Need Help w' Surface Scratches
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Need Help w' Surface Scratches
What is the best method of removing surface scratches? I've noticed a few since I bought the car a month ago, and they're bothering me more w' each passing day! Looking forward to more of your expert opinions!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,195
Likes: 2
From: ATL
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
Double-check over in the car care section.
I'll start with a few questions -
- Can you catch your finger nail on the scratches?
- What and how are you using to wash your car?
- Where are the scratches located?
- Just a few or several?
- Got pics?
If you can catch your nail on the scratches - they are too deep to remove by hand and may be too deep to remove by machine.
Meguiars Scratch X as mentioned is a great over-the-counter place to start.
Lots of other products available out there to polish up your ride - so many it will make your head swim.
Zaino has some good products. ZPC will correct defects and Z5 Pro may help hide some imperfections.
Vette clear is known to be HARD and corrections by hand can be a tough row to hoe. Corrections with a Porter Cable random orbital buffer is possible, but a rotary is a Vette's friend.
Read up and ask questions - It will make the process easier and you will be less likely to induce further problems to the cars finish.
I'll start with a few questions -
- Can you catch your finger nail on the scratches?
- What and how are you using to wash your car?
- Where are the scratches located?
- Just a few or several?
- Got pics?
If you can catch your nail on the scratches - they are too deep to remove by hand and may be too deep to remove by machine.
Meguiars Scratch X as mentioned is a great over-the-counter place to start.
Lots of other products available out there to polish up your ride - so many it will make your head swim.
Zaino has some good products. ZPC will correct defects and Z5 Pro may help hide some imperfections.
Vette clear is known to be HARD and corrections by hand can be a tough row to hoe. Corrections with a Porter Cable random orbital buffer is possible, but a rotary is a Vette's friend.
Read up and ask questions - It will make the process easier and you will be less likely to induce further problems to the cars finish.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,346
Likes: 5
From: Mustang OK
The Car Care Discussion section of the Forum is the best place to go for answers to these type questions. Several very knowledgeable people and a few professional detailers hang out in that section and you should find the info you need there.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,530
Likes: 250
From: CT
Originally Posted by Stickman81
Double-check over in the car care section.
If you can catch your nail on the scratches - they are too deep to remove by hand and may be too deep to remove by machine.
Meguiars Scratch X as mentioned is a great over-the-counter place to start.
Lots of other products available out there to polish up your ride - so many it will make your head swim.
Zaino has some good products. ZPC will correct defects and Z5 Pro may help hide some imperfections.
Vette clear is known to be HARD and corrections by hand can be a tough row to hoe. Corrections with a Porter Cable random orbital buffer is possible, but a rotary is a Vette's friend.
Read up and ask questions - It will make the process easier and you will be less likely to induce further problems to the cars finish.
If you can catch your nail on the scratches - they are too deep to remove by hand and may be too deep to remove by machine.
Meguiars Scratch X as mentioned is a great over-the-counter place to start.
Lots of other products available out there to polish up your ride - so many it will make your head swim.
Zaino has some good products. ZPC will correct defects and Z5 Pro may help hide some imperfections.
Vette clear is known to be HARD and corrections by hand can be a tough row to hoe. Corrections with a Porter Cable random orbital buffer is possible, but a rotary is a Vette's friend.
Read up and ask questions - It will make the process easier and you will be less likely to induce further problems to the cars finish.
In addition, the best abrasive polishes for scratch removal that I have found so far are Menzerna Intensive Polish, for the deeper scratches and swirls, and follow up with Menzerna Final Polish II, then Zaino Z2 Pro. I use only high quality micro fober cloths, 100% cotton terry cloth towels are also good. In my experience, the PC buffer is great (use the foam pads) for swirls and light scratches but will not remove the deeper scratches. Those need to be rubbed out by hand (lot of work) or buffed out with a rotary buffer (need to know what you're doing with the rotary or yoy can buzz through the clear coat).
Just mu .02, hope this helps.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 931
Likes: 35
From: Rowlett, Texas
I struggled with swirl marks and fine scratcheds on a black Vette for years. Meguir's #2 left the area hazy, and #9 would then clean up the haze pretty well.
But then I discovered Nirvana: 3M Perfect-it Rubbing Compound, fine cut. The body shop where I had a small repair done used it, and I was hooked. Use an orbital buffer with a foam pad, and you will be amazed at the gloss this puts on black paint. This is really a very fine polish, and you can put the orbital directly on a scratch for a long time without worry of cutting through the clear. I literally have made 15-20 passes when working on a little scratch, and was able to judge the cutting speed by watching the scratch slowly disappear.
After using this with the orbital and the foam pad, no follow-up glaze or polish is required. Just slap on your favorite wax (Zaino is pretty awesome) and see nothing but perfection.
Available at Pep Boys and other stores in the black bottle.
I'm sure there are other products that work just as well, but I have
tried a jillion in the last 40 fanatical years, and 3M beats everything I have used on a black car.
If your car is any other color, imagine how good it will look.
DG
But then I discovered Nirvana: 3M Perfect-it Rubbing Compound, fine cut. The body shop where I had a small repair done used it, and I was hooked. Use an orbital buffer with a foam pad, and you will be amazed at the gloss this puts on black paint. This is really a very fine polish, and you can put the orbital directly on a scratch for a long time without worry of cutting through the clear. I literally have made 15-20 passes when working on a little scratch, and was able to judge the cutting speed by watching the scratch slowly disappear.
After using this with the orbital and the foam pad, no follow-up glaze or polish is required. Just slap on your favorite wax (Zaino is pretty awesome) and see nothing but perfection.
Available at Pep Boys and other stores in the black bottle.
I'm sure there are other products that work just as well, but I have
tried a jillion in the last 40 fanatical years, and 3M beats everything I have used on a black car.
If your car is any other color, imagine how good it will look.
DG
