It appears that my 90 420 in Light Sandalwood Metallic has many, many fine scratches that can really only be seen in sunlight from certain angles. My question is what is the recommended way of removing them. Thanks for the replies.

I would first try Meguiars Swirl Remover. For best results use a random orbital buffer to apply the swirl remover.

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Bill Wood - Retired Webmaster
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Or even better, use Griot's machine polish 3, or if that doesn't work, use 2 or even 1 if they are really bad. You have to use this stuff with a random orbital buffer. Follow up with "Best of Show" wax. http://www.griotsgarage.com

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Hunter,

It is normal for a car-in-use to have fine scratches; every time you wash or polish your car, you will get more of those very fine scratches...why would you worry about it?

If you get rid of them by polishing your car, you will get them back as soon as you use and wash your car again...

greetingz,

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1990 300SL-24
1993 C250D with a minor 600+k kilometer
www.MBenzNL.com(the Netherlands)

I have a more severe problem. A couple of patches of the clear coat have stripped away. Total area involved is about a foot square, (30cm square), in three patches. Can the clear coat be repaired, or does it need new paint too?

Thanks,

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VR
1967 250SL

vrsmith,

If the clear lack layer is peeling off, it needs to be repainted and cannot be repaired. The clear lack layer does normally not come off unless the car has been repainted before...

gruße aus Stuttgart,

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1990 300SL-24
1993 C250D with a minor 600+k kilometer
www.MBenzNL.com(the Netherlands)

MBenz you were right! My car was painted. I had a bodyman look at the fender with the flaking clear coat. He said that it has had some bodywork and was repainted "in a hurry". As you said, it has to be stripped and repainted. The cost is a little high at US$3500 for me now, but I'll start saving and maybe cash in my penny collection to pay for it.

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VR
1967 250SL

vrsmith,

US$3500??? What is that bodyman going to paint??? Is he going to add a pure gold layer or something like that???

To have a complete car repainted it costs about 4000 dutch guilder (I am talking about an expensive quality repaint) in the Netherlands... The current US$ rate is about 1:2,5!

Are you going to have the entire car repainted for this fender problem or did you add one 0 too much?

greetingz,

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1990 300SL-24
1993 C250D with a minor 600+k kilometer
www.MBenzNL.com(the Netherlands)

I like your reaction! No, I wasn't going to pay to get it done locally or in Denver. The estimate was for the whole passenger side, trunk and roof. I was thinking of shopping around and maybe even painting the whole car after I move back home to Canada. The local paint shop does excellent work, (I'm told), and does guarantee their work for as long as you own the car. Taking the car to the Netherlands is out of the question, but would be fun.

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VR
1967 250SL

Several weeks ago I ran through a puddle of what, I thought, was mud. My 15 YO son went to wash the Benz (95 E300 Diesel Anthracite) this past weekend and, unknown to me, used the kitchen green teflon pad thingee as he was washing to remove the "mud" spots. After he was about half done on one side he called me outside to show me the damage. Well, the "mud" was evidently kind of a cement mix without any gravel or anything, just a fine spray that looked like mud. In the process of washing it off, he left a series of swirls in the clearcoat. Now I'm looking at a very sad looking site! Any ideas on what to do?

Reminds me of the time my grandparents wiped off part of my car with damp paper towels. I went through a half dozen passes of Meguiar's #9 swirl remover and a couple of #7 polish, and that took care of most of the swirls. Give it a shot - it took me the better part of a day, but it worked.

anthony