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Corvette: How to Remove Water Spots from Black Paint

Water spots on your treasured black Corvette are an eyesore. This guide elaborates on how these spots can be removed from your black paint and the costs involved.

By James Karuga - January 22, 2015

This article applies to the Corvette C5 (1997-2004), C6 (2005-2013), and C7 (2014-2015).

Any owner of a Corvette knows that appearance is everything. It's the currency that makes every other auto owner take notice when you are cruising around with it. However, if you own a black Corvette, chances are it will be splashed with hard water and left with water marks etched onto its surface. Also, if the water washing your Corvette contains impurities like acid, then ugly stains are left on the surface. This guide covers how these water spots can be removed. This is a tiring task and patience is necessary.

Materials Needed

  • White vinegar
  • Cotton cloth wiper
  • Clay bar
  • Zaino car polish
  • Chemical Guys (CG) Water Spot Remover

Step 1 – Use white vinegar

According to seasoned vehicle owners, once your black Corvette gets dotted with water spots, apply white vinegar on the spots immediately. Then wait for half a minute and wipe the spots with a white cloth. This way, it's easier to remove them before they harden and etch on the Corvette's surface, hence requiring buffing (which is pricier) or wet sanding (which is riskier if done badly).

Figure 1. Dilute a white vinegar solution to use on water spots.

Pro Tip

Hard water from lawn sprinklers has been cited as a cause for water spot stains. Watch where you park.

Step 2 – Wet sand and polish (for experts)

Etched water spots occur when you fail to quickly clean up water on your Corvette's surface. The next step, which few Corvette owners recommend, involves wet sanding and polishing the spots. Most Corvette owners caution against wet sanding, as it leaves uneven scratches. Wet sanding requires a seasoned expert to avoid damaging the factory clear coats underneath, especially near the edges or contours where paint coats are thinner than on even surfaces. If you still want to cut costs and wet sand and polish, there are auto expert procedures to follow while using the 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit sand papers. After wet sanding, polish with waxes like Zaino.

Figure 2. These water spots are etched onto the surface.

Step 3 – Clay bar the paint

When wet sanding and white vinegar fail to work, buffing remains the option, according to auto experts. But before the paint buff task commences, the clay bar procedure is required. The clay bar procedure ensures the clear paint coat is not contaminated and is clean before buffing is done. A clay bar Corvette surface holds polish much better and requires lubrication when using it so that it glides over the surface seamlessly.

Figure 3. Clay bar the paint.

Step 4 – Paint buffing (for experts)

Sometimes, water spots get stubbornly stuck on the surface of your Corvette to the point that no chemical or polish can remove or hide them. Auto experts concur that paint buffing clears these water spots better than any other solution. Paint buffing removes the outer layer of paint to expose the next fresh paint layer on the Corvette. Buffing is best done by an auto professional since the clear coat is at risk here. After buffing the Corvette, its paint coat is then polished to give it a smooth, shiny, head-turning glow.

Figure 4. Buffing the paint is a job recommended for professionals.

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