devastated !!!!

[R1RS4]

Gutting...could probably be machine polished out but having read this link below recently, it does seem to turn the old myth on its head?

http://www.autoglym.com/news_articles/n ... mage-paint

Good article that Sam, also explains why the hair dryer would also help/work too

[jamiedal]

Thanks for all your input

Getting it machine polished out Saturday morning

[jamiedal]

Little update for everyone

I tried the hairdryer on it, as the day before it was booked in to get polished out the aux rads went....anyway it worked unbelievably well and the etching mark went away in about 30 seconds I couldn't believe it

And Just to back up that heat fixes it better than polishing I had another small one on the bonnet a couple of days ago....then after 2 hot sunny days and a few drives out its non - existent

Happy days

[FaisalJ]

Little update for everyone

I tried the hairdryer on it, as the day before it was booked in to get polished out the aux rads went....anyway it worked unbelievably well and the etching mark went away in about 30 seconds I couldn't believe it

And Just to back up that heat fixes it better than polishing I had another small one on the bonnet a couple of days ago....then after 2 hot sunny days and a few drives out its non - existent

Happy days

That's an awesome tip! Will definitely give the hairdryer method a go next time.

If nothing else, will help my cement my status as local car obsessive weirdo. "Look Margaret, he's drying his car with a hairdryer now!"

[jamiedal]

Haha your not wrong...The mother-in-law just shook her head when she walked out the house and seen my intimately drying one small part of the car

[FaisalJ]

Holy thread revival!!

I've brought this thread back from the dead for 2 reasons; to say thanks for the hairdryer tip, and to point out it works!!

The Mrs Golf had 2 bird poos on the car that had sat there for a couple of days. After washing the car, there were obvious marks left behind. I clayed the area and then took these pics:





You can see they look pretty bad.

Now, if the surface was truly etched, the only way to remove these marks would be with a polish. However, I recall reading this thread, so wanted to test if all that was needed was a hairdryer.

It's not a very powerful hairdryer, but I started a couple of inches away and after a few minutes not much had happened, so I took it in till the hairdryer was basically sitting on a cushion of air practically next to the surface.



Well, it didn't take long to see a significant improvement:



After a couple more minutes, it had practically gone - I could barely believe it actually worked! Although a mark is still there if you look very very closely it is barely noticeable. What a result!







This seems to give credibility to the idea that the bird poo doesn't etch the surface at all - so no need to start removing lacquer with a polish. Give the hairdryer a go!

Finished off the job with a top up coat of jetseal, and the car's looking good again!

[Dolphie]

Faisal,

The original advice I received was to use a heat gun. I bottled that! I had to hold the hairdrier close like you did but it works a treat. At this time of year I need to use it every now and then.

It did get me thinking that a heat gun might work at removing swirl marks and minor scratches. If anyone is brave enough to try please let me know how you get on