Greetings,

My 36 year old 250 SE Coupe has some scary scratches on the DB180 Glasurit paint... Has anyone tried Sratch-X and had good results? I'm hoping to get the entire car re-painted this winter, but in the meantime I'd like to get rid of these scratches and swirl marks...

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

thanx,

Fred Riss
'66 250 SE/C

Scratch X works ok but if you happen to have a buffer or are willing to make a serious effort with your hands take a look at Meguiars #9 Swirl Remover. It works better than the scratch X.

__________________
Afshin

Current:
02 C32 AMG

Previous:
92 500E
84 190E 2.3 5 Spd

Hi Fred,

ScratchX is for light or fine scratches. Most of the feedback I see is positive, a few people have tried it and not liked it. Probably depends on the scratch and the persons expectations.

Your description of your scratches as being "Scary" is an indicator that the ScratchX will not remove them to your expectations.

It is almost impossible to completely remove a scratch out of a clear coat finish by hand.

In order to remove a defect below the surface, you must remove the paint surrounding the defect until the highest points of the surrounding paint are as low as the deepest part of the defect.

To remove a scratch... you must remove paint.

The problem is this, modern paints are very hard. You, with your hand, someones chemical and good intentions just cannot do it. Modern paints are not "workable" such as traditional lacquers and enamels before the mid-70's.

It will require a rotary buffer and the correct foam buffing pad and the correct chemical, probably a paint cleaner, perhaps a combination product like a cleaner/polish.

Hope this helps...

Mike Phillips

__________________
"Find a product you like and use it often"

Jack Anderson
Paint Instructor for PPG paints

scratch x smells funny so do not use it in a closed area. i use it for the handles area, i dont use it on the whole car, griots garage #3 is better and use orbital buffer

If ScratchX were dangerous in enclosed areas, Meguiar's would have put that warning on the label. While the smell of a product is an indicator of harsh solvents, that doesn't mean because the product doesn't smell like roses it is unsafe.

I just squeezed some ScratchX out onto a piece of paper here at my desk and it doesn't smell "funny" to me.

If this is the original paint on his Mercedes, and Glasurit DB180 was a color from the late 50's meaning it is a traditional paint, i.e. a soft, workable paint, then an orbital buffer may remove light scratches but it will not remove any "scary" scratches. Using it together with a Griots, (or anybody's product), will more than likely act to "fill" the light ones in, but highly unlikely that it will remove enough paint to level the highest areas of the surface with the lowest areas of the scratches. If it did... it would be with the use of a cutting compound and a GEM orbital buffer, you know, the ones that weigh 14 and 16 lb. The weight and heavy duty features of these orbital buffers allow you to "push" hard on them, for long periods of time without overheating and burning up. This "might" abrade the surface enough to remove scratches, but it would also leave behind a dull surface when it was through.

You could then use a rotary buffer to restore the gloss. But... if you're going down this path... might as well use a rotary buffer to remove the scratch.

In the old day, of soft paint, like lacquers and enamels, (non-catalyzed paints, i.e. tight pore, hard paints), the orbital buffer could work, a rotary in the hands of a skilled operator would still be faster, more efficient and leave behind a higher gloss finish.

As I wrote in my first reply, removing scratches and other below defects requires a rotary buffer. A tool that "does work", not just "jiggles".

Mike

__________________
"Find a product you like and use it often"

Jack Anderson
Paint Instructor for PPG paints

Mike,

when i said it smells funny, i dont mean hazadous to ur health. When doing your whole car, in a closed garage at night with no windows open or doors open, the smell builds up and gives me a headache, after smelling it for a couple hours straight, i dont like it, but thats just me.

Zainos products has a more pleasant smell and doesnt bother me when in a closed area for a couple hours. then it again its not an abrasive so its contents are differnt.

Point well taken.

Anytime I need to remove a defect I use a rotary buffer and either a Meguiar's cleaner/polish or a paint cleaner, so I have never rubbed out an entire car using ScratchX.

I will pass your comment on to the appropriate person and perhaps the fragrence can be improved. I definitely prefer to work with chemicals that smell good versus smell bad.

I have a truck coming up to detail that is in decent shape, it's just a daily driver but it is a basecoat clear coat over black.

I will go over the entire truck with the ScratchX first, (after washing), and while I'm doing it I will pay close attention to the smell.

Thanks for the clarification, hopefully my sense of smell is still functioning.

Mike

__________________
"Find a product you like and use it often"

Jack Anderson
Paint Instructor for PPG paints

Thanks for all the great feedback, lads.

I guess when I said the scratches were "scary" I was a bit biased. The only time you can really see them is in direct sunlight. I believe the paint on the car is the original laquer, but with a clearcoat on top... I'm hoping to use the Scratch-X mainly on the roof, where there's lots of swirl marks, as well as cracks in the original laquer paint. I would be surprised if the product helped with the cracks, but I'm hopeful it will hide some of the swirl marks. Again, this is just an interim solution until I can get the car re-painted this winter.

Thanks, again.

-Fred Riss