Just a general question to see what others do to keep paintwork looking good.
I live on the coast and the whole gull population fly overhead, leaving their calling cards. I always try to remove asap but the odd splodge seems to set rock hard and leaves its mark with a hard crusty blob.

I wonder what current method is suggested as best way to remove the existing marks, either Tcut or similar and then seal the surface against further scorching. My metallic dark grey Focus doesn't seem to suffer as much as a shiny black.. which i now have on my newly acquired FL.

To remove the etching I would normally remove the sealant / wax that's there at the moment, then polish the etching out from the lacquer. As you note the sooner you remove the stuff the less likely it is to etch but sometimes it just can't be done.
Black's a terrible colour I know .

I don't use Tcut though, a finer polish is more than enough for the etching it leaves.

Basically if you aren't bothered about polishing the whole car, then just clean the area properly, polish by hand with some fairly fine polish, then a dab of sealant or wax on top for next time.

once polished out, if it will as bird poo can be quite acidic

I would suggest trying a nano coating or a detergent-resistant wax on the paint. Carnauba waxes are fantastic and do a great job protecting the paint, but nano coatings are far more superior when it comes to chemical resistance and durability Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

thanks guys.. any specific brands recommended ?
I just sold my wifes black micra which was badly scorched cos she never removed the poo until next wash.
The FL is shiny black and currently mark free so need to seal it asap.

you could use something like Valet Pro citrus Wash, diluted in a hand sprayer to spray on the poo to soften it and then wipe off

Sealant, you could head towards any of them, i personally like Gtechniq C1 (a bit more fiddly) or wolfs chemicals, their Hard Body is supposed to be easier to apply (not used mine yet) and its what i bought for my silver Fl2, there are sample sizes that cover polish (preps paint) hard body sealant (protective coating) and their wheel sealant that was really easy to use

I got mine from here, but they are out of stock, but atleast you can see what i mean

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/sample-sizes..._1216.html

Gilfishman on here, posted a review of it, so you could pm him to ask how it lasted  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

thanks very much .. I'll check out all the suggestions.

Personally I use a sealant and then wax over the top, or a soft wax and over the top with a hard wax, but then some say I have too much time on my hands. I personally like dodo juice waxes as I find them easy to work, but by the time you've waxed twice maybe you should have gone with npinks suggestion lol

ok.. here's one for the comedians

As we all know, technique is everything. So is it best to rub in circles .. or straight up and down... for the best finish

Depends whether you want swirls or stripes...

use a decent mit and you won't get any
Non contact wash first though and that helps

submarine wrote:

Black's a terrible colour I know .

Black's not a colour


Currently awaiting the return of Werkstat products, have a good supply but new stuff is all out of stock, as Nick says, the nano coats are very very good.

I normally hose it first, then soak the sponge in warm soapy water and place it on the poo leavibg ut to soak for a bit to soften it. Comes off really enough with no rubbing I find.

are you being racist to my freel taz???