Auto Detailing Guide

Paint Overspray and Tree sap Removal

Another of the wonderful aspects of living in Western Pennsylvania is potential for overspray on your vehicle. People tend to forget that with as many bridges and large building we have in the metro Pittsburgh area, we have a problem when they paint these structures. The wind has a habit of carrying the paint up to a mile or more away from the structure. This results in the rough textured surface you get on your vehicle after it has sat nearby a construction site or maintenance project while these projects are working.

Even people living in rural areas have a problem with tree sap falling on their vehicle and embedding itself in the paint. If neither of these items has happened to you yet, there's always the every present "acid rain" that corrodes your clear coat resulting in those nice little circles in your paint.

If you have problems with any of these corrosive paint problems, the only place you can really get it taken care of is at your local detail shop. If you want try and remove it yourself it's a time consuming and quite labor intensive process. I'll explain how it's done and you can decide for yourself whether to outsource the job or not.

When it comes to overspray you really need a good clay bar. Detailers clay as it's called is a special mix of clay that works incredibly well at removing impurities from your paint. It's a simple enough system. You take the detailers clay and wet it. You are also going to need some form of lubricant for the car paint surface. This is always a subject of debate whether you need special lubricants or not, but being an experienced detailer I have found that a simple solution of Joy dishwashing detergent works great. Some detailers will tell you that you need to use everything from spray on finish wax to showroom shine products to keep the clay lubricated. All you are going for here is something to keep the surface slippery while you rub the clay across it in a circular pattern. It's a one, two process. Rub the clay in circles and keep following behind it occasionally with your other hand to feel for the dry bumps that overspray creates. Keep going over it with the clay until it's gone lubricating as needed.

Another really cool feature of clay is that if you have already waxed the car, the clay bar won't remove the wax on the painted surface but it will remove the overspray. Not sure why, but after years of detailing and several thousand cars I'm not going to argue with this fact.

Something else to keep in mind while you are using the clay is that you need to keep folding it back into itself while you are rubbing it. The clay will start getting dirty as it's pulling everything off the painted surface of the car. So keep folding it over on itself and you will always have a clean surface. Eventually the clay will need replaced, but one bar will do many, many cars. If you are doing this at your home, that one container of clay will last you a long time. Another thing to keep in mind. Always keep the clay wet. It should come in a container with a cap that can be replaced. Fill the jar or container with your water and Joy detergent solution and put the cap on tight before you put it away after using it. This will keep it ready for the next time you need it.

After you have completed the entire car, you'll want to wash the vehicle using your standard car wash soap mix with a soft wool wash mit. Once it is dry you will be able to feel for any areas that you missed.

Here's another issue that some people bring-up when it comes to overspray. Should you just high speed buff the entire vehicle. I tend to say yes, but only after you have done the clay bar process. If you don't you will be working forever buffing to get the overspray off. Anybody who know's anything about high speed buffing will tell you that it's best to limit the time that the buffer gets to spend with the paint on your car. Otherwise you are just asking for burnt paint, ripped molding or other possible damage. It's not usual, but it does happen occasionally. I believe a car that has been through the clay bar cleaning followed by high speed buffing and then orbital buffed to remove any swirls looks incredible. Apply a nice coat of Polymer Sealant to the paint after you are done and your car will be good to go for six months until you need to reapply.

When it comes to my preferences for detailers clay I tend to stick with Meguiar's brand detail products. They have a Meguiar's C-2000 Professional Detailing Clay which is a great product.

I usually discuss pricing at this point and this again is one of those areas that really depends on how the detailer does his job and prices his hourly rate. Generally speaking for the overspray removal you are going to pay anywhere from $175 to $300 or possibly more depending on your market. Some detailers will add another $100 or more for the high speed buffing and wax afterwards if you request it. Other detailers will lump everything into an ultimate type detail package that includes everything for several hundred dollars. It really depends on your market, but I would call around and explain exactly what you need done and ask what their process is so you and your detailer are on the same page.