I have what appears to be waterspots after thoroughly claying my car, but after running my hand over the area, it is very smooth but the appearance of the spots are very noticeable. I've tried the vinegar, lemon juice trick to no avail. I'm wonder if this is what's referred to as etching?

I've yet to try rubbing alcohol, but I've ordered a dual action PC and may try to go over with non-abrasive cleaners over that area... is this wise or should I just try the alcohol first?

 

yup, you might have some clear coat etching, or staining- if vinegar doesnt get spots, not likely anything else will.
worth trying alcohol, but sounds to me that you are in need of a paint cleaner (several brands out there) or mild compound (swirl remover for example).
the pc is a great product for your use!

 

btw, good summary in this thread:

(the link says swirls, but its also covers your question)

http://store.yahoo.com/autopia/inf-swirls.html

 

yup.. I second the PC.. my fav tool in the whole house

 

Thanks guys... I'll try the PC and some non-abrasive cleaners first before going with the mild clearcoat abrasives.

 

be sure to post your results back here!

 

Okay, finally got to play around with my new toy (Porter Cable 7474) and some P21S Paint Cleaner (looks like cream in cosmetic skin cleaner bottle).

Let's see... how to do I start my story... (hmm).

Okay, well I cleaned the car with Zaino car wash, followed by the Cali water blade and Big Blue to wipe everything dry, I did the "do I need to clay the car" test and found that I didn't. It was already super smooth.

I started applying in small 2 x 2 sections of the P21S Paint Cleaner with my foam applicator and spread it around with the PC. I started with a low setting of 3 and did the section. I wiped it off (it is super easy to take the P21S off, hardly any white dust). The finish (which has about 8 coats of Zaino) felt so much thicker and had that special glazed feel. My hands and fingers couldn't tell if there was any imperfections despite what my eyes saw.

I made sure to go over the problem areas by using overlapping passes, horizontal, vertical and both diagnal passes. I was able to reduce the problem significantly (although I wonder if I'm merely hiding it better) but under good flourescent lighting, it was still there. I went over it again with the P21S with a slightly higher speed of 4 and this time there was no difference.

My next plan is to go over it with some white vinegar sprayed onto the problem section, followed by some rubbing alcohol and water mix (50/50) and go over it with the PC again. If that doesn't work, I may want to give some of the mild abrasive polishes a try, starting with the weakest abrasive formula, and if that doesn't work... the next level and keep working on using the least amount of abrasive polish as possible.

I couldn't get over how easy it is to use the 7474 Porter Cable... if you don't have one and you spend lots of time detailing your car, you need this dual action polisher as much as you need a creeper when you spend lots of times under the car.

More stories to follow when I finish the next phase in removing the water etching.