so i have this clear over spray on my car, had it since i bought it

it wont clay off, well a little did, but not all of it; thick parts are still there

wont come off with cleaner wax either

what's the difference between rubbing compound and polishing compound?

if i go buy some 3m rubbing compound from walmart and apply it by hand, CAN i mess my clear up in any way?
whats the best way to apply it?
how can i get this stuff off?
don't want to buy a more aggressive clay, because i dont have a PC or the money for a PC > broke college kid

thanks guys

 

bump

 

Three hours and a bump...

Go to a detailer's supply or a NAPA and get some "aggressive" clay -- the over-the-counter clays are mild.

Beware that with the aggressive clay that you may need to polish afterwards a little more than normal, but it will likely be better/safer/faster than polishing to remove the overspray.

 

i said in my post i dont want to get a more aggressive clay because i dont have a buffer to buff the marring out

 

Using an aggressive clay doesn't necessarily require a buffer to remove marring. If necessary, you could probably use a scratch remover or polishing compound by hand and probably get good results.

And you're sure it's clear overspray, and not clearcoat lifting from a body repair? Is it possibly clear overspray on original paint as a result of body repair in a neighboring panel and a blending-in that is showing its age?

It would be ideal to try to establish the source of the overspray to know how best to address it.

Got photos?

If you're worried about cost, try some polishing compound first, then try rubbing compound (this is keeping with the least-aggressive method first approach). Keep in mind that if you rub hard enough with anything you're risking your clearcoat.

Claying and doing light polishing afterwards is probably the safest method, though an aggressive clay is likely still going to cost you 25 bucks.

Beyond that, I'm out of ideas... maybe someone else has an idea, or you could swing by a detailer's shop for a look-see (and perhaps some insight).

 

thanks for your input

so how easy/hard is it to mess up the clear in any way with the rubbing compound?
how abbrasive is the rubbing compound?
whats the best way to apply the rubbing compound?
whats the difference between polishing compound and rubbing compound?
-thanks