Just like it says. On my 71 Skylark convertible, bird crap on the trunk lid in 3 places. I washed the car, waxed the areas and still you can see the damage. It seems that the clear coat got etched by the acids in the crap.
I have a buffer but no experience with this kind of thing.
Recommendations?
Is it a dedicated buffer or a lambswool pad on a drill? A dedicated buffer isn't particularly hard to use but you can burn through the paint pretty easily if you're not paying attention.
Have you got an old panel you can practice on? You'll also need some different grades of wet and dry and some fine cutting compound, some swirl remover and a polish like Auto Glym Super Resin Polish.
*Disclaimer* I haven't polished a complete car for a dozen years and while I have done a few little repairs out here over the years, my "ways" are what's worked for me and may not reflect the same practice as a professional in the body work trade. But, if you have a practice panel and are prepared to give it a go...
Rub the damaged area with wet and dry starting with 400 and get finer and finer. If the damage isn't too bad to start with, you could even skip the 400 and start with 600. Once you have the damage rubbed out, put a dollop of cutting compound on the area and lightly run the buffing pad through it - I use a foam buffing pad and they're available in varying grades with the more coarse grades for beginning and the finer grades for when you're finishing up.
Keep running the buffer over the damaged area but keep it moving and check it frequently. Also, keep adding cutting compound - don't let the area "dry out" if that makes sense. You'll also need to keep the pad clean by running something like an old screw driver across the pad while you have the buffer running.
Once you having your repair looking shiny, I'd swap to a finer grade buffing pad and go over the area again and also spread out a little further from your repair and then repeat that using the Super Resin Polish instead of the cutting compound. Once you've done all that, use your swirl remover to take out the buffing swirls. Oh, do all this in the shade too.
Just to reiterate, this is what's worked for me to take out "shopping trolley" dings and small scratches etc but someone like SMYDA will have loads more information. But if you have a practice on an old panel and get it looking good, you'll find it's quite satisfying...
