Removing overspray that clay won't remove?

[E_S]

I clayed the A6 today, and the result was amazing. Didn't believe the paint was that dirty even after washing and using tar remover!

But - I have some red overspray of unknown origin on the left rear corner of the car. It's on the rear window, rear side window, trim, fender and hatch. Clay removed some of it, but far from all. How can I remove the rest? The picture shows the worst spot, the rest is far from that bad, but like I said, clay did not remove it all.. I'm somewhat experienced with wet sanding, but I just wanted to know if there's a trick that will remove it without sacrificing too much of the clear coat..

(and yes, I know the paint has got lots of swirls etc., but I bought this car last October, and living here and not having a heated garage makes exterior detailing more than a simple wash almost impossible from November to March - just)



And here's a picture of the car after claying. The paint is pretty nice, what you see "on" the door is just dust and reflections. The lower door trim is removed to clean and wax behind them. Now it's time to bring out the buffer and accessories, but that'll be next week. Leaving tomorrow for work at a ski resort a few days..

[Murr1525]

Re: Removing overspray that clay won't remove?

The most basic answer is apply more passion with the gentle clay that you have, or get a more agressive clay.

I'd give the clay you have one more shot... really focus on area at a time, not wiping back and forth in big areas. Think of it almost like using an eraser on one spot, and see if it helps any.

Keep in mind, starting to apply more pressure, or using more agressive clays, can cause swirls. Since you still plan to do swirl-removing steps with a machine, thats not really a problem.

You can try claying the glass/trim as well.

[E_S]

Re: Removing overspray that clay won't remove?

I tried claying even more, and after lots of work, most of it came off. I had to "assist" with 2500-grade sanding paper on the worst spots, but now it's gone. It came a lot easier off the glass than the paint - and now both the paint and the glass is smooooth..

[Murr1525]

Re: Removing overspray that clay won't remove?

Were you able to remove the sanding marks, and any marring from the clay easily enough?

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Removing overspray that clay won't remove?

Congrats, Can't wait to see the a6 all shined up.

[Arne]

Re: Removing overspray that clay won't remove?

I did a car last summer with whiteoverspray on the entire car and it took me 8 hours to remove it

[E_S]

Re: Removing overspray that clay won't remove?

I just did a quick pass with #84 and a cutting pad on the rotary, and as far as I could see, all the sanding marks went away easy. I've done this a few times before on other cars, but never because of overspray.

Arne: 8 hours? I guess you were kinda tired when finished.. I spent about 8 hours removing swirls and scratches from my previous car, and I sure felt it in my arms. The Makita rotary is heavy to handle and use after a few hours..