Scratches in Clear Coat

[JimAllison]

Hello!
I have a brand new 2005 Scion tc in the Silver Streak Mica color. I am having great luck using NXT on the car. Goes on easy and seems to shine it up well. I decided to go all out and so a full clean, polish and wax process so I went to pepboys and picked up the cleaner and polish in the consumer line. So far so good applying by hand but if anyone has tips for making these more effective I'd love to hear em. Do you go in straight lines or in circles?

But, now for the main reason of my post. I seem to have gotten 8-10 scratches on my hood which after a couple passes with some scratchx seem to just be in the clearcoat. I can only see them when I am right down by the hood or if I bend down at an almost parallel to them when the light reflects off them. They are barely visible but still bug me because I want my finish to be as perfect as possible.

Is this something I can cover, remove, fill etc using scratchx, paint cleaner, polish and NXT?
I'll try and take some pics but like I said they are hard to see and I am probably being too anal about it anyways. Thanks for the help!

[Marc08EX]

to Meguiar's Online!

I think that applying the DC#1 by hand needs to be worked in pretty well.. Like ScratchX, you need to work the product in until there's only little product left. This ensures that there's ample heat being generated to be able to break down the product. The polish and wax doesn't need to do this.

I think it would be best to invest for the G-100 Dual Action Polisher... Not only would it make life much easier but it would also give you much better results that can't be achieved by hand.

As for the scratches in the hood of your car, ScratchX with multiple passes should at least be able to lessen the scratches. Then apply a pure polish (DC#2) afterwards then NXT.. If this was not able to remedy the problem, I think it would only be solved using a machine.

BTW, here is an article for you to read...

How to remove a defect by hand with ScratchX

[JimAllison]

I don't have access to an electrical outlet where I park my car, gotta love parking in Los Angeles, so the dual action polisher wont work for me. Does the cordless polisher work well? Is there any danger in using this to try and get better results from the cleaning and polishing?
Thanks for the greeting! Glad to have found a place to learn how to care for my new car!

[Marc08EX]

Glad to have you on board!

I've read that the cordless polisher is not as "powerful" as the G-100 but it would probably be a better method compared to the hand method and this would also save you time and effort. I think it would be worth a try since it would be more convenient for you... And anything you buy from Meguiar's, you'd be truly satisfied... They wouldn't sell anything that can harm your paint.

Hope this helps!

[JimAllison]

Did the scratchx DC#1 DC#2 and NXT twice. The scratches are still visible when I look at them closely. I am planning on ordering the cordless buffer. Are there any products that I should use specifically with that buffer to help hide/remove the scratches besides what I own already? I realized I can just barely feel the scratches with my fingernail. Are these beyond the help I can give them in my own driveway? Thanks
- Jim

[DSG Man]

I have the same problem. I have a few very, very light scratches and a couple etchings on my roof and truck lid. I tried a few applications of ScratchX by hand, with no luck.

So I broke out my new PC, and tried repeated applications of MPPC and did not notice much difference. I even ran the PC up to 6. I used the 8006 pad.

What's the next step? DACP? Can is use the PC on it with an 8006 pad?

[Marc08EX]

Originally posted by JimAllison
Did the scratchx DC#1 DC#2 and NXT twice. The scratches are still visible when I look at them closely. I am planning on ordering the cordless buffer. Are there any products that I should use specifically with that buffer to help hide/remove the scratches besides what I own already? I realized I can just barely feel the scratches with my fingernail. Are these beyond the help I can give them in my own driveway? Thanks
- Jim

I think that you have to remember that applying the cleaner by hand will give limited results.. I'm not sure if the power output of the cordless buffer is the same as the G-100 but I think that it would generate more heat and would be able to break down the product more efficiently, thus removing the swirls more effectively. When are you planning to order the cordless buffer? Good luck!

[Marc08EX]

Originally posted by DSG Man
I have the same problem. I have a few very, very light scratches and a couple etchings on my roof and truck lid. I tried a few applications of ScratchX by hand, with no luck.

So I broke out my new PC, and tried repeated applications of MPPC and did not notice much difference. I even ran the PC up to 6. I used the 8006 pad.

What's the next step? DACP? Can is use the PC on it with an 8006 pad?

How many passes of ScratchX did you do? The article said that you should at least do 3 sets and also keep in mind that this method is limited. I'm not sure what's the level of aggressiveness of the MPPC but the DACP applied with the W8006 pad would be the best bet to try and remove the swirls... Let us know when you're done!

[DSG Man]

Thanks. I'll have to order some of that now also. Beginning to look like a Meguiars warehouse in my basement. I guess I should have asked if #83 is the next step in aggressiveness after MPPC, and can it be used with the PC and 8006 pad.

Mike, care to chime in? Thank you.

[JimAllison]

Well, after multiple rounds of scratchx, dc#1, dc#2, nxt the scratches are still there. When you look at the hood straight on you cant see them but from the sides and right down close to the hood you can see the dozen or so fine scratches. As I said before they look like they are just in the clearcoat.
Anyone have a suggestion as to what might fix this? I can only do applications by hand at the moment unless someone near LA is feeling generous and wants to let me come over and help me with the polisher.

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by DSG Man
Thanks. I'll have to order some of that now also. Beginning to look like a Meguiar's warehouse in my basement. I guess I should have asked if #83 is the next step in aggressiveness after MPPC, and can it be used with the PC and 8006 pad.

Mike, care to chime in? Thank you.

Hi DSG Man,

#83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish would be your next step as far as getting more aggressive. You want to use this with a W-8006 pad but don't go over the 5.0 setting.

Yesterday, at the North Coast Vettes clinic, we worked on a Corvette finish that was very hard. We tried three applications of ScratchX by hand and while this restored a lot of clarity to the clear coat and removed some of the lighter scratches, all the deeper scratches remained. Next we tried #80 Speed Glaze with the G-100 and a W-8006 polishing pad. This had little effect also.

Next, we switched to a new, clean W-8006 pad, applied some #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish and all but a couple of the deepest scratches were removed. The owner like what he saw and in the near future plans on completely buffing out his Corvette with this combo, in this order...

#83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish



Meguiar's W-8006 foam polishing pad




#80 Speed Glaze




Meguiar's W-8006 foam polishing pad



NXT Generation Tech Wax



Meguiar's W-9006 foam finishing pad



You have to be careful with the #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish as some paints are susceptible to hazing when this product is applied with too much pressure using the G-100. With the right touch, any hazing can usually be removed with the #80 Speed Glaze.

Mike

[DSG Man]

Thanks, Mike. Will have to order some. Don't see DACP in the stores.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi DSG Man,

DACP is a product in our Professional line, to find it you need to locate a PBE store.

How to locate a PBE Store in your hometown

I also want to add this,

If after machine cleaning with the G-100 and a cleaner/polish like the #83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish, if deeper scratches still remain, this is an indicator that,

• 1) The paint is too hard to effectively remove these scratches with the G-100
  2) The remaining scratches are deeper and will require either a rotary buffer and/or wet-sanding to remove

(And/or both)

On the black Corvette I mentioned above, this one,



After machine cleaning with the G-100/#83/W-8006 combo, a majority of the scratches were removed. Two of the club members still remaining from the event inspected the result with me and asked about the remaining scratches. I explained that had they been the same depth as the removed scratches that they would have been removed also. The fact that they remained means that they are deeper.

I then explained that in order to effectively remove these random, isolated, deeper scratches, (RIDS), that the bet approach would be to probably feather sand them and then remove the resulting sanding marks with a compound and a rotary buffer. This would be safer and more effective.

Because this Corvette is a daily driver and regularly raced,



I suggested that the owner learn to accept and live with the deeper scratches because inevitably a car like this is going to get more scratches in the future and that to remove all of the scratches means to remove more clear coat paint. Since all the U.V. protection for the base coat is in the clear coat, removing more clear coat means removing more U.V. protection as well as reducing the film-build of the clear coat itself.

That's why you'll sometimes see me post this,

"Sometimes you cannot completely remove a defect, but you can often time improve a defect".

In the below diagram, you can see that the shallow scratches can probably be removed, but the deeper one cannot without removing so much clear coat that you expose the base coat.



In cases like this the remaining scratch will be so improved that it will likely be difficult to see standing next to the car. This is a scratch that you learn to live with.

It's all about the paint, or rather... the film-build

I'm writing an article right now on paint. It includes,

• * Paint is thin
  * Modern clear coats paint are harder, not softer than traditional lacquers and enamels
  * Traditional Lacquer and Enamel paints are soft.
  * All paints are easily scratched.
  * The harder the paint is the more difficult it will be to remove swirls and scratches
  * Shiny, glossy paint is easily dulled if you use the wrong product or application material
  * Removing swirls and scratches means removing paint.
  * Buffer swirl is a type of scratch, to remove buffer swirl you must remove paint.
  * Oxidation is the deterioration and breakdown of paint at the molecular level.
  * Clear coats must be cleaned, polished and waxed just like any other paint.

Stay tuned....



Mike

[DSG Man]

Thanks again.