer and Dual action buffer

SL

 

Thanks for the info. Both those links didn't work for me

You said if my DA "doesn't cut through the haze..." Did you mean that after applying touchup paint, and then wetsanding, there will be a haze on the paint?

 

Funny, I checked them both after I posted, but they're not working for me now either. You can find the info at MOL (Meguiars Online)

Picture yourself sanding glass. The paper will take the shine and leave you with a hazy or cloudy looking surface. Buffing is necessary to bring the shine back.

SL

 

gotcha. Getting junk parts is a good idea,, that way you don't have to feel inhibited with your skills (if you burn the paint so what).