Well,

I wasn't careful enough when removing the stereo to install a vaistech unit and I put a couple of small scratches on my shift ****. Any suggestions on how to lessen or remove the scratches. Thanks. Tom

 

If you are only trying to remove the visual marks of the scratches, you can get a stain from home stores (hardware stores and the like) that will restain the wood and make the visual portion of it disappear. These are typically a non-color specific stain used for touching up scratches. (They probably come in light, medium and dark colors though.)

To get rid of the tactile portion, you would either have to sand it down or put filler in it and then attempt to stain that. Getting the filler to match in color would be difficult unless you have experience doing that already and then it won't be trivial.

 

+1,getting filler to match should be left to a professional, let a pro detailer take a look at it, he may provide the solution, good luck

 

The scratches are pretty light, you can barely feel them with your finger nail. The next time I am to the lexus dealer perhaps I will ask them. Thanks. Tom

 

Turn it counter-clockwise until it comes off, then install a new one. Seems there was one in the classifieds a couple weeks ago.
If the scratches go through the clear coat, feather them in with a 600 grit sandpaper, mask it off, and put a clear coat of something compatible.
If the scratches are really light and you have access to a bench grinder, you can use a fabric wheel and some rouge to buff them out.
Then go buy a new one...

 

if they're really light, i'd try waxing it.

 

^^^^+1 mrblister has a recommendation on a piano wood polish he told me about to polish your wood.

Also, +1 on finding a replacement. That's why I did not do my Vais install! Anything scratched by the Lexus dealer would be replaced! I can't find hardly any replacements for the rare Pebble Beach red/black interior. I feel your pain...if you have regular colors (ecru/saddle/black/camel) you should be able to find *****.

Here are some on eBay:

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

 

+1, wonder why that carbon fiber **** is only $18.99 ??

 

Thanks for the advice. I may try to polish it a bit as it doesn't penetrate the clearcoat. Tom

 

If the scratch is contained within the clear coat, there is a clear coat filler available that may work also. (That is not what it is called but that is what it does. The ones I've seen are for scratches in the body paint though.)