It's tempting to ruin a clay bar or saturate this damage with chemicals (solvent, citrus, goof off). 90% of this job was done with a pressure washer.
Process:
1. Adjust pressure washer to 2500psi (normal detailing pressure is 1500 psi).
2. Use a tip with a fan of about 4 inches.
3. Shoot at the base of the road paint particles at an angle. Do not shoot straight at the bonded paint--you won't loosen much paint and you'll get yourself very wet. Don't be afraid to get very close to the road paint in a wheel well--it's durable, uncoated black plastic.
4. Use heavy detailer's clay to remove remaining particles.
5. Use solvent to remove remaining stains and small, stubborn particles.
6. Dress with water based dressing.
Notes:
Each wheel well took about 6 minutes of direct pressure washing. It takes some patience: just aim for the base of the paint particles where they meet the plastic.
We've done this successfully on painted surfaces (doors, rocker panels). Keep aiming for the base of the embedded particles and you'll be safe.
Photos:
Linear Mode
