huyz13

Hi,

Parked in the city last night and got this unpleasant surprise. Please see attached pic.

I slightly remember the car behind me having a rubber bumper. The scratches aren't deep at all. No bumps or dents either, so I'm thankful for that. I tried using Goo Be Gone to see if I can get rid of the marks but it didn't work.

I'm considering getting the Dr. Colorchip basic kit, but wanted to seek the advice and opinions before making the purchase. Will the Dr. Colorchip kit work in covering up these minor scratches? I understand it won't be 100% perfect, but I just want a quick, cheap fix to blend it in.

I read something about buffering but not sure if it applies to my damage.

Thanks in advance for any tips/advice/suggestions.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Why the heck would you use Goo Gone to try to remove scratches??


Anyway... these look like they can be removed or at least greatly improved by a reputable detailer who is experienced with sanding and paint correction. I would NOT try to fill these in with touch up paint, they appear far to fine to use touch up paint on them with any decent results.


Deep scratches in trunk lid...



After the vehicle was properly washed and decontaminated, these scratches were damp Sanded with 2000 grit ...



Compounded and polished to perfection....







Let me know if you have any questions

-Zach

laobo979

iTrader: (5)

Looks good Zach I might have to give this a try on my old fender I have laying around. So wet sand with just 2000 grid only then compound/polish?

huyz13

haha I now realize how silly it was. I was grasping and hoping that the scratches were rubber marks from the bumper that hit my car but it turned they were real scratches .


Yeah, they seem like somebody took sand paper and lightly rubbed it to my bumper. So there isn't a quick fix huh? How much do you think it will cost for the sanding and paint correction from a detailer? No need for a body shop?

Thanks again

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Believe it or not, for an experienced professional, this little area will probably take only 30-45 minutes.

Cost will vary greatly. Some shops may not be willing to do small spot repairs like this... Especially if the rest of your vehicle could use some work too.

I would steer clear of most body shops unless absolutely necessary.

-Zach

huyz13

I've been doing a good amount of research and have decided to do this myself. It is in the lower left part of the bumper and about 2" x 4" in size. Did the fingernail test and most are scuff. Only a couple lines are deep. I understand it will not be back to 100% normal, but I want to do it right and get it to the point where it doesn't stand out as much. If I mess it up, I figure I'd just get it done professionally. Either way, I'll have the tools and equipment for a future detail job.

I just purchased a Porter Cable 7424XP ($115), 5" backing plate.

I realize I need at a minimum: an orange pad, white pad, and black pad. In addition, a pad cleaner, polish, and compound. What polish and compound would you recommend to repair scratches like these?

Here is my plan, please feel free to correct/critique:

1) wash area. light polish, light compound, and light polish with Porter Cable using orange pad for polish and white pad for compound
2) if that doesn't work, carefully wet sand area using 2000 grit sand paper on sand block since paint is thin.
3) repeat step 1
4) wash and wax using PC with black pad.

*for the deep scratches, do you think i should fill it in with touch up paint, then proceed with Step 2?

This may be a stupid question, but if I have all the gear (Porter Cable, pads, polishes/compound, sand paper) then there is no point in buying the Quixx or 3M Scratch & Scuff kit, correct?

Thanks again in advance for helping a newb

Mocchan

The colors for the pads vary depending on what company you've purchased from. However, with that said, make sure the pads are specifically made for compounding, polishing, and finishing before you apply any material to the pads. (Orange tends to be compound, blue/white for polish, and black for finishing from what I've noticed from most manufacturers) You'll want to purchase compound and polish as those pads by themselves won't do anything to the paint

Whenever I correct paint on a car, I always go with the mindset of "start with the least aggressive step first". In this case, compounding. If that doesn't work, hit the area lightly with 2000 grit, compound, and polish.

huyz13

Roger that, that was my assumption based on looking at the pad offered by Chemical Guys, Detailed Image, Lake Country.

Decided to go with Menzerna FG400 for the compound and SF4500 polish based on zmcgovern4's recommendations in another thread.

Thanks for the advice! Seems to be in line with many others' on the net/forums.

Mocchan

No problem! I hope you get good results!

UDel

Menzerna are good polishes, compound or more aggressive polish and orange pad followed by a regular polish or finishing polish with a white pad get rid of most of it, if not careful light wet sanding followed by polishing should get rid of most of it.

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

From my understanding, to get rid of the deep scratch, it requires leveling the paint (loosely speaking here). There are 2 ways:
1. Sand down and polish the layer of paint so they look even by detailers. Pro: cheaper. Cons: clear coat gets thinner.
2. Fill it up and repaint by body shop. Pro: best quality. Cons: Expensive.

Both method work but doesn't one prefer method 2 instead? I mean our clear coat is so valuable and they are very thin and if we do it with method 1, how many more times can you polish that area if it is has swirl/scratch again??

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

I'd argue that method #1 is in fact the preferred method if you must remove said scratch (assuming the scratch has not penetrated the entire clear coat), however that is really the key... deciding what must be removed and what you will simply have to live with.

A daily driven vehicle will surely receive its fair share of scratches, bumps, and defects throughout its life. In this case, I always advise my customers (and you forum members) that clear coat preservation should be your #1 priority and not trying to keep a perfectly defect free finish. Your clear coat thickness is important for many reasons... most notable is that it protects your base coat, and it allows you to perform routine maintenance polishing to remove light defects and maintain incredible gloss. I rarely advise chasing deep scratches on a DD simply because the likelihood of another deep scratch coming along at some point is almost always guaranteed. Now... in the case of the OP, I may proceed with some light sanding simply to make the area look better, but I would be aware that it may be a delicate area in the future should I need to do any more repairs.

Your statement about a repainting option being "the best quality" is false. Unfortunately a repainted panel is never going to be as good as OEM paint (unless you are seriously paying for it! and even then it is debatable). The desire should be to maintain the OEM paint so that your vehicle never needs to be repainted. This means using proper washing and drying methods to reduce swirls, applying proper protection (wax, sealant, or coating) to the paint as needed to protect it from environmental contamination, and doing your best to avoid hazardous situations (ie parking far away from people). Clearly there are going to be some instances (as seen above) where something happens and it is out of your hands, but all you can do is educate yourself and try to make the best decisions for you and your vehicle.

-Zach

FSportIS

iTrader: (13)

Zach, that is very informative.

I think there is yet another alternative to fix these not too deep scratch. I have personally use Dr Color Chip and have great results fixing the front bumper hit by debris and rock on my friend's car not too long ago. I'm not sure how it work on the long hairline scratch yet but I think it should be good.

OP, you might want to take a look into this http://www.drcolorchip.com/

This method does not require removing any clear coat so you actually preserve the precious OEM paint.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Sure, touch up is certainly an option.

huyz13

I was able to repair most of the scratches on the bumper.

I'm now addicted to detailing. I had so many swirls. Here was my process:

1) Washed wheels, then washed car with Optimum Car Wash using 2 bucket method w/Grit Guard (awesome blueberry (?) scent btw), dried using sheet method and DI Waffle Microfiber towel.
2) Clay
3) Lake Country Orange Pad with Menzerna FG400 compound. After going over the scratch on the bumper with 6 passes, it was about half gone.
4) I then used the Lake Country Purple Foamed Wool Pad with FG400. After 6 passes, most of the light scratches were gone. Did another 6 passes and it was even better. Then did another 6 passes, and it was almost all gone except for a couple deep scratches that you can barely see unless you shine a direct light on them. I am super happy with the results and have learned to live with it. As you have mentioned, it is my daily driver so I expect to get more in the future. Decided not to compromise the clear coat by wetsanding. The result is good enough for me, compared to what it was before.
5) So after buffing out the bumper, I worked on the trunk lid with the LC Orange pad and FG400. After 6 passes it was good but didn't completely remove swirls. I changed to Purple pad and after 6 passes, it was gone.
6) For the rest of the car, I used the Purple pad with FG400 and 6 passes for each section. This completely removed all swirls.
7) Used Menzerna 4500 polish with LC Black pad
8) Used Menzerna Power Lock sealant with LC Blue pad. Fortunate to have a garage, so I left the sealant on overnight.
9) Applied second coat of PL Sealant.

Overall, took me around 12 hours haha

Now I'm debating on applying a coat of wax. I have some Meguiars Black Wax paste laying around. Would you all recommend applying it? Or leave it as be with the PL Sealant as the lsp?

It's been raining so I haven't had a chance to take a decent pic for comparison ( I know, worthless w/o pics...)

Thanks again for all the tips/info! Any additional tips/feedback would be appreciated.

This all makes sense now and looking back, I was washing the car SO wrong ( what was I thinking? ). I have less regret about owning a black car now. So addicted to the slick and shine of a black car, now only if I can maintain it...