ToddG
Dedicated LVC Member
Thanks. The damned thing had been on there since the car was manufactured, and there is still some "grime" that I can not get off. You can see it best in the second pic. Does anyone know what to use? My car wash combination is some Meguiars Car Wash and Conditioner and some water, and then some Spray On Wax as You Dry Turtle Wax and a Absorber shammy. I've washed my car a ton and put plenty of elbow grease in to it. Can't seem to get it clean.
I see it. I think the discoloration is probably a combination of (1) differential paint fade due to sun exposure around the bracket mounting area, and (2) abrasion of the clearcoat due to the bracket rubbing against the bumper. Unfortunately, there is probably not a lot you can do about either of these. However, you could try a clearcoat-safe polishing compound or a claybar and see what happens. These products are more aggressive than the plain soaps you've been using and would have a better chance of addressing the issue. One product you could use is Meguiar's Scratch-X.
http://www.meguiars.com/?auto-paint-cleaners/ScratchX
Good luck.