PharmMB

There are discolorations in the paint running down from the rear license plate. It looks like soap residue, but no amount of scrubbing & rinsing will remove it.

Could this be from salty water running down from the license plate over the winter?

Any ideas on a solution? A polishing compound perhaps?

Thanks.

(Hard to see in the pic......too much sun right now.)

kickR

Try a paintwork cleanser first, before you go to polishes and compounds. Also, try and get a better shot if you can.

PharmMB

Here's a few more pics. It's hard to get the camera to pick up the discoloration. In the angled pic you can see how underneath the license plate the paint is dulled (foggy), but shiny (normal) beside to the plate.

As for paintwork cleanser, do you have any specific suggestions? I know little of such things........

Thanks

kickR

Yes, it really is hard to tell from your pictures. Paint cleansers of Klasse All In One (KAIO) or P21S should be a good first try. I know for a fact that the P21S is fairly easy to work with the hand, if you do not have a machine.

OTD

I would use a stronger cleaner like werkstat prime strong. keep us posted

kickR

Never used it, so I cannot speak for it. Have you tried applying it by hand before, since I believe that the OP does not have a buffer? Can you compare it to P21S?

OTD

yes I use it by hand, but I can't compare to P21s ( never used it )

here's some results I got







here is another Pro-detailer's results

http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/...k-cleanser.htm

so IMHO, the OP will be happier with werkstat prime strong than other cleanser on the martket.

PharmMB

It turns out that when I removed my plate there was some calcium/lime build-up crusted on the back. I do live in the middle of nowhere and there's a lot of rock so perhaps there is a high mineral content in my water.

I assume this caused the problem because the fogging of the clear coat appeared like drip marks directly beneath the plate and nowhere else on the car.

I ended up using Maguiar's Ultimate Compound (none of anyone's suggestions were available in my small town). A little dab and some elbow grease brought back the shine. I also used CLR on the plate to remove the calcium/lime build-up. Hopefully, this doesn't become a recurrent problem......otherwise I may have to start taking my car to the big city for washing.

Thanks everyone.

kickR

Great to hear.

In detailing, if available, you always want to start with the least abbrasive product, therefore our recommendations at first.

Enjoy your results