How to remove caked on hard water spots?

So the *#@&^$% body shop left my car parked outside by a sprinkler head and the entire hood was covered in hard water then caked in the Vegas sun. NOT GOOD! They agreed (obviously) to detail it out but I am hesitant to take it back in since they want it overnight and I can just see this happening again. If I wanted to do this myself (and trust me I have already tried to no avail) what do I need to remove the damn spots. Products? Procedures? etc.?

I had the same problem with spots. I tried a ton of waxes and polishes. So far the only wax that seems to be "filling in the spots" is Klasse, however I can still see them in some light. I am hopeful that my paint isn't ruined!?!?!

Thanks for the input. I think I am going to just let them take care of it that way if they can't get it fixed or done right then they are on the hook for the damage not me.

Dell - That sucks! Why was your cab in the body shop in the first place?

I have used a "clay bar" in the past and it soeas a pretty good job. Use it before you wax the car to clean the paint. The clay bar removes dirt and grit on the paint without removing the paint (as a compound would). The clay bar also won't creat swirl marks so you are safe to try it on your own before you send it back to the body shop. Here is an article discussing how to apply it: http://www.topoftheline.com/auto-detail-clay.html Now if i could just find a good used 996...

Long story but had to get the rockers and the front spoiler repainted b/c the wife went off roading this past Feb but it took quite some time to get it right. Found out months later that they NEVER painted one of the rockers and just tried to polish it or something (yet charge my insurance for FULL PAINT) so I went back to get it taken care of and when I left it for them they spilled white paint or something acidic on the hood and had to do a FULL REPAINT on the hood. They had the nerve to call and ask me if I was aware there was a white spot on the hood and wanted to know what it was so they could (as a courtesy) try to get it out for me. I LOST IT! Needless to say they did a full hood and fender repaint and then promptly left it in the sun to bake it RIGHT NEXT TO A SPRINKLER HEAD. Told me to bring it back when they were not as busy so I didn't have to leave it overnight which brings us to today. Looks like she is going in this weekend.

Oh Gawd, Dell. What a nightmare! I hope it works out for you - good luck.

Thanks Steve. I'll know by the end of next week how it all turns out. I am taking it to them and giving them a very short rope!

fwiw, if you have to do it yourself, claybar is the trick. My wife used to not be so kind to her Mini before I bought her the Boxster and often parked it near a sprinkler at our studio. Drove me nuts! But claybar will get the spots off, just with an awful lot of elbow grease. I seem to recall other members saying something about wives not being too kind to cars... btw, our Boxster was damaged in transit (entire paint job burned with sparks) and will be getting a total restoration job. After it is done, if she ever parks it near a sprinkler again, she knows there will be hell to pay.

Before resorting to clay bar or other serious techniques, try vinegar. Mix it about 50-50 with water, put it in a spray bottle, and mist the surface. Let it sit for a few moments, then wipe off with a microfiber towel. In most cases, the deposits will disappear. For especially stubborn spots, reapply. It won't hurt your finish, and it's amazingly easy. I didn't believe how well this would work until I tried it, but I no longer fear hard-water deposits.

Thx Larry. I might give it a try but I will do it first in an out of the way spot in case I find a way to screw it up. Steve, totally understand. Especially with that 3x black combo!

Why not post the name of that shop? They sound like the kind of place we would all want to avoid.

Speaking of spots, what about black tire marks coming off the driver in front of you while on the track? I have used a bug/tar remover, but was hoping to find a better and safer product. Do you know whether vinegar will work on these spots? Or should I just try it because as you say, it's not harmful on the finish. Thanks

post the name of the shop? What good what that do for you.....it's here in Vegas not in Atlanta. Besides they are the only shop that works on high end exotics here in LV and they KNOW it. Doesn't mean I would use them again though. Still, don't want to bash them here on the board.

Ive used Zymol "cleaner wax" and that seems to do the trick but this wax will take your clearcoat off if you use it excessively. Just use it once in a while to take off those stubborn waterspots. The vinegar mixed with water is something that I have to try out. It would definitely make the job much less intensive since all you have to do is spray and wipe, good stuff Larry.

The true solution is easy, but time consuming. Buy some 3M hand glaze and put it on with a soft cloth. Make sure to only do small sections at a time. After you do the entire car, make sure to put some wax on it, say One Grand Blitz wax. Will come out looking better than new. It may take a while with the 3M to remove the spots, but they will come out and not harm your finish.

One reason I like Zaino is that if neccessary you can remove water spots by removing the zaino with dawn dishwashing soap. The spots are on top of the zaino and come off. Since dawn will also remove most other waxes as well I would try washing the car with Dawn. Try this or the vinegar before you resort to any abasives. If it doesn't work then I would try clay first then if that doesn't work try the more aggresive options.