scratch removal?

[alexcited]

after being told by my dealer that the scratches in my P5 would be gone BEFORE i bought it, i ended up bringing it home with scratches. i was wondering if anyone had any luck with the meguiars scratch removal, or any of the products like that?

[sumrandomguy]

just wondering why u brought the P5 with the scratches on them home with you when the dealer said they'll take them out?

[StealthWyvern]

just wondering why u brought the P5 with the scratches on them home with you when the dealer said they'll take them out?

my guess would be he more then likely forgot or didn't think to check.

[NCZ13]

dealerships arent really reliable when it comes to detailing.

scratchX is really only efficient at reducing scratches if applied with a polisher. my front bumper got owned by my the garage door frame, and a rotary polisher set on its lowest setting w/ a couple applications of scratchX cleaned it right up.

[alexcited]

just wondering why u brought the P5 with the scratches on them home with you when the dealer said they'll take them out?

it was a strange day,i bought it during a rainstorm,and i had to get to work ( i had called my boss and told him i was going to be late,because i was buying a car) and the dealer told me to stop by the next day to drop it off to have it cleaned. i came back to clean it up and the scratches didn't seem as bad,but within a day or two they all came back,and more appeared.

[aznsebass]

how deep are the scratches? would a claybar work in this situation?

[Clooney003]

Did the original poster ever get this fixed, I noticed this thread was a little old.

First question is, how deep are these scratches? I usually use the tried-and-true fingernail test. Take your fingernail and drag it across the scratch (perpendicular to it). If your fingernail "drops" into it chances are it will need repainted. If the scratch just barely catches your fingernail, then you can try wet sanding with fine grit(1500-3000) wetsand paper and buffing it out with a high-speed buffer and some light compound. Paint is applied in layers. For a basecoat/clearcoat system the layers are applied in this order (1.metal etching or epoxy primer (2. Sealer (3.basecoat(color) (4.clearcoat. The top layer of course is the clearcoat, as long as the scratch stays in this layer you can safely wetsand and or just buff it out with a product like Scratch-X or rubbing compound depending on how deep it is without "burning" or "going thru" the paint. If the scratch goes anywhere below the clearcoat, it will have to be either touched up or repainted. Some painters are skilled enough to keep the repair small or local to the scratch without blending into the next panel thus saving you some money on the repair.

It all depends on how much clearcoat is on the car and that is very hard for the average person to know or see. Claybars will not work in this situation as they only remove surface contaminants and not recessed scratches. If the the scratch is deep enuff, the clay will build up in the scratch and make it more noticable. The same applies with trying to hand rub or "wax off" the scratch. The wax will fill it and then dry turning white.

If you are still unsure what to do after doing the fingernail test, take it to a local bodyshop and ask the manager if he can have the painter come out and look at it. He will know what needs to be done.

As for the scratches magically reappearing and showing more, there is a simple answer to that. Armor All or any silicone based cleaner that you would normally use on tires or interiors are excellent minor scratch hiders. But as soon as you either wash the car or it rains, the scratches reappear. Its an old detailing trick that leaves customers scratching their heads a week later.

[alexcited]

Did the original poster ever get this fixed, I noticed this thread was a little old.

First question is, how deep are these scratches? I usually use the tried-and-true fingernail test. Take your fingernail and drag it across the scratch (perpendicular to it). If your fingernail "drops" into it chances are it will need repainted. If the scratch just barely catches your fingernail, then you can try wet sanding with fine grit(1500-3000) wetsand paper and buffing it out with a high-speed buffer and some light compound. Paint is applied in layers. For a basecoat/clearcoat system the layers are applied in this order (1.metal etching or epoxy primer (2. Sealer (3.basecoat(color) (4.clearcoat. The top layer of course is the clearcoat, as long as the scratch stays in this layer you can safely wetsand and or just buff it out with a product like Scratch-X or rubbing compound depending on how deep it is without "burning" or "going thru" the paint. If the scratch goes anywhere below the clearcoat, it will have to be either touched up or repainted. Some painters are skilled enough to keep the repair small or local to the scratch without blending into the next panel thus saving you some money on the repair.

It all depends on how much clearcoat is on the car and that is very hard for the average person to know or see. Claybars will not work in this situation as they only remove surface contaminants and not recessed scratches. If the the scratch is deep enuff, the clay will build up in the scratch and make it more noticable. The same applies with trying to hand rub or "wax off" the scratch. The wax will fill it and then dry turning white.

If you are still unsure what to do after doing the fingernail test, take it to a local bodyshop and ask the manager if he can have the painter come out and look at it. He will know what needs to be done.

As for the scratches magically reappearing and showing more, there is a simple answer to that. Armor All or any silicone based cleaner that you would normally use on tires or interiors are excellent minor scratch hiders. But as soon as you either wash the car or it rains, the scratches reappear. Its an old detailing trick that leaves customers scratching their heads a week later.

only one is deep. i need to bring it to a painter i know and see what he says.i love my car but every time i clean the thing i kick myself for actually believing the scratches would come out.


also the thread is really old because for some reason i never got a email saying anyone posted on this.


thanks for the imput though, i really appreciate it.

[mazdaspeedster3]

3000 grit sand paper and a water spray bottle. Wet it and keep it wet and sand it out. Then take rubbing compound and work it for 5 minutes until it is completely buffed out. then use that crappy as scratchX just to fill in anything and wax it. DOne! Call a detail shop (15 years in the business) and see if they can wheel them out. If not they will wet sand them for you. If they are gauges and need filling then you need a body shop. DO NOT start with a body shop!

[alexcited]

3000 grit sand paper and a water spray bottle. Wet it and keep it wet and sand it out. Then take rubbing compound and work it for 5 minutes until it is completely buffed out. then use that crappy as scratchX just to fill in anything and wax it. DOne! Call a detail shop (15 years in the business) and see if they can wheel them out. If not they will wet sand them for you. If they are gauges and need filling then you need a body shop. DO NOT start with a body shop!


the auto body shop i go to is an old friend, i talked to him before i read this post, he said instead of me paying him he would just check out what i need removed,and walk me through the steps on what i need to do. also, as a side note,i may be getting a job at his garage,which would be super helpful in this scenario as well. thanks for the advice man!