Got2MakeIt

I did a search and couldn't find any direct answers. Anyways, my question is simple. There are some minor scratches on my car that have become a real pet peeve for me that I'd like to remove. I was just wondering if anyone here on the forum has any experience with the many scratch removal products that are on the market today. A lot of these products also boast of a money back guarantee if not satisfied. Are these for real? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


D.

 

Josh

Some of it depends on how deep the scratches are, but if not too bad, get some very fine rubbing compound in a can from your automotive supply place. Take some good clean cheescloth and wet it slightly and gently rub out the scratches.

Then get Meguirs three step system, Bottle one 'cleaner', Bottle two 'Polish', and bottle three, 'Wax'. I've used about everything on the market one time or another, and this is absolutely the best hands down product for renewing and restoring the overall finish of the paint. Takes some work to apply each step to whole car, but well worth it. Try it after you've buffed out the scratches by hand. Try it.

Mike813

they do work, but read the bottles, it tells you for (light,medium,heavy) scratches but remember the ones for heavy scratches will wear down your coating slightly. itll be easier and quicker if you had a buffer elbow grease dont cut the job sometimes if you want it looking even...

but like Josh said above, definately use a good wax afterwards to seal and polish everything to give it the shine and to protect the area youve just buffed down.

nosajc

Yes some rubbing compound can remove your clear coat if u dont know what you are doing.

A polish is different then rubbing compound. Actualy what you are doing when you use a polish is smearing some of the clear coat that is on your car.
I work at a car wash, and our manager is realy good. (experience makes a huge difference.) A kid hit someones door while pulling it out of the building... we showed the costomer the scratch, our manager took it into the detail shop and polished it when he was done you couldnt tell there was a scratch and the costomer didnt make the wash pay for new paint job.

you may be able to take it too a full service car wash or a detail shop near you and see what they can do. i dont think it would cost you more than 60 - 75 dollars if they can do it...

Good luck

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Be Hoppe

stick-shift

Light scratches should come out easily. I work as a detailer at a porsche/bmw/audi dealership, and the rubbing compound brands that we use are Ardex and 3M. I'm not sure if these are sold in stores, but i'm sure you could get them off the internet if all else fails. If you can get these, then get the "Extra Cut" compound, and then "Crystal", which is a lighter rubbing compound. The Crystal alone might fix the stratches if they're minor. Using a buffer is best, that way it looks even. Even if you don't use a buffer, you have to be really careful when using the compound. Since your car is 10+ years old, the paint isn't brand new and will fade/burn even easier than new cars. But, if it's just a couple spots on the hood, then just lay the rubbing compound on light, let it sit for about a minute then, take it off. Then follow up with a sealant or lighter rubbing compound, then wax it. It shouldn't take you more than 30 min once you get started, even if you have no idea what your doing. Hope this helps and I wasn't speaking greek.

LPB

Rule of thumb: If you can feel the scratch when running a fingernail across it, it is too deep to be compounded out.

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TLReaves

You will never be able to remove a deep scratch by hand and make it look like new if you have never done this before. You need a polisher to achieve good (and by good I mean professional looking) results. You may be able to get out light scratches by hand and not leave swirl marks if you know what you are doing. Polishing out a scratch is a process you should not experiment with on a car you are really fond of. You need to practice on something else first or you could end up ruining your paint job. Luckily Legends seem to have quite a few coats of clear so you have a little more room to be overzealous than with say a Blazer, but it is very easy to make a nice blemish on your paint.

3M, or Poorboys are the compounds I have come across that have worked very well. I've never heard of Ardex, but I don't work in a body shop. Mequires and Turtle products are OK, but Autozone products are geared for end-consumers, not professionals.

You have to start out with a very clean vehicle, then polish with a very lightly abrasive compound, and only if that compound does not make headway with the scratch should you step up to the next grit. Very deep scratches require wet sanding, but you MUST MUST MUST be sure you do not sand any deeper than the clear coat. If you begin to see any color in the compound or sand paper matching the color of your car STOP IMMEDIATELY, as you have just exceeded the clear coat. You have to start at the scratch and feather away from it, making a very gradual bowl around the scratch or you will always be able to see where you were sanding.

If you do it right, the spots you do will look better than the rest of your car. I can gurantee you at this point your 10 year old paint job could use a good polishing.

Again I feel I must stress the fact that you should practice on something else first. But with the correct technique, you can safely remove the scratches and improve the look or your paint as well. I had a huge door ding the size of a nickel here on my rear quarter before I hit it up with some sanding and a polish, and also a long scratch over the entire passenger door where a traffic cone someone ran over hit the entire passenger side.



So don't give up hope, you'll get it out, but don't trust a miracle cure in a bottle either. Techniqe is what will safely remove your scratches and make you a happy camper. There are also forums dedicated to this very problem, I suggest you do some research here before attempting to remove the scratches:

www.detailcity.org

they can tell you anything you want to know at this forum.

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