Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

[Herc75]

A sponge with some dirt particles was used on my car and created some surface scratches. How should I go about removing them? I was thinking Scratch X, but some of the waxes and polishes say they work the same way. Please help a newbie. Thanks.

[gb387]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

First welcome to MOL!

Here is a couple threads to look over:
How To Remove Swirls By Hand
How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

It will take some time and effort by hand but it can be done. Just remember to follow up with a wax for protection, ScratchX is a cleaner/polish not a wax.

When you say:

I was thinking Scratch X, but some of the waxes and polishes say they work the same way.

Not sure what exactly you mean when you say that, can you clarify?

Let us know if this information helps.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

What kind of car?

Factory clear coat paint?

[gorin002]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

[Herc75]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

Thanks for the info and the links...great stuff! The car is a year old Volkswagen Passat. It is Mocha brown...very close to being black actually. Anyway, the scratches/swirls cover about a quarter of the surface of the car. It's nauseating to look at, but I really am intimidated by all the products and my lack of experience using them. I'm thinking that I'll apply the Scratch X to problem areas and then use Mecguiars 3 step system to top it off. This seems like an awful lot of work, but I do love the car. Is all this neccesary? Any chance that the swirls will not show if it's washed, polished, and waxed? I must admit the idea of an abrasive product kind of concerns me too. Excuse my ignorance on this subject and thanks again for your help.

[Murr1525]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

Dont feel too worried, you cant damage anything with ScratchX. Even if it takes a couple applications to get the hang of it, you wont damage anything at all.

Now, for a full detail, you would clean, polish, then wax. ScratchX is already a cleaner, so on areas you ScratchX, you can just polish and wax afterward. Then quickly use the Deep Crystal Cleaner over the rest of the car and polish/wax.

The other option, and a favorite of mine, is to use ColorX, and then if you want, top it with a regular wax. So the order would look like:

1. ScratchX trouble areas.
2. ColorX entire car.
3. (optional) Top with a regular wax, maybe Gold Class would be nice for you.

Washing first of course.

You also didnt mention claying. That can be fun if you have never done it before. If you have a clean spot on your car, and you lighlty pass your fingertips over it, does it feel rough, or nice and smooth?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

This seems like an awful lot of work, but I do love the car. Is all this necessary?

The only way to remove a defect that is below the surface is to remove the paint surrounding the defect, so using a paint cleaner or another product like a cleaner/wax with the ability to remove defects is necessary if the goal is a show car finish.

Here's an article that discusses this,

What it means to remove a scratch out of anything...

Any chance that the swirls will not show if it's washed, polished, and waxed?

Yes, just washing, polishing and applying wax will act to coat-over and fill in many of the fine swirls and improve the overall appearance of the paint dramatically.

If you have not clayed the car, then you should consider this as Murr1525 suggested as this would be the most important step if your paint has any contaminants bonded on top of the surface.

Have you ever used detailing clay before?

[Herc75]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

Thanks again guys. I washed the car and glided my fingers across the paint and it feels pretty smooth IMO. I purchased the Meguiars 3 Step Paint Cleaner, Polish, and Wax. Perhaps I'll see how that goes and then go from there. To answer your question though, I have never used clay. Doesn't the paint cleaner basically do the same thing as the clay? I have applicator pads to apply the stuff, but what is the preferred material to wipe the cleaner, polish, and wax off? The last thing I want to do is make more scratches. Thanks a million folks.

[Murr1525]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

Clay is quite different from a cleaner. Clay removes things that have bonded to the surface of the paint, making it feel rough. This could be pint overspray, rail dust, other pollution. Cleaner removes dirt from the pores of the paint, and also can remove defects if it is a bit stronger of a cleaner.

It might seem like a cleaner would remove them, but the soft foam pad will actualy jump over them. Also, if they are bonded, but a bit looser, they could build up on your applicator pad. And then you could be dragging rail dust around your paint, which is obvioulsy risky.

The Hi - Tec foam applicator pads are what is generaly used by hand to apply. For removal, Supreme Shine Microfiber towels are often used.

Supreme Shine Microfiber



autodetailingsolutions.com had a very nice sale on towels, and always has good prices on everything you might need. You should check after the holidays when it opens back up, and see if it is still going on.

[Graeme]

Re: Best way to remove light scratches in my clear coat?

I find a Terry Towel seems to have more bite than a foam pad.
If your going to go to all the trouble of removing those defects I would clay the car first. Then you know it has been done completely.

Graeme