I just wanted to say thanx to guys like Rockpick and Boss429...etc for leaving such great posts in this forum . I just completed my first ever clay bar thru paste wax top to bottom detail and i would have never done it right had it not been for the threads I read in here .

I just bought my first truck ( previously owned a few 60's hot rods that rode in primer , oh and then a kia ) it had major industrial overspray and appeared to not have been regularly washed ( much less detailed ) . So i followed the meguires program of the clay bar followed by the paint cleaner then the polish followed by the wax ( i went with the gold class wax as I couldn't find the yellowe paste wax here...) . My truck went from being dull and rough textured to smooth and shiny.., took me 7 hours !!! but it was worth it .
I do have a question though ;

I worked and worked the clay bar for what seemed forever and got the finish glassy as hell , but I could still see some overspray . is it possible that i just will never get that out of there ? I kept going over it ( with new sections of clay I might add ) and some bits just weren't coming up nor dragging on the clay ). i also would like to know how long until i should do the long process again ?

Once again , thanx !!

 

Oh yeah , one more thing ! what do you recommend to get overspray off of the plastic side mirrors ? the pebbly texture of it made it impossible to get it out with the clay bar I figured ( so I hardly tried ) should I just try harder with the clay ? Or is there a better method/product ?

Thanx !

 

Glad to have helped out a bit...

As for your overspray, it's a tough call sight unseen. There are a few other ways to deal with the OS but, all in all, clay is one of the best methods in my opinion. I hate to suggest anything that is overly agressive so, can you attempt to post some pictures and some description of the OS? What is it? Is it like tar? Paint? Embedded metallic specs?

Length of time from now until 'next time'... all in the eyes of the beholder here. Again, I hate to be undescriptive with a response but, the only way that you're going to know when you need to start over is when you think you need to start over.

Environmental conditions will dictate a large portion of how long your work will last. Additionally, things like direct sunlight, washing patterns/habits/frequency, and driving/parking habits will influence it.

Long story short, when you think it needs it, do it.

RP

 

Again, let me know what kind of material is 'stuck on' and we can probably deal with it a bit easier.

Some will note that I ask goofy questions like these and it might seem like it doesn't matter... well, in my opinion, it does matter. I'm not going to suggest trying a method on a substrate that may damage, melt, or otherwise harm it thus causing a much bigger problem.

There are some 'blanket' responses that could go in here but, I'll try to give you some specifics... if I know what to do (and, I'll pre-warn you, I don't know it all here... far from it).

RP

 

That's the rub really.... the overspray happened before I owned the truck.... so I don't really know what it is . i think it's paint , but it could be something like sand blasting medium too .... it appears to me that it happened a long time ago ( or slowly built up over a long time ) and the previous owner either didn't care or didn't know how to get rid of it . I am more concerned about getting it out of the plastic in the side mirrors and the hood drain thingy . ( the technical name for it I am sure ) My truck looks kinda odd now because it is all clean and shiny except for these dull mirrors and windshield ( it's got some bad cracks so it will be replaced soon , but due to Katrina debris , kinda pointless to change it now , much less spend hours getting the overspray off of it ) . anyway , back to the matter at hand , any ideas you have on getting the overspray off the plastic will be greatly appreciated !!

Thanx , again !!

 

Does the OS appear to be oxidizing? In short, does it look like it could be a little 'rusty spot'?

 

macheesmo3,

First, you are certainly welcome for anything you picked up from me.

Secondly, RP is asking all the same questions I would ask about your overspray issue. So, I'll just stay out of the way, and let you guys "get-er-done".

Seriously, without seeing the problem up close and personal, it's going to be a tough call.

 

The overspray appears to be small ,multi colored, non-oxidized bits . It isn't causing any rusting and it didn't scratch the truck when the clay bar pulled it out . ( by the way my truck is white ) On the plastic mirrors it just looks like miniscule white flecks . Before I removed most of it from the body , the overspray had a grainy texture ,especially on the glass . It comes off the glass with some elbow grease and a fingernail but won't come of the plastic .

Hope this helps a little bit !

 

Tough tough tough call on the plastic. If it's white, I'm going to bet it's paint... some paints, unfortunately, will bond with plastics and make it nearly impossible to totally remove.

At this point, I'm hesitant to recommend much of anything... a stronger solvent could, potentially, cause damage to the substrate (the plastic), clay may scuff into the texture of the plastic and make the problem much more noticable and problematic, dressings won't 'remove' it but may offer some 'masking' to not make it so obvious...

Tough call man... I wish you were near by as I'd give it a look, in person, and give you an opinion but, without really laying hands on this one, it's something that I'm not very comfortable suggesting anything...

Again, I know that's not the answer you want to hear but, honestly, I'm partially stumped and partially scared to recommend anything... Even if we tried and didn't damage the plastic host, you run the risk of never totally removing it -- road paint is some very nasty stuff and is difficult enough to remove from a painted metal surface much less a non-painted plastic surface that has texture...

Boss -- Do you (or anyone else) have a safe recommendation on textured plastic?

RP

 

I am giving this a bump so anyone else out there who know any sort of plan for getting the overspray off of the side mirrors can give me some input .
I don't mind unconventional ideas! Just don't offer anything that is going to melt the plastic !!