Rather than use the old thread dated 2008, I decided to start a new thread but the question is the same:

OK, guys. I spent half the day polishing out (yes polish and not compound) the water spots on the dark blue 1981 300SD. I just do not want to use aggressive compound.

Made the mistake of letting it sit out in the rain, then dry in the hot sun. Wow, white water spots all over.

So after all this time, does anyone have an answer about how to prevent this?

I realize this is on a 37 year old vehicle with original paint. That said a new black Buick Enclave was parked right next to me in the rain and then in the sun and there is not a single white water spot. What the heck????

Check this if its readable .

Attached Thumbnails

 

Thanks for that. Interesting article but 1) since I am concerned about using compound on a 37 year old paint job, I would not use sandpaper, and 2) the baking soda idea is way too weak for my damage.

What I am asking now is not how to remove (have already done that) but how to prevent new acid rain spots.

Suggestions anyone?

Thx

Use polishing compound and a buffer to get the paint smooth and shiny. Follow up with a coat or two of hard-curing wax like Turtle Wax or NuFinish. Hit with a clay bar and re-wax every 6 months.

The only way to prevent etching of the paint is to protect it. About the only way to protect it is to wax it.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Diseasel300 - yep, this is a pretty old thread and I still have the problem. It sat out in the rain again and dried and the white spots are back. In fact even though I really worked doing a hand polish two years ago, I was never satisfied and not all of the white completely disappeared.

That said, with original now 40 year old paint, do you think it is safe to get out my orbital buffer and do a polish job? Or should I start with a clay bar? I am concerned about how thin the remaining paint may be.

Anyone know anything now that we did not know two years ago about how to remove these white spots?

Bump. Anyone? No new product out there?

You're not going to get away from a mechanical buffing to get rid of the water spots. Unless the paint is in really poor condition or has been buffed many times in the past, it should be plenty thick to take a polish with no ill effects. Just don't go He-Man on it.

Once you're done with the mechanical buffing, use a good protectant to prevent them coming back. Consider a ceramic coating. Project Farm on Youtube recently did a video comparing many different brands. The Turtle-Wax "Hybrid Solutions" seemed to dominate his competition and is pretty inexpensive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYxKQwZah1s

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Diseasel300 - great video. Thx for that. And appreciate the response.

I have more of an issue with sprinklers than rain. Sprinklers are my enemy. No matter how hard I try to avoid them I do get hit at least once every few months and then I also end up with the annoying water drops on my car which are impossible to remove easily.

two town's same problem. sweetwater, texas, and sweetwater, tennessee. why call them that? I rented a place once with a well same calcium filled water, caused bad spotting on vehicles. My solution,I carried 3 bath towels to dry car after washing, or I'd have to turtle wax the car to remove spots,and windows too.

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran