As the title states, the horizontal surfaces on my 97 Cosmos 328is look like the backdrop in the opening scene of Star Wars. There are literally hundreds of pin-head and larger size white flecks from fore to aft. I suspect that it's hardened wax inside a pitted surface and I would like to know what steps I should take to remove (or at very least minimize) their presence. Here is what I have done since I became the new owner in August 2007, and I should note that the car was in desperate need of a detail:

1. Washed, several times with Meguiar's Gold Class car wash and a MF mitt.
2. Clayed the entire car with Meguiar's clay and QD. Wow -- what a difference.
3. Used Meguiar's Swirl Remover 2.0 by hand.
4. Finished with Meguiar's Hi Tech Yellow Wax.

From six feet away the car looks specatcular -- black so deep that you could almost reach your hand into the paint. But as soon as you get close, the ravages of time make themselves aware. It's almost as though the pits were created by a hail storm although there are no dents to make that assumption accurate.

I'm not sure if posting pictures would really be helpful so I'm hoping this description will be enough for someone to give good advice. I've heard that wet sanding is an option but it seems daunting and a bit scary to go that extreme, especially with all the subsequent steps required to bring the finish back.

Any help is appreciated. Here's a recent photo that shows how clean the paint is from a decent viewing distance.

Thanks in advance.

Without seeing the car, I'd say the paint has "pinholed" ... which I've seen in a couple of Bimmer details at the shop. If the spots are random, it could be acid rain etching.

Pinholed paint are small dots that can be seen up close and wet sanding does not work...I tried it with zero results. The reason is the holes originate in the base color. Acid rain etching, if not too deep, can be wet sanded. I'd strongly recommend a shop for this if you aren't experienced.

The other, less expensive, less intensive solution would be to minimize the appearance by:

1. Use a body shop wax and grease remover to get rid of any product that is in those depressions.
2. Re-wax using ONLY products that don't dry white. Meguiar's #26 is a good product for this. Zaino works well too. You won't be "solving" your car's paint problem, but you won't be highlighting it either.

Good looking right BTW.

Totoland

I think Totoland is spot on with his recommendations.

I'd take his advice and make sure the defects are not highlighted. Then just don't look at it that close. if you can't stand it, then start looking for a good shop to re-spray.

You have a fine example of a classic car.

Thanks guys. Will Dawn detergent have the same stripping qualities as the body shop wax and grease remover? I've read many times throughout the forum that Dawn is good to take the surface right down to the clear coat. Are there advantages of using the former?

Also, will I need to polish again before I use the new wax, and should I consider using mechanical help instead of doing this all by hand?

Thanks guys. Will Dawn detergent have the same stripping qualities as the body shop wax and grease remover? I've read many times throughout the forum that Dawn is good to take the surface right down to the clear coat. Are there advantages of using the former?

Also, will I need to polish again before I use the new wax, and should I consider using mechanical help instead of doing this all by hand?

Harv: IMO...dawn will remove surface wax, but I don't think is has the horsepower to get the product that's in the paint depressions. Wax/Grease remover is a solvent based products that body shops use and will dissolve the old wax.

As for polishing again: that's what I would do and I would use a polisher or a random orbit (whichever you have available). If you decide to do this, be sure to use a water-based polish like Menzerna and re-wash the area with plain water. I'd recommend going to a self-serve car wash and use the rinse cycle. That will get enough water to completely remove any residual polish.

Follow that with the wax's I spoke earlier of and you should see a difference instantly.

Good hunting Sir!

Toto

Thanks Toto.

hey Totoland, mayb you can give him a specific product name to look for.