Lets talk about car paint. Waxing and scratch removal.

[capnjim]

Now that the weather is nicer, I can wash my car. I actually like washing and waxing it even though its 15 years old and has scratches and swirls.

I have tried a few scratch removers and some buffing compound. I have never been able to get rid of even the smallest scratch. It makes sense that if a scratch removes paint, it ain't coming back.

What do you guys use for wax? Anybody get rid of swirls or scratches?
I have always done everything by hand. Maybe I should try a power buffer?

Have a great Easter weekend everyone!

 

[elgecko]

Back in the day when my black truck was shiny and pretty, I got good results with Meguiar's fine cut cleaner. It seemed to work better than Meguiar's Scratch X. I always applied it by hand.

Link Removed

 

[48thStreetCustom]

Clay kits are great for restoring old paint.

 

[Alkali Ike]

Are the scratches in the clearcoat only, or deep into the paint? Well someone was bound to ask.

I’ve had excellent success removing light scratches and swirl marks using a Griot’s Garage orbital polisher and 3M Synthetic Wax Protectant. And it lasts a long time. Griot’s also has a full line of various polishes of different strengths.

If you’re committed to learning how to repair deep scratches using multiple steps, I’ve had success with this stuff.

https://touchupdirect.com

 

[equalizin]

I used a lot of stuff over the years. Meguiars 3 step. Zaino 3 step. P21s. Klasse all in one. Always clay bar first. They all look great in their own way. Zaino lasts months and is so damn shiny that in the summer all you see is the sun staring back at you. Carnauba anything had depth and looks amazing for a few weeks. For the last few years I've used Meguiars ultimate paste wax. Stuff is awesome. Has a carnauba like depth but beads forever. I put 2 coats in the spring and im done for the year.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

I hose the mud off...


I live on a dirt road. Shiny is not in the cards.

 

[PWRL]

I got some pretty deep scratches in my old CR-V when I had to drive through a some bushes coming down a mountain road. A few went through the paint, but of those that did not, most of them cleaned up pretty well with Meguiar's Scratch-X. I then went over them with Carnauba-based waxes, like Zymol. The only trouble was I never really found anything to restore the depth I lost, and you could always see them in a reflection if you knew where to look. But those two things did a good job on anything shallow enough.

 

[capnjim]

Thanks guys. I never even heard of the wax. Can you tell me some details of how you use it?

 

[MonetBass]

Do you have scratches all over, or just specific spots? For spots, do the following:
1. Touch up the scratch with color-matched paint
2. After drying, wet sand with a Meguiar's sanding block
Optional: Apply clear coat over spot and wet sand again after drying
This is for spots or all over:
3. Polish with polishing compound, using a random orbital buffer on a lower speed
4. Wipe polish off immediately with a clean, soft towel. Keep at it until you can no longer see the scratches.
5. Apply wax (out of the sun!!), using random orbital buffer on a higher speed
6. Allow wax to dry for about 20 minutes
7. Wipe off with a different clean, soft towel

I used this method on my previous car that had many scratches and swirls (I suspect from using car wash brushes, which I no longer do) and it turned out beautifully.

 

[capnjim]

Unfortunately, there are scratches everywhere. Its a 2006 Volvo with 280,000km. The thing is, its a very high quality paint and once waxed, looks amazing from 20 feet away. But I see scratches everywhere.

 

[hbarcat]

Professional painter here.

I use the 3M multistage polishing system. Use in this order.

A) Rubbing compound to remove scratches

B) Polish to remove swirl marks

C) Finishing compound to produce perfect glazed surface


I wouldn't even think about doing an entire car by hand. It might take dozens of hours. Get an electric polisher. I recommend DeWalt.

Be very careful around the edges of body panels, especially with the rubbing compound. It's easy to burn through the paint.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Unfortunately, there are scratches everywhere. Its a 2006 Volvo with 280,000km. The thing is, its a very high quality paint and once waxed, looks amazing from 20 feet away. But I see scratches everywhere.

Change your glasses prescription.

 

[pie_man_25]

All I know about automotive finish is that it's tedious and detailed. I've painted a couple guitars with the stuff.

It can be really easy to sand or buff through the topcoat, especially around curves and edges. Also, getting everything to a shine as if the scratches never happened sounds like a task and half. Like... All over the car? Honestly I'd just accept it, but it's a Volvo, they tend to last, if you're willing to put in the work, why not?

 

[hbarcat]

It is a tedious and time consuming process. But if your time is valuable, you can always do it a bit at a time. Maybe put in a few hours every other Saturday. So what if it takes 2 months.