Water Spot on Matte Strips removal

craigss50 · 11-30-2018, 01:05 PM

I washed my car with Dawn to remove any residual wax and clay barred it last weekend so I could apply a ceramic coating. I thought I kept the car wet while claying it but evidently water dried on my Fifty Matte Hood Stripe. It looked horrible. We have hard water here. I tried vinegar and water. Buffing with a mild cleaner. Nothing worked. Finally my wife said just go to a body shop and get a new stripe put on so I figure what the heck nothing to lose. I am going to get serious on this sucker. So I used Mcguires medium cut paint correction and my Porter Cable buffer. It looked a little better after the first application so I tried again. Still not what I wanted so I tried applying the Medium cut by hand and that made a big difference. You could feel the grit cutting the surface. You can only see a few spots very faintly now under florescent lighting. So I am pretty happy with the results with one exception. The Matte stripe is now shiny. I have to figure how to cut the shine somehow but I can live with it shiny. I did consider removing the stripe but I like it. I may still go to a body shop to see how much they would charge to remove and replace the stripe. If under $500

I know there is a product called 3D water spot remover but it is a mild acid. Some had success with it and some didn't. I had just done all that work applying the creamic coating and did not want to risk the 3D product removing it.

Just thought I would share.

CUPRA · 12-01-2018, 10:27 AM

I use a product called Meguiar's Scratch X on mine.

I had an IOM 2011 2SS with gloss cyber grey vinyl stripes and would use it to correct areas that got etched by bird poop or water spots without any issue at all in the 8 years I owned it.

I now have a white 2017 2LT with matte black stripes on it. I had a similar issue where the water pools on the trunk when I'm washing the car in the driveway (its on an incline)… and the Meguiar's Scratch X takes care of the water spots without making the stripes glossy at all. Worth a try for you for the cost of $8.

KirkH · 12-01-2018, 12:14 PM

There are several threads on this topic if you search. In one of them, I tested about a dozen types of cleaning products and polishes on matte vinyl to see which worked best and caused least damage. I can't search well on my phone right now.

craigss50 · 12-01-2018, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CUPRA

I use a product called Meguiar's Scratch X on mine.

I had an IOM 2011 2SS with gloss cyber grey vinyl stripes and would use it to correct areas that got etched by bird poop or water spots without any issue at all in the 8 years I owned it.

I now have a white 2017 2LT with matte black stripes on it. I had a similar issue where the water pools on the trunk when I'm washing the car in the driveway (its on an incline)… and the Meguiar's Scratch X takes care of the water spots without making the stripes glossy at all. Worth a try for you for the cost of $8.

I'll have to try it if I get the spots again. Thanks.

51FIFFT · 12-03-2018, 02:32 PM

Put the car in the sun and let it sit. Mine did the same thing and I tried everything and nothing worked I was to the point of buying new ones. Next day after sitting in the sun they were gone. This has happened twice now and both times its went away.

Aragorn · 12-03-2018, 04:13 PM

White vinegar and elbow grease

matt fe2o3 · 12-03-2018, 08:54 PM

might try an eraser.

TJay74 · 12-03-2018, 09:05 PM

Adam's matte detailer will remove those water spots.

hotlap · 12-04-2018, 06:25 AM

I had spots on both my front and rear stripes also. Like other said, they disappeared naturally.

I took a tip for the forum and apply Chemical Guys MeticulousMatte after each wash. No more spots and I daily mine so water sits on it all the time

craigss50 · 12-04-2018, 07:09 AM

Thanks for the replies. I will leave it alone next time. I will also get some Matte detailer.

Ichabod · 12-04-2018, 08:21 AM

https://www.carpro-us.com/paint-deco...r-500ml-16-oz/

I rinsed my car after a track day in the rain and then had an emergency that prevented me from drying the car. It left a lot of super visible spots on the hood of my 1le. I tried white vinegar, alcohol and heat... and only saw marginal improvement. I was ready to re-wrap the hood until a friend recommended carpro spotless. Long story short, it works. My hood looks brand new again.

51FIFFT · 12-04-2018, 11:17 AM

Don't scrub on it... I tried everything I could find and in the end it went away. you can now see where I tried all these different ways to get them out. Like I said the second time I didn't touch it and they went away.

SSport16 · 12-05-2018, 10:40 AM

Carpro Spotless works real well, if you don't want to purchase something separate (but I do recommend having it handy, because you will still water spots from time to time even with a coating), you can dilute some white vinegar works well also.

11-30-2018, 01:05 PM	#1
craigss50 Drives: 2017 Camaro SS Fifty Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Port St Lucie, Florida Posts: 966	Water Spot on Matte Strips removal I washed my car with Dawn to remove any residual wax and clay barred it last weekend so I could apply a ceramic coating. I thought I kept the car wet while claying it but evidently water dried on my Fifty Matte Hood Stripe. It looked horrible. We have hard water here. I tried vinegar and water. Buffing with a mild cleaner. Nothing worked. Finally my wife said just go to a body shop and get a new stripe put on so I figure what the heck nothing to lose. I am going to get serious on this sucker. So I used Mcguires medium cut paint correction and my Porter Cable buffer. It looked a little better after the first application so I tried again. Still not what I wanted so I tried applying the Medium cut by hand and that made a big difference. You could feel the grit cutting the surface. You can only see a few spots very faintly now under florescent lighting. So I am pretty happy with the results with one exception. The Matte stripe is now shiny. I have to figure how to cut the shine somehow but I can live with it shiny. I did consider removing the stripe but I like it. I may still go to a body shop to see how much they would charge to remove and replace the stripe. If under $500 I know there is a product called 3D water spot remover but it is a mild acid. Some had success with it and some didn't. I had just done all that work applying the creamic coating and did not want to risk the 3D product removing it. Just thought I would share.

12-01-2018, 10:27 AM	#2
CUPRA Drives: '21 Bronco OBX/'18 Jeep GC Altitude Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Keller, TX Posts: 1,413 View My Garage	I use a product called Meguiar's Scratch X on mine. I had an IOM 2011 2SS with gloss cyber grey vinyl stripes and would use it to correct areas that got etched by bird poop or water spots without any issue at all in the 8 years I owned it. I now have a white 2017 2LT with matte black stripes on it. I had a similar issue where the water pools on the trunk when I'm washing the car in the driveway (its on an incline)… and the Meguiar's Scratch X takes care of the water spots without making the stripes glossy at all. Worth a try for you for the cost of $8. __________________ Order Placed: 04/30/22 Order Accepted: 10/18/22 TPW: 11/07/22 Built: 11/18/22 VIN received: 11/19/22 On a Train: 02/27/23 ETA: TBD 2023 Camaro 2SS Convertible/M6/Shadow Grey Metallic/Adrenaline Red Interior/Carbon Flash Wheels/NPP

12-01-2018, 12:14 PM	#3
KirkH Drives: 2016 2SS M6 Mosaic Blk Met-SOLD Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: KY Posts: 2,934	There are several threads on this topic if you search. In one of them, I tested about a dozen types of cleaning products and polishes on matte vinyl to see which worked best and caused least damage. I can't search well on my phone right now. __________________ Official Detailer of CamaroFest 8 & 9 https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...st-8-pics.html https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showt...=521655&page=1 https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showt...=547470&page=1 https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=527474 No one on Earth has detailed more Camaros. http://KirkTheDetailer.com

12-03-2018, 02:32 PM	#5
51FIFFT Drives: 2017 2SS M6 FIFTY @51fifft Join Date: May 2017 Location: California, Woodland Posts: 187	Put the car in the sun and let it sit. Mine did the same thing and I tried everything and nothing worked I was to the point of buying new ones. Next day after sitting in the sun they were gone. This has happened twice now and both times its went away. __________________

12-03-2018, 08:54 PM	#7
matt fe2o3 Drives: 2SS Hyper Blue Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: N. California Posts: 234	might try an eraser. __________________ 2018 Hyper Blue 2SS - SOLD

12-03-2018, 04:13 PM	#6
Aragorn Account Suspended Drives: Camaro SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Phoenix Posts: 1,538	White vinegar and elbow grease

12-03-2018, 09:05 PM	#8
TJay74 Drives: 17 Camaro SS 1LE & 16 Sierra AT CC Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 2,424	Adam's matte detailer will remove those water spots. __________________ 2019 Corvette Z06 2LZ A8 - Halltech CAI, AWE non-catted X-pipe, Mamo V2 ported TB 592rwhp, bone stock 566rwhp 2017 Camaro SS 1LE - Procharger D1SC w/ Tial 2" BOV & Race intercooler / ARH full length catless headers / Alky meth injection system - 650rwhp on conservative tune SOLD

12-04-2018, 06:25 AM	#9
hotlap Drives: 20 1LE 2SS M6 Rally Green Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Franklin WI Posts: 6,632	I had spots on both my front and rear stripes also. Like other said, they disappeared naturally. I took a tip for the forum and apply Chemical Guys MeticulousMatte after each wash. No more spots and I daily mine so water sits on it all the time __________________ "the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.” Ronald Reagan -

12-04-2018, 07:09 AM	#10
craigss50 Drives: 2017 Camaro SS Fifty Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Port St Lucie, Florida Posts: 966	Thanks for the replies. I will leave it alone next time. I will also get some Matte detailer.

12-04-2018, 08:21 AM	#11
Ichabod Drives: 2018 zl1 1LE Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: NJ Posts: 95	https://www.carpro-us.com/paint-deco...r-500ml-16-oz/ I rinsed my car after a track day in the rain and then had an emergency that prevented me from drying the car. It left a lot of super visible spots on the hood of my 1le. I tried white vinegar, alcohol and heat... and only saw marginal improvement. I was ready to re-wrap the hood until a friend recommended carpro spotless. Long story short, it works. My hood looks brand new again. __________________ 2018 ZL1 1LE 2021 GLS63 AMG 2005 SRT4 2017 Ram 1500

12-04-2018, 11:17 AM	#12
51FIFFT Drives: 2017 2SS M6 FIFTY @51fifft Join Date: May 2017 Location: California, Woodland Posts: 187	Don't scrub on it... I tried everything I could find and in the end it went away. you can now see where I tried all these different ways to get them out. Like I said the second time I didn't touch it and they went away. __________________

12-05-2018, 10:40 AM	#13
SSport16 Drives: 2016 Garnet Red Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 5,435	Carpro Spotless works real well, if you don't want to purchase something separate (but I do recommend having it handy, because you will still water spots from time to time even with a coating), you can dilute some white vinegar works well also. __________________ 2SS Camaro, Garnet Red, Adrenaline Red, NPP, MRC, A8, 5 Split Spoke Bright Silver Wheels (56W) 1100 Status - 7/24/15 (Ordered) 3800 Status - 10/13/15 (Built) 6000 Status - 12/22/15 (Delivered)

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