HELP, Removing Gel Coat overspray from my BLACK SHINNY WHITE SPOTTED TRUCK

[SEAYUH2]

I am so very discouraged and can't seem to find anything short of using ACID TONE in removing gel coat over spray. I can’t believe I did this and now my new shinny black truck has billions of tiny white specks all over. I am willing to spend all day compounding, glazing and finish waxing, even repeating the process if necessary. Can anyone help with a product or process to rid me of this visual nightmare?

[Five Star]

you could try an aggresive clay to remove it,

[sneek]

Professional Detailing Clay-Aggressive

or you could use c2000 overspray clay

[Tim Lingor]

Originally posted by sneek
Professional Detailing Clay-Aggressive

or you could use c2000 overspray clay

Sneek,

We need to be careful recommending such a product until we have more information. Doing so without is very haphazard. Further , C-2000 is the mild version of Meguiar's Detailing Clay. The Overspray Clay is no longer being offered


SEAYUH2

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!!

Can you tell us what you have already tried to remove the Gel Coat material? Using the aggressive clay is a possibility. But being that it is aggressive, marring is quite possible. Usually body shops use that version of clay as they will be machine buffing afterwards. So you need to use caution when using the product.

I would encourage you to first trying the regular Meguiar's Quik Clay. Use plenty of lube, and work over a small area. Wipe off with a dedicated MF towel.


Quik Clay System




Try the clay and then report back.

Tim

[sneek]

Originally posted by 2hotford
Sneek,

We need to be careful recommending such a product until we have more information. Doing so without is very haphazard. Further , C-2000 is the mild version of Meguiar's Detailing Clay. The Overspray Clay is no longer being offered


SEAYUH2

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!!

Can you tell us what you have already tried to remove the Gel Coat material? Using the aggressive clay is a possibility. But being that it is aggressive, marring is quite possible. Usually body shops use that version of clay as they will be machine buffing afterwards. So you need to use caution when using the product.

I would encourage you to first trying the regular Meguiar's Quik Clay. Use plenty of lube, and work over a small area. Wipe off with a dedicated MF towel.


Quik Clay System




Try the clay and then report back.

Tim

uh oh i just bought 2 bars of c-2000

[Mike Phillips]

Hi SEAYUH2,

I saw your post when you posted it but I've been so buried in other things I couldn't get to it...

As others have mentioned already, you're going to want to get your hands on some detailing clay and clay your car. I used our Consumer Clay to remove exterior white enamel paint off a Toyota truck and it was plastered with overspray, so a few words of caution here,

"Always use the least aggressive product to get the job done"

and

"You never know what you can do until you try"

The more aggressive the clay, the more potential to actually mar the finish with the clay itself. Aggressive clay products are for use by professionals who are often times going to machine clean the paint using a rotary buffer after claying.

If you can remove the overspray using a fine grade of clay, that will put you ahead of the game versus using any companies aggressive clay.

"You never know what you can do until you try"


We would recommend getting your hands on some fine grade clay and try claying a small area, about the size of your hand, focusing on the task at hand. If you can remove the overspray in one small area you can remove the overspray from the entire finish.

If you cannot remove the overspray from a small area then you can always try a more aggressive clay.

Have you ever used detailing clay before?

[Tim Lingor]

Was that an echo I heard???

Sorry Mike, I could not resist!!

Tim

[SEAYUH2]

Regarding my stupidity and now paying the price.... INTENSE LABOR AHEAD

I neglected to mention the Shinny Black, once beautiful truck wasn’t the only fatality. I also had my Bright Shinny RED Miata parked in the general location finding it too got the same treatment.
I tried many things to see how they would react to the gel coat such as; goof-off, paint thinner, and brake cleaner…..nothing worked. Knowing much about marine compounds, mostly 3M type, Perfect III Extra Cut Rubbing Compound and Finesse-it II Finishing Material used on my boat. I started with a wool circular polishing machine and went to town with the Extra Cut and with much effort found this aggressive compound removing the gel coat. After completing this step I needed to again wash and dry to apply the finish wax, however I notice horrible swirling from the wool pad all over the cars paint…….eeeeek, I didn’t think I worked the area too long. Undecided on what to use next I turned to the Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze, swirl remover 2.0. It seemed to be removing almost all the created swirls. Finally, I completed this process with Meguiars NXT generation Tech Wax. Amazingly I was astonished with the outcome with the paint shinning and looking better than I can remember, however today I did notice how the paint was thin in a few areas and did see some areas still in need of Meguiars Swirl Remover. OH THE PAIN.
I don’t want to take a chance on my trucks paint being its much newer and somewhat of my baby and black will reveal many more sins….if you know what I mean.
OK it was VERY STUPID. So what will work most efficiently without ruining my trucks finish clear coat?
P.S. Sorry for the Novel.

Sincerely, I will never do that again.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by 2hotford
Was that an echo I heard???

Sorry Mike, I could not resist!!

Tim

I'm so sorry Tim, I kind of scanned the thread and then posted, looks like I parroted everything you wrote. Long day, I've been typing almost solid since 7:30am.

I actually tried to call this new member but haven't been able to get through, so far it looks like they've tried everything except clay.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's a truck we did a before and after to removing single stage, white enamel paint overspray.




We did this using our Consumer Clay.

[Five Star]

Gel coat is going to be a pain to remove, I know the least aggresive product to start is the normal routine.

however, due to the composition of the overspray ( gelcoat)

It will take an aggresive product to remove it.


P.S Mike I had to sent you an email

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Five Star
Gel coat is going to be a pain to remove, I know the least aggressive product to start is the normal routine.

however, due to the composition of the overspray ( gel coat)

It will take an aggressive product to remove it.


P.S Mike I had to sent you an email

I agree, but in the position I'm in, the standard operating procedure is to recommend on a public forum the least aggressive method at least until you find out more about the person's skill level.

While going directly to the most aggressive clay bar is likely the best chance there is to remove the gel coat overspray, another analogy would be, we wouldn't recommend a person that's just starting out with major paint defects to go out and purchase a rotary buffer. It's a case where recommending one solution over another could possibly make the matter worse not because of the product or procedure but because of the skill level.

So sometimes moving slowly is the best speed to move at all.


Meanwhile back at the ranch, I called Rick aka SEAYUH2, and come to find out he's good friends with Jason Rose, a Meguiar's employee and an artist behind the rotary buffer.

Rick is going to try claying in some small areas to see if he can make a small area look good, and if not then we'll move forward from there. In the meantime I have an e-mail to Jason to call me to discuss the issue and perhaps work on a different game plan.

You are correct about this being a tough nut to crack. It could be there will be no easy solution and this may end up being one of those times where the only honest repair is a repaint as dismal as that may sound. But hope is not lost as we have not exhausted all of our options as of this time.

[SEAYUH2]

Least Aggressive is Learned



Hey I wanted to thank everyone especially Mike for all the good information. In speaking to Mike on the phone last night I told him my experience using Clay.......I hated using it because it always transferred to the paint surface. That being said I am looking forward to trying it again with hopeful results.

As far as aggressive first is concerned I have to say that over the years I have learned not to be inpatient. In my second thread I mentioned my Miata, going very aggressive with compound that works wonderful on gel coat. But as you read, yes it did remove the gel coat and removed a lot of the paint surface with horrible swirl marks. I should have been more patient in coming here first to get the scoop then work upward using more aggressive products.

OK, My plan on Friday is to work with the Consumer Clay and Detailer and see what happens. I certainly don't want to go through anymore disappointments then already experienced.

Thanks again and will post the result with hopefully before and after pictures, wish me well