Highlander1732

Has anyone used this product by hand before? I bought a bottle at Carlisle after seeing some miraculous videos. I don't have a proper DA unit. While my car's paint is nice 'n shiny, the PO must have had Stevie Wonder do the paint because it's horrific up close. Lipstick on a pig stuff, but I'd at least like to try and get the swirls out of the clear and there are some hazy areas that need attention too.

BlowAMouse

Ya, I use it by hand all the time on my White Vette and Black Harley. Works well, just put a good coat of wax on it afterwords

Easy Mike

That's uncalled for. You owe Mr. Wonder an apology.

ajrothm

I use it on all my stuff. Just make sure to throw some wax on top of it after you buff the scratches out.

SwampeastMike

If you haven't already tried I suggest using a clay bar before any abrasive polish. If you're not familiar with clar bars they are safe for any paint finish and capable of performing miracles. They will remove even heavy overspray. Parking lot encounters disappear. Even more serious problems that look like they'll cost hundreds if not thousands to repair can be turned into minor flaws that you have to look to find.

7t2vette

I've used it for years, always had great results.

I've always applied and removed it by hand though, never used a machine to do it.....and I have never used it for a large area, just scuffs and scratches.

Highlander1732

The strange thing is, as talented an artist as Stevie Wonder is, I bet he could have done a better job than the hack who painted my car...

ajrothm

Yes I always do it by hand also... Apply with a foam applicator, take off with a Korean Micro fiber. Then throw some wax on top.... Always works great....

Neil B

I'm a big fan of Meguiar's 105 and 205 Professional Grade polishes. I always start with 205, but move to 105 if I need something more aggressive for paint correction. 105 will take out 1,000 grit scratches. I'm pretty sure Scratch X is a consumer retail version of their Pro Grade polishes, but I'm not sure which formulation. If you're correcting an entire car, get yourself a nice DA polisher and don't look back. They are easy to use and produce superior results to hand polishing. Also, you can vary the foam pad material for more (or less) aggressive correction. Good luck!

Z06LMB

Using a Portor Cable PC 7424 XP while applying the Meguires Scratch X will show superior end results over hand application/removal. You cannot hurt the paint or clear coat with the 7424 XP.

Sluefoot

Did U ever see a pic of Stevie's wife? Neither has he.

Highlander1732

Thanks all! I may just have to take the plunge and buy a good DA unit. Probably less than paying someone to do the whole car. And yes, the entire car's clear coat/finish looks like a giant swirl mark. Lots of work ahead with some cold beers, a shade tree and tunes I guess.

JohnnyQuik

Post a pic or two of the paint with the sun shining directly on it. Let's see how bad the paint is and we can better advise how to fix it. If it's as bad as you say, it probably needs to be polished with a rotary and something like Megs 105 on a wool or foam cutting pad to start. Whether you pay someone to do this or learn how to do it yourself is up to you, but you can damage paint with tools made to actually fix it if you don't know what you're doing.

A lot of the consumer grade "polishes" that are designed to be applied by hand or with a DA contain a lot of fillers to mask scratches without truly removing them. You should be able to wipe the finish with alcohol when you're done polishing and not see any scratches. Waxes and sealants should just be needed to protect the finish. That's what the phrase "paint correction" means.

A DA buffer is sort of in between doing it by hand and a rotary. It will fix some stuff, but will take longer and is less prone to damage paint.

Highlander1732

Thanks, I'll do that once I retrieve the car from down the street. My neighbor's housing it for me while I'm wrenching on another project.

imariver

I use a clay bar on my car all the time.

Highlander1732

I am going to get a clay bar after reading all the comments and seeing some great youtube vids. I have a white C4 that could benefit from using it as well. I'll be interested to see how much hidden dirt it pulls from a white car.

929nitro

Look into NanoSkin pads. They are used the same way you would use clay. Reason I like NanoSkin pads is if you drop it you can rinse it off and keep going, you drop the clay and you throw it away. Both do a great job.

Polara67

I must have scraped something sharp on the lower portion of the body just behind the door. The clear coat has a serious scratch, and a small piece has started to peel. Any way to fix this?

hunt4cleanair

I use clay all the time...even used it on the Jeep because I had failed to move it and when I paint sprayed the trim of my house, the wind drifted the overspray onto the Jeep's paint.