Getting cement off paintwork...

Have you tried picking a small one off to see if the paint underneath does get damaged? The top coat of 1990s paint is usually pretty hard. If it does pick off, then you can probably remove most of the others at a pressure washer car wash.

OTOH, it picking one off does leave damaged paint behind, I would wait and see if anyone has a better suggestion.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. I only got the car yesterday so I haven't had much time to experiment, especially due to today's rather inclement weather. (Do you lot down South want some rain - we've got plenty to spare up here...). Anyway, the specks of cement seem to come off without damaging the paint (nothing that a bit of T-Cut won't fix anyway) but there's soooo many of them. I think I'll try a pressure washer - much more my style!

Thanks, Simon H

Try some 'brick acid' available from builder's merchants. It's dilute HCl, so test somewhere unseen first, and wash off with plenty of water. Wear goggles & gloves....

Sounds a bit dangerous. I dangerous ;-) Will there be owt left of the Skoda when I've done? Actually, the cement seems to be quite a recent addition to the car and a good soaking in the overnight rain seems to have made it easier to pick off. A bit more rain followed by a hot pressure wash might shift most of it.

Cheers Simon H

An acid should dissolve the cement so it can be easily removed with a rinse, I would try Tomato sauce as it is thick enough to stick to the side of the car and not run off. I would think that the builders merchant stuff would be rather strong acid. Other things to try include Coke and vinegar.

Steve the grease

Excellent! Tomato sauce is the correct colour! A bit like Colour Cut, I suppose... If it doesn't dissolve the cement it'll stain it the correct colour!

Simon H

I would of thought the wet weather could well assist.

John

It has :-) In fact it hasn't stopped raining here since I picked up the car on Thursday...

Simon H

Any acidic quality it has, pales into insignificance, compared to natural stomach digestive acid. Mike.

Are you suggesting that I should throw up on my Skoda??? I know it's not pretty, but.... c'mon!

Simon H

P.S. I'm surprised I've lasted so long going on about a Skoda Favorit in a classic car group without any sign of p1ss taking...

You're saying that he should throw up on the cement spots?

I wasn't, but if that's the way you read it, who am I to argue with you. :-) Mike.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Simon H" saying something like:

They came from the factory pre-aged.

Classic cars. We're more tolerant. Most of us have or have had some pretty grim cars at times! Personally I'm a veteran of two Estelles (during the 80s) and I always thought the later model was a really good car. Drove a Fabia as a hire car on Jersey and that was OK too.

Basically I won't laugh at your Skoda as long as you don't laugh at my Elf ;-)

Riley Elf? That's like a big Mini, isn't it? And that's exactly what the Skoda Favorit is like to drive! Front wheel drive, no power steering, wind up windows, hard suspension, push rod engine (I think. - It's been pi$$ing it down since I bought it, so no time to investigate). BTW, my 'proper' car is a X-reg Ford Explorer North Face. Unfortunately I can no longer afford to put petrol in it, Hence the Skoda...

Simon H

Not so much a big Mini as a Mini with a boot (I do have both!) Hard suspension? No, my Elf's a Hydro, like riding on air.

Hmmm... Ford Explorer... proper car... surely some mistake? Now that _is_ a car that's likely to provoke some ribbing.

A healthy stomach has an acidity level (pH) between 1-2, that is around one million times more acid than pure water.