Paint from neighbours house on my car! Help

Rourke

My neighbours were having their house painted last week. Unbeknownst to me the painter was painting outside as well as inside and now my black car is covered in tiny white specs of paint. The passengers side of the car is very badly affected, but there is paint on all parts of the car including the roof.

Unfortunately they have just moved in and I've only soken to them a couple of times. They seem really nice and I hate having to say it to them. But I'm so mad. If either themselves or the painter had mentioned it to me I could have simply moved the car and saved us all the trouble.

My questions are; does anyone know how to remove house paint from cars? Who is responsible; my neighbours or the painter? If I do need to pay a good deal to have this remedied whose insurance can I claim from?

Advice appreciated

JHMEG

It'll wash off handily enough - try on one small are first to see what works. Don't bother saying it to them or the painter will be back with a brillo pad to take it off.

Ferris

This happened to me also. It was just tiny specs of paint but it was everywhere on the (black) car. I was going to go mad but decided not to after the paint started to come off by itself. Its all gone now anyway - thats six months later.

If i were you i'd say it to them (nicely) to record that it has happened, ask for their painters contact details and send him a letter detailing the problem - then either wait it out to see if the paint comes off or go and see a good car paint detailing shop and get a quote. They should be able to remove it.

Vain

Try a bit of petrol on a rag...

Ferris

Depends if its oil or water based paint on the car. Most masonary paint is water based. If the car was waxed in the recent past the paint should defo come off easily.

antodeco

Vain wrote: »

Try a bit of petrol on a rag...

+1.

Drove over a container of petrol (didnt realise at the time) to have lovely yellow paint all over the bottom of the side doors. Little bit of petrol on a rag, took it right off. Just dont scrub to hard. Make sure you give it a good rinse afterwards..

worded

Vain wrote: »

Try a bit of petrol on a rag...

I saw that done on the film No country for old men, it worked for him.

JoeA3

Don't panic. It will come off without damaging the car if you do it properly. Go to your local motor factors and get a Meguairs Clay bar kit (it comes with lube ). Costs about €20. Its perfect for this type of thing and will make a great job of your paintwork.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/meg-g-1116.html

"petrol on a rag" will involve a lot of elbow grease and you'll scratch the car.

brightkane

petrol on a rag worked for me also

Stevie Dakota

Vain wrote: »

Try a bit of petrol on a rag...

Preferably while in the painters overall pocket, morons.

Darwin

If you don't fancy using petrol, spray a bit of WD40 onto a rag - that should do the job as well.

Mc-BigE

putting petrol onto the car is a bit OTT if its water base paint, but it will work.

I would polished the car or try t-cut then polish, or try a car wash first,the brushes will do some of the work for you. You could bill the neighbor/painter for the polish!, but do you want to start a fight with your neighbor over this? i know i wouldn't

JoeA3

Yikes :eek: Some of the advice given on here is scary.

"Petrol on an old rag".
"The brush washes will take some of it off!"

I've often tried some WD-40 to get small tar spots off, but trying to do the whole car with a rag like that would be a nasty job!
If you want to avoid any more damage, try a less brute-force approach. The clay-bar I mentioned above, followed by a wax, and it will look new.

egan007

power wash will take it off...

Mc-BigE

JoeA3 wrote: »

Yikes :eek: Some of the advice given on here is scary.

"Petrol on an old rag".
"The brush washes will take some of it off!"

I've often tried some WD-40 to get small tar spots off, but trying to do the whole car with a rag like that would be a nasty job!
If you want to avoid any more damage, try a less brute-force approach. The clay-bar I mentioned above, followed by a wax, and it will look new.

fair enough i suppose, but if it was me, i have a 6 year old bmw, and a 2 minute car wash would be the first thing i would do.

If your car is newer, then maybe not.

fletch...

Happend to my (black) bike aswell while I was away, used a razor blade to carefully lift it off. I never even taught of useing petrol at the time.. doh!

JimmyCrackCorn!

Vain wrote: »

Try a bit of petrol on a rag...

+1

but but tar remover is kinder to paint

Seth Brundle

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Preferably while in the painters overall pocket, morons.

tsk tsk tsk

Stevie Dakota

What's ll this BS about not upsetting the neighbours??? Their contractor has damaged your car! I would certainly bring it to their attention and seek the costs from the painter. I wouldn't go in with my size 10's but there is no crime against being assertive and doing what is right.

Jesus we are a hopeless nation.

JoeA3

no worries
Best to use the gently-gently approach for this, considering the car is relatively new. The clay-bar stuff is very easy to use, its like a piece of kids "play-do".

First, wash the car as normal.

Then, you work panel by panel, soaking each panel first with soapy water (or the lube that comes with it!), and then glide a small piece of bar over the paint. It will pick up all sorts of crap like tar, bird crap, tree sap, as well as the emulsion paint! There's lots of "how-to's" on the web, like this one http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-clay.html

Mr. Presentable

antodeco wrote: »

+1.

Drove over a container of petrol (didnt realise at the time) to have lovely yellow paint all over the bottom of the side doors. Little bit of petrol on a rag, took it right off. Just dont scrub to hard. Make sure you give it a good rinse afterwards..

Or just burn it off :eek:

JHMEG

Petrol on a brillo pad. If that fails, petrol on sandpaper. Or you can use WD40 on the sandpaper if you prefer.

JHMEG

Rourke wrote: »

Hmm...interesting idea JHMEG. Whose car do you think I should try it on? :-)

I was being a smartass.. Masonry paint, as already mentioned, is water-based. Don't waste your time with petrol or other solvents. It'll wash off pretty much like any dirt will.

Stevo11

Same happened to one of my cars last August.. Tea tree oil takes it right off!
Amazing stuff!

Also works on any other grime/goo/tar/etc