Neglected my paint for too long...

[noamd1109]

Have been reading the forums for a while but the last three years having twin boys running around I let far too much car care slide.

Wanted to post some pictures and get some thoughts on the best way to attack the problem.

This is on a 2007 Jetta Wolfsburg.

Looks to me like some really hard water spots with some fading/milky color.

First three are of the hood which the most annoyingly speckled, and the last pic is of the roof which is just all worn a milky white overlay color.

Was thinking of starting with multiple deep washes, then trying some of the vinegar on the spots, and claying the entire car after that, but I am unsure where to go from that point.

Most of Mike's restoration videos use the #7 restorer but I am not sure if that is the best route to go when there is still mostly shiny clearcoat on the rest of the car as well. Is this still the proper path to take?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice on what you see in the pictures.

[EVOlved]

I would use a nice heavy amount of a soap like citrus wash red, then car pro spotless, then ironX, then clay or alternative, then test spot on the ugly areas.

[EVOlved]

There is no areas that look like spiderwebs out side of the milky area right?

[The Guz]

Meguiar's water spot remover polish may work on those water spots after some claying. You can pick it up locally.

[noamd1109]

There is no areas that look like spiderwebs out side of the milky area right?

Actually there is no obvious problems with the surface other than how it looks.

I don't see any cracking or peeling or actual damage to the finish, so I figure with the right treatment it can be recovered/saved.

Thanks for the input so far, I will be starting the process this weekend, and will take a good set of before pictures so I can post them with hopefully a nice set for the after as well.

[noamd1109]

Meguiar's water spot remover polish may work on those water spots after some claying. You can pick it up locally.

Any thoughts on if I should clay before trying the vinegar wipe that Mike recommends in another section for water spots?

I assumed that would come before claying, because anything that would loosen up and come off before would be a benefit.

Always open to input on this.

[fly07sti]

I would use a nice heavy amount of a soap like citrus wash red, then car pro spotless, then ironX, then clay or alternative, then test spot on the ugly areas.

+1 CarPro decontamination products are outstanding!

[Blackthorn One]

Any thoughts on if I should clay before trying the vinegar wipe that Mike recommends in another section for water spots?

I assumed that would come before claying, because anything that would loosen up and come off before would be a benefit.

Always open to input on this.

I put vinegar in the same type as decontamination like Iron X which is before claying.
(You should still Iron X) Better to dissolve the mineral deposits with vinegar to remove them most gently than to go for clay to shear them off and increase marring.

[EVOlved]

If you follow what I said except vinegar for spotless I guess that would work never read up on vinegar for water spots. So it would be wash with some type of heavy mix soap/apc, vinegar, iron decon, clay, and polish. I think you will end up amazed at what you come out with.

[stilltipping3]

I just did an old Iroc with that problem. It just needed to be cut and polished.