Car Scratch Removal

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RRAAYY3
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Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:32 am

Car Scratch Removal

Post by RRAAYY3 »

A few small scratches on car - any good products or DIY tricks to buff out surface scratches ?

Looks like a rock kicked up on the highway or something - nothing deep or major
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bottlecap
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Location: Tennessee

Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by bottlecap »

You can try a rubbing compound. Meguiar's and 3M make some decent ones.

JT
Rupert
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by Rupert »

Rubbing compound will work if the scratches don't penetrate the topcoat. If they do penetrate the topcoat, I'd recommend living with them or taking the car to a body shop.
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lthenderson
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by lthenderson »

If the scratches go through the topcoat and into the paint, I always buy a touchup paint kit for my particular make and model of vehicle and touch them up so they don't rust later on in life.
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TnGuy
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by TnGuy »

"Money will not make you happy. And happy will not make you money." - Groucho Marx
Topic Author
RRAAYY3
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by RRAAYY3 »

thank you all! just hit with some bad weather so i'll likely take car of this on saturday - thanks again BH!
Rupert
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by Rupert »

lthenderson wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:56 am If the scratches go through the topcoat and into the paint, I always buy a touchup paint kit for my particular make and model of vehicle and touch them up so they don't rust later on in life.
I do this too. But, note, OP, this solution doesn't look good. It just keeps the scratch from rusting.
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dm200
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by dm200 »

No expert, but if the scratch is deep (shows base/primer colot), I would use touch up paint.
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RRAAYY3
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by RRAAYY3 »

can't do anything today with the weather but i guess the rain will prove if it's a surface or deep scratch [glass half full?]

it's nothing major and quite frankly i need to look for it in order to notice it - it's 2 light scratches in the same area likely from something kicking up on the highway
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jazman12
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by jazman12 »

touch up paint from online resources. use only paint that matches your cars VIN number code for exact paint
match
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ReadyOrNot
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by ReadyOrNot »

If it is just light surface stuff, a mildly abrasive polishing wax should shine it back up. If you can hardly see it, the next buyer of your car probably won't care. You can just spray a little clear coat on it to keep it from rusting if the scratch goes down to the metal. Mask with a piece of paper with a hole over the scratch to keep the spray from getting all over the unscratched places.
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sunny_socal
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by sunny_socal »

I haven't had any luck with scratch removal kits. The only thing that has helped is to use acetone or carburetor cleaner (NOT brake parts cleaner) to wipe down any 'scratches'. Frequently these are from other vehicles or shopping carts and this method has removed 90% of my scratches.

For anything that has damaged the clearcoat, touch up paint doesn't seem to stay in the scratch. The buffing kits seem to leave the area around the scratch hazy.

I've resigned myself to living with any scratch I can't get out with acetone.
blenhardt
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by blenhardt »

As others have stated, if the scratches are not through the clear to basecoat they can be polished out. If they are deep scratches in the clear, very careful sanding with very fine sand paper (2000 grit) prior to polishing will help. Be careful not to sand through the clear down to basecoat.
Iorek
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Re: Car Scratch Removal

Post by Iorek »

I think Langka makes a pretty good scratch removal kit (and they'll sell you touch up paint too).
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