Clearcoat Scratches
02-09-10, 12:44 PM
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Clearcoat Scratches
My brother recently washed my car, a charcoal color 2007 IS 250, and scratched it everywhere. He used the rough green side of a kitchen sponge when washing it and it scratched the car all over, but only the clear coat is damaged I think. I had it waxed and buffed and it looked good for a few days and then the scratches became really visible again. What should I do to fix this? Any ideas?
02-09-10, 03:54 PM
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My brother recently washed my car, a charcoal color 2007 IS 250, and scratched it everywhere. He used the rough green side of a kitchen sponge when washing it and it scratched the car all over, but only the clear coat is damaged I think. I had it waxed and buffed and it looked good for a few days and then the scratches became really visible again. What should I do to fix this? Any ideas?
02-09-10, 03:56 PM
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If the vehicle is damaged like you say using the green side of a kitchen sponge, you have introduced the vehicle to some very extensive clear coat damage. This can be repaired, but I would advise only a professional to provide this type of correction for you.
The vehicle will need to be properly prepped, masked and rotary polished to remove these defects. Using only professional grade products and the experience of a pro, this can be fixed. It may require either a 3 or 4 step polishing job to do the work, but remember you only get one original paint job!
And it only takes one "Primitive Pete the Polisher" to ruin your vehicles paint.
A PC alone assuming you are talking about a D/A PC 7424 will not remove these defects that you have introduced to the paintwork. They may remove a little, but I repeat that this correction must be done using a rotary polisher by a skilled craftsman. After the rotary correction is finished, the paintwork can then be finished off using a D/A and a premium polish and LSP....
If you do hire a professional to do this job, expect to pay anywhere from $400.00 - $800.00 for this type of repair done right.
Dave
The vehicle will need to be properly prepped, masked and rotary polished to remove these defects. Using only professional grade products and the experience of a pro, this can be fixed. It may require either a 3 or 4 step polishing job to do the work, but remember you only get one original paint job!
And it only takes one "Primitive Pete the Polisher" to ruin your vehicles paint.
A PC alone assuming you are talking about a D/A PC 7424 will not remove these defects that you have introduced to the paintwork. They may remove a little, but I repeat that this correction must be done using a rotary polisher by a skilled craftsman. After the rotary correction is finished, the paintwork can then be finished off using a D/A and a premium polish and LSP....
If you do hire a professional to do this job, expect to pay anywhere from $400.00 - $800.00 for this type of repair done right.
Dave
Last edited by Olskool53; 02-09-10 at 05:35 PM.
02-09-10, 04:00 PM
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If the vehicle is damaged like you say using the green side of a kitchen sponge, you have introduced the vehicle to some very extensive clear coat damage. This can be repaired, but I would advise only a professional to provide this type of correction for you.
The vehicle will need to be properly prepped, masked and rotary polished to remove these defects. Using only professional grade products and the experience of a pro, this can be fixed. It may require either a 3 or 4 step polishing job to do the work, but remember you only get one original paint job!
And it only takes one "Primitive Pete the Polisher" to ruin your vehicles paint.
A PC alone assuming you are talking about a D/A PC 7424 will not remove these defects that you have introduced to the paintwork. They may remove a little, but I repeat that this correction must be done using a rotary polisher by a skilled craftsman. After the rotary correction is finished, the paintwork can then be finished off using a D/A and a premium polish and LSP....
If you do hire a professional to do this job, expect to pay anywhere from $400.00 - $800.00 for this type of repair done right.
Dave
The vehicle will need to be properly prepped, masked and rotary polished to remove these defects. Using only professional grade products and the experience of a pro, this can be fixed. It may require either a 3 or 4 step polishing job to do the work, but remember you only get one original paint job!
And it only takes one "Primitive Pete the Polisher" to ruin your vehicles paint.
A PC alone assuming you are talking about a D/A PC 7424 will not remove these defects that you have introduced to the paintwork. They may remove a little, but I repeat that this correction must be done using a rotary polisher by a skilled craftsman. After the rotary correction is finished, the paintwork can then be finished off using a D/A and a premium polish and LSP....
If you do hire a professional to do this job, expect to pay anywhere from $400.00 - $800.00 for this type of repair done right.
Dave
Last edited by Todd@ProperAutoCare; 02-09-10 at 04:04 PM.
02-09-10, 05:02 PM
#7
Might want to be a little wary of the PC statement. It is possible with the Kevin Brown Method right now to do so. Heck, even before that method was "published" or whatever, I was already doing the same thing with Menzerna polishes so its nothing really spectacular to be honest.
It just takes more patience and time but after a correction is done on a brillo padded car, you pretty much become a master of PC techniques. Thats how I started out anyway
It just takes more patience and time but after a correction is done on a brillo padded car, you pretty much become a master of PC techniques. Thats how I started out anyway
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02-09-10, 05:18 PM
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02-09-10, 05:25 PM
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Oh, I completely agree. But I learned a couple things with the old PC that rivaled what rotaries today can do if you know the right technique. It was worth the effort picking up a PC first, that and not having enough money for a rotary at the time lol
02-09-10, 05:56 PM
#10
Sometimes it's smarter to work a little harder. 
Quicker isn't always better... I've seen very 'seasoned' professionals have a bad day and burn through paint.
I used a Flex on my 02 Expedition that's never been garaged and had serious swirls. It took longer than with a rotary, but it removed 95% of the defects.
Perhaps I'd feel differently if I was confident in my skills with a rotary, but I'd disagree that you HAVE to use a rotary for anything.
Quicker isn't always better... I've seen very 'seasoned' professionals have a bad day and burn through paint. I used a Flex on my 02 Expedition that's never been garaged and had serious swirls. It took longer than with a rotary, but it removed 95% of the defects.
Perhaps I'd feel differently if I was confident in my skills with a rotary, but I'd disagree that you HAVE to use a rotary for anything.
02-09-10, 08:37 PM
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All right thanks. Looks like it's not gonna be the cheapest fix huh? So here's a follow up question. The car is a lease that will be up in a couple years. Is it gonna be smarter to get the clearcoat refinished on my own rather than turning the car in and most likely paying Lexus to fix it when I turn the car in?
02-10-10, 06:23 AM
#12
You could just wax the car prior to turning it in. Using a product that has a lot of oils will fill in the swirling for a while as you just observed. Not that this is what you would want to do but...
If you take the car to a pro for correction expect to pay around $300.
If you choose to clean this up yourself expect to pay around $300. In the latter case you will wind up owning a nice quality polisher, several pads and the polishes and waxes needed to keep your car(s) flawless for a several years.
I haven't seen how severe the damage is but I'd suspect you would need about two to three days to completely remove all the marring. A pro could probably do it in around 6 hours. Not sure what your time is worth but you would certainly learn a lot of detailing knowledge in the process.
About now I'd have my brother cleaning the driveway with a toothbrush. LOL He certainly would pay for a professional to clean up the damage at the very least.
If you take the car to a pro for correction expect to pay around $300.
If you choose to clean this up yourself expect to pay around $300. In the latter case you will wind up owning a nice quality polisher, several pads and the polishes and waxes needed to keep your car(s) flawless for a several years.
I haven't seen how severe the damage is but I'd suspect you would need about two to three days to completely remove all the marring. A pro could probably do it in around 6 hours. Not sure what your time is worth but you would certainly learn a lot of detailing knowledge in the process.
About now I'd have my brother cleaning the driveway with a toothbrush. LOL He certainly would pay for a professional to clean up the damage at the very least.
02-10-10, 05:32 PM
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It is definitely true that there are products out there that can help you to tackle something like on your own, as a few people have already mentioned.
But... remember that knowledge is power in every case. Go out and find a good pro to give you some advice. There are a bunch of guys in South Florida that will have no issues letting you know what is up with your situation. They can measure your clearcoat to see what you have to work with, assess the damage, and give it to you straight what your options are.
No PC or Flex even can do what a Professional with a Rotary can do, plain and simple. There are limitations in the technology that can't be surpassed, no matter the product and the technique. But... it is up to a real professional to judge your situation and let you know if that line has been crossed or not. So get a few opinions on your situation, and if you think that it is something that you want to try and tackle on your own, let us know and I am sure that the few vendors that are on this forum can help you to find the right combination of products that can help turn your situation around.
But... remember that knowledge is power in every case. Go out and find a good pro to give you some advice. There are a bunch of guys in South Florida that will have no issues letting you know what is up with your situation. They can measure your clearcoat to see what you have to work with, assess the damage, and give it to you straight what your options are.
No PC or Flex even can do what a Professional with a Rotary can do, plain and simple. There are limitations in the technology that can't be surpassed, no matter the product and the technique. But... it is up to a real professional to judge your situation and let you know if that line has been crossed or not. So get a few opinions on your situation, and if you think that it is something that you want to try and tackle on your own, let us know and I am sure that the few vendors that are on this forum can help you to find the right combination of products that can help turn your situation around.
02-13-10, 11:16 AM
#15
what happen to the saying "its the thought that counts"? 
you must really love your brother, b/c i would have been pissed! with that said, its not the end of the day and this can certainly be rectified. lots of good advice in this thread, so i hope everything works out
what is the Kevin Brown Method? 
you must really love your brother, b/c i would have been pissed! with that said, its not the end of the day and this can certainly be rectified. lots of good advice in this thread, so i hope everything works out Might want to be a little wary of the PC statement. It is possible with the Kevin Brown Method right now to do so. Heck, even before that method was "published" or whatever, I was already doing the same thing with Menzerna polishes so its nothing really spectacular to be honest.
It just takes more patience and time but after a correction is done on a brillo padded car, you pretty much become a master of PC techniques. Thats how I started out anyway
It just takes more patience and time but after a correction is done on a brillo padded car, you pretty much become a master of PC techniques. Thats how I started out anyway