How do I remove light scratches?

[JCE]

Paul - I'll see you at Mequiar's on Saturday the 6th. How are the twins doing?

[suginami]

Originally Posted by JCE

Paul - I'll see you at Mequiar's on Saturday the 6th. How are the twins doing?

I noticed you and your son are on the sign-up list. Looking forward to seeing you guys there (and the car, hehehe).

Twins are great. 2 1/2 years old now. I am enjoying taking them to the park after work. It is really fun watching them play in the jungle gym deal.

[Gilli]

Paul, I picked up the car yesterday. It sure looks better but I was under the impression all of the defects in the paint would come out. Except for the bigger scratches. The pine sap did not get fully removed nor did some of the smaller scratches. You can still feel some of the imperfections (sap + Bugs)which are now under the wax! Does the claying process remove all imperfections including pine sap and bugs or not? Do you think he short changed the detailing process? The car is 11 years old, is this as good as it gets? The car has been garaged except for the past year and a half where it was parked under trees. Thanks for your help. Glad you're enjoying your twins. I have one son 11 years old. He brings such joy.

[suginami]

Originally Posted by Gilli

Paul, I picked up the car yesterday. It sure looks better but I was under the impression all of the defects in the paint would come out. Except for the bigger scratches. The pine sap did not get fully removed nor did some of the smaller scratches. You can still feel some of the imperfections (sap + Bugs)which are now under the wax! Does the claying process remove all imperfections including pine sap and bugs or not? Do you think he short changed the detailing process? The car is 11 years old, is this as good as it gets? The car has been garaged except for the past year and a half where it was parked under trees. Thanks for your help. Glad you're enjoying your twins. I have one son 11 years old. He brings such joy.

Yes, the clay bar should have removed all of the contaminants like sap and bugs. Even if the claying did not remove them, the buffer should easily have removed them.

I don't know what shape your paint was in before the detailing, but most of the scratches should've been removed. Only the deepest scratches might not be able to be removed. It depends how deep they are.

I think I'd have the detailer come back and redo the job to your satisfaction.

If you'd like, I am going to Meguiar's this Saturday, and I can ask them for a detailer that they can recommend in your area.

[Gilli]

Thanks Paul! That would be great. I live in Wilmington NC. I would really appreciate your recommendation. The paint was in excellent condition except for the hood where I scratched it and the top of the trunk where there were minor scratches. The car was my parents. They really babied her. They lived outside of Boston and refused to drive her in the winter months. I bought the car from my father. He was tired of the intermittent starting problems. I have learned from this site that I need an OVP relay. That is next. The car looks new inside. The crome and rubber seals on the outside look new. You would never know the car was 11 years old. Most of the damage to the paint happened here. My mother passed away shortly after they moved here. The car sat under the trees while we were in various hospitals from here to Boston with her.

[suginami]

I'm not familiar with North Carolina.

What major city is Wilmington near? (or is it a major city.... )

[Gilli]

Wilmington is on the coast. We are fairly close to Raleigh, Fayetteville and Myrtle Beach South Carolina.

[Gilli]

Paul, How was Meguiars this past weekend? Did you get a chance to ask about reputable detailers in NC?

[suginami]

I'm still working on it.

Meanwhile, I started a thread over on a detailing forum called www.autopia.org.

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=70865

Please feel free to reply on it. The two guys who replied haven't provided a phone number, but you can always e-mail them and see if you can talk to them offline.

[Gilli]

Thanks Paul, I have posted a reply there. I appreciate so much all your help! The black car is in real need of a good detailer and I am afraid to take it to the same guys. The doors are banged up from the hospital parking lots with my mom's illness. The rear bumper has a scratch and both front bumper corners were hit in a parking lot. Hub caps also need to be repainted.

Is it common to see stroke marks in a finished detailed car under different lighting conditions?

If I were to do this myself how would I remove the old wax? Would dish soap do a good enough job?

[suginami]

Originally Posted by Gilli

Thanks Paul, I have posted a reply there. I appreciate so much all your help! The black car is in real need of a good detailer and I am afraid to take it to the same guys. The doors are banged up from the hospital parking lots with my mom's illness. The rear bumper has a scratch and both front bumper corners were hit in a parking lot. Hub caps also need to be repainted.

Is it common to see stroke marks in a finished detailed car under different lighting conditions?

If I were to do this myself how would I remove the old wax? Would dish soap do a good enough job?

Yes, it is common to see different scratches under different lighting. Black is the worst color, by the way, for showing paint defects, scratches. It is also the best looking color when highly polished.

Dish soap would remove old wax, but I don't recommend using anything but soap designed especially for use on your car. Why would you want to remove perfectly good wax anyway? Claying your car would remove wax.

[Gilli]

Just thought I'd try to remove the impurities under the wax myself. When do you suggest I clay, polish and wax?

All the stroke marks are extreemly visible with polorized glasses. When I don't have them on the car looks good. Except of course for all the things traped under the wax.

[suginami]

Originally Posted by Gilli

Just thought I'd try to remove the impurities under the wax myself. When do you suggest I clay, polish and wax?

All the stroke marks are extreemly visible with polorized glasses. When I don't have them on the car looks good. Except of course for all the things traped under the wax.

Claying is a good first step. It removes all, or at least most of the embedded contaminants in your paint. It will also remove your wax.

Polishing is the third step. Polish doesn't remove any imperfections in paint. It is simply a beautifying step.

I would go and buy Meguiar's Scratch X. It comes in a tube. It will remove paint defects, but it takes a lot of work. It is applied by hand. You apply it with a clean pad or cloth, and rub back and forth, very vigorously over the scratches. You may have to apply it 3 or 4 times over each scratch, but it does work.

I have the feeling that your paint has too many defects all over, particularly spider web effect, all over the car. Scratch X will do the job, but it will take all day, at least 8 hours of work, and at the end of the day, your arm / elbow / shoulder will hurt like never before.

[Ferdman]

Paul, from what I've read and actually do myself the proper paint detailing sequence is: 1) clay, 2) polish and 3) wax. If polishing is done last it will remove the wax.

[suginami]

Originally Posted by Ferdman

Paul, from what I've read and actually do myself the proper paint detailing sequence is: 1) clay, 2) polish and 3) wax. If polishing is done last it will remove the wax.

Correct. Wax is the fourth step.

I was pointing out that polish does not remove surface defects. It is a beautifying step. It adds gloss and depth to paint. If you have a dark color, like black, it darkens the color.

Before you polish, you use a paint cleaner.