Water spots (semi visible)

[pbateman]

Hey Guys,
Had question regarding water spots....I'm a bit confused about methods for removing them as well as what most people consider "removed" when it comes to water spots.
When someone says they have removed waterspots are they removed from plain sight under regular sunlight only or completely removed not even visible under fluorescent light?
Here's my issue...i have a black Nissan 350z and it has some water spotting however this is not visible on regular light, out in the sun looks great however under a fluorescent light (such as a gas station at night) you can see spotting. Also visible when drying the car as I pass the towel over the roof there's like a ghosting image of the spots but dissapears right away
This might or might not have been there when i bought the car new last year. Since I don't have a garage, and the only times I've noticed it have been at night right under a light i can't really tell for sure. Also I have used Zaino from the moment i got the car and Im guessing should have helped to avoid them. Living in south Florida the rain water quality is not really that acidic, and I had a black car before which never got them...
Now I have tried vinegar, claying, hand polish but unfortunately i cannot tell at the time whether they're being removed or not because i do it outside (like i said no garage) during the day and they're not visible. When i go to a gas station however i usually see them in the hood/roof area.
My question is; reading and seeing some waterspot pictures here in the forum the kind I see are visible on regular daylight. Am I just being too anal since you cant see them in daylight and chances are they're etchings on the clearcoat and will have to be buffed out? or is there something else i can try? (I was thinking Kalsse AIO or something like that, which can be applied by hand)...
Thanks!!

[jmark]

My son's Black Xterra shows water spots under fluorescent lights as well. I used a Flex buffer and Menzerna polishes to get rid of most of the spotting. I work in my garage under the fluorescent lights to check progress. Covered it with Menzerna FMJ sealer. Looks alot better. Black vehicles are a pain to keep up but look great when detailed. That's the reason I bought a Silver Alloy Nismo 350Z!

[pbateman]

I know what you mean, after owning a black car before my Z i told myself 'never again'...however after seeing all the Z's lined up at the dealer, the black looked just too damn good. I regret it already....my 370 (or 380...who knows when i get my next car..) will not be black, i promised myself!!!
What products do you use on your Z? I've been seriously considering getting a PC but the range of polishes is pretty big. Seems Menzerna is the big one, but also lots of talk about XMT, Poorboys , Meguiar's professional line etc..

[ScottB]

waterspots commonly are etched into paint and require polishing and in some cases wetsanding to remove. You can wipe down with vinegar initially but will only work on the freshest of spots. It is likely the industrial fallout (ie. acid rain) that harm the paint so quickly.

[pbateman]

I'm thinking that's what it is too....most likely from the time the car was shipped to the dealer. I have it on my glass as well real bad. I'm hopefully getting a PC soon and will try to tackle both the glass and the roof/hood to see if it works...

[ScottB]

try the DP Glass Restorer by hand , it works extremely well with or without a buffer.

[625HP]

pbateman- I have the same issue with my Z - it's an '05 and only has 15K miles & only been in the rain a total of maybe 4-5 times. I recently did a thorough detail using Menz IP, Menz FPII, Menz Glaze FTP, Menz FMJ and P21S Wax.

I used a PC 7424 with orange pads for the Intensive Polish and went over the entire car twice trying to get all the water spots off. Despite hours of polishing with IP, I was still not able to get all the water spots off. They can only be seen at an angle under direct sunlight or under my Halogens.

I went ahead and completed the detail over the course of several days despite not removing all the water spots. Next time I plan to use yellow pads with Menz SIP - I think a more aggressive pad and polish should do the trick! From what I've heard the Z's have a very hard clear coat so something with more bite (especially with the water spots) is in order.

Hell, I noticed a sticker placed under the hood itself the other day stating something like "Nissan Hard Clear Coat". I'd go slowly with something more aggressive and see how that works!

[pbateman]

Thanks, I don't know where they keep damn Z's before selling them or if they just come uncovered by ship form Japan but it's pretty bad for a new car to have rain/water spots like that form new. Please keep me updated on whether you're able to remove them!

[TimHo]

I have a black '06 350z. My first black car. Don't you just love it when your car is a little dusty and a small little rain shower comes along. The rain beads up on the paint and when it dries, it leaves these nice little brown spots. Makes the car look like it has freckles. Black cars are a love-hate relationship.

I also have noticed the "Hard Clear Coat" sticker located under the hood. I just tried the Menz SIP and 106ff for the first time last week, only on the hood. Had some decent results using orange and white pads. Still some minor swirls and scratches. I also have some water spots on the roof. Going to see if Mez will take care of it. Will do another round on the hood but will start out with the purple wool pad first and see what happens. Most posts I have read say that Nissan paint is soft and remember that I'm just starting out but from my first experience on the hood, it seems really hard to me.

[pbateman]

I also had heard that Nissan clearcoats are soft....who knows. I haven't seen a sticker on mine saying anything to the sort.....maybe it was only 05 and 06's? Mine is an 07....if it makes any difference.....
I have not yet purchased a PC but I am close to doing so...again keep the post updated if you can regarding how things turn out.....

PS. i hear you on the 'freckles'....i hate it, especially living in Florida where it rains like there's no tomorrow ....followed by a scorching sun just to bake those drop babies in real nice....