Crud all over my paint after winter...

Not a Camaro issue, but I'm sure some of you have had this so I figured I'd post here.

I FINALLY got to hand wash my Z71 after a long winter in Anchorage. Everything's going fine, if not slowly from the caked up crap on it, until I get to the bottom 1/2 of the truck on both sides. There is this funky orange/rust colored stuff that has fixed itself on the paint. I dont know if its the length of time of the stuff on there or what, but it AINT comin off easily. I could kinda pick it off somewhat with my fingernail, but that would take a week at that pace.

Any advice? I thought about waxing it and seeing if a little elbow grease would get it off, but I dont know.

Clay bar? Bug scrubber? Do you have any idea what the "stuff" is?

I have no idea. We had some volcano ash fall on us not too long ago, but I dont think that would be it. It definately was something that came off the road just judging by the location of it. I've never seen orange stuff come off the road though...

I'd start with the clay.

Go to the auto parts store and get a few clay bars and a lot of quick detailer. Bar works great. I got metal particles all over wifes care doing some metal work, then when was in rain they all rusted and stuck to the paint. Spent hours picking all off with fingernail then clay bar to take off rust marks from paint. Change bar ofter if stuff on truck will scratch paint. Not to self, no more metal work in garage when wifes car is in there.

Maybe some chemical remover-type product like "Tarminator" with a bug scrubber, just because a claybar is going to be very labor intensive. I have no experience with volcano fallout though LOL

I notice that on alot of the cars I detail. I dont know what that orenge crud is but I sure would like to know!

I use a combination of things, I generally use simple green on the lower panals which helps loosen it up sometimes, then after It's all washed off It comes off really easy with clay.

A lot of the orange "spots" are metal bits that have embedded into the clearcoat and then rusted and degraded in the elements. Unless there is a volcano in NJ that I don't know about ;)

Use clay bar, do not wax over the top of the marks, it will only make it worse

Ill vouche for the clay bar. i used it several times from oversprays after a paint job. it took oversray paint right off the clear coat of the other layer. Just make sure the area is wet that u clay bar or else u can rub it right through your paint.

A lot of the orange "spots" are metal bits that have embedded into the clearcoat and then rusted and degraded in the elements. Unless there is a volcano in NJ that I don't know about ;)

That made me think about the OP's origional idea for what causes it.

I really dont know what it is or what causes it, but I sure would like to know. Maybe it is some type of calcium reaction from road salt? I tend to only find it on vehicles that havent been waxed in a wile. I did an 04 white Ram last week and it was covered in it on the lower body, however a quick claying and it was gone.

Wanted to say thanks for all the replies y'all. Got some good ideas to start with.

:thumb:

Have you had ironite fertilizer spread on your yard near your truck? That stuff will turn your sidewalks orange, so I imagine your paint too.