2x6spds

So, I'm at a 3 hour meeting this morning in Corona del Mar, walk out and see the house across the street totally enveloped in a cloud of white spray paint, and my car, is sitting right across from it. I asked the guys to stop. It takes a minute because I don't speak Spanish and their English is only so-so. I asked them if they thought it was OK to spray paint all the cars parked in front of the house.

The foreman finally shows up, his English is a bit better than so-so, and he starts to rub my hood saying, "there's no paint ..." I told him to please not touch my car, he looked at me in a confusion. My friend walks over to his black BMW 750, and his face went whiter than the overspray.

I called the Newport Beach police department. The gal who answers the non emergency number tells me, "that's a civil problem, not criminal." I ask her if there's any ordinance that prohibits fools from spray painting residents' cars without permission. "Not unless they do it with malicious intent," she announces. I ask to speak with the watch commander. I wait long enough for her to explain to him that I am a dick with a civil dispute. He starts out unhelpful. I ask if my neighbor plays his stereo loud and I complain, will NBPD dispatch a car? "Yes," he says. "Because that would be a nuisance, right?" Right, he says. "So, spray painting a bunch of residents' cars without permission, not only really stupid, but a nuisance, right?"

"We'll send a car." Nice fella comes by, I explain the situation, he gets everyone's license numbers, registrations, driver's license numbers, contractor license, and gives me the list. "Sure wouldn't be happy if that happened to my car," he said.

"How do you like it?" he asks me. "Too good for me, 9000 rpm redline." "That's gotta be a rush," he says.

I washed my car, and it is covered with overspray. I mean, my car has been spray painted white latex. Not happy. Called Ugo, and told him the bad news, and that I would be taking it to the body shop and would do what they tell me, either a buffing or a wet sanding and that I will send him a bill. "OK," says Ugo.

Bummer.

slbutler

I hate stupid people.
Good luck

PWRMKR

good control

Drop Top

That sucks. Hope everything works out for you.

boiler

2x6spds, I think that a claybar will help remove the overspray. They are supposed to be made to do just that. It might just work?

2x6spds

Thanks, all!

I wash and wax my car myself, having seen some of the swirly nightmares delivered by professionals. I've clay barred my black Legend LS 6 speed coupe a few times. I'm afraid to clay bar the S2000 precisely because of the overspray - Don't want to grind that stuff into the clearcoat or worse.

S2K_CLS

I'll second that... my girlfriend had a Ram Air WS6 that had overspray from a body shop repair job. We are talking about overspray from base/clear coat here.

Then again, is exterior latex different than interior latex? I think it is so its more weather resistant. The interior latex stuff wipes up pretty easy... exterior latex might be more of a challenge.

Bass

sorry to hear your story but clay should be fine just as long as you use tons of lubricant

chipperman

Ammonia diluted in water will soften latex paint so that it can be removed. It is also very slippery and helps the particles slide off.
I used to live in Laguna Beach and we had a similar incident with an idiot spraying a stain/ linseed oil mix that not only got the cars, but most of the houses on the block. Of course, he had no license, insurance, or assets. But, he was the low bidder!
Try the ammonia thing, it really works! Don't let that paint cure.

Destiny2002

Nothing stands up in court like a police report. Way to go.