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Paint scratch swirl rub marks etc HOW TO REPAIR

Boar-Ral

Boar-Ral

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Feb 14, 2002
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Location
Leduc, Alberta, Canada
Hello,

I went offroading on the weekend and after washing off the mud, noticed two long scratches down the front right fender. (The left rear splash guard is cracked too.) I am wondering if anyone has had to buff out scratches on any vehicle and are able to assist me by suggesting techniques and products to clear it up? The scratch is not very deep, but noticable. A friend suggested a product called 'Fine Cut' to buff it out without damaging the clearcoat, then using 'Liquid Glass' to polish the clearcoat again. Has anyone used these products or any others? I would appreciate any help at all.

Thanks in advance..


--
Dennis
 
Hey man, I've got some mountain pin striping too. I'm just going to take my truck to be detailed and have them buff out the scratches while getting my truck spot- less. Just make sure you find a shop that knows what they're doing. It should cost you about $120.

Take tthose stupid mudguards off the front fendors! I was four wheeling and my front tire caught one of the mudguards and along with ripping off the mud guard it ripped off the fendor it was attached to. I had to replace the fender and then I took the other side off as well.
 
I am considering removing the splash guards as well. I may look into a solution that allows me to remove them easily though, so I can keep them for onroad use and quickly remove them when I take it into the sticks.

Another project to document, I suppose. :)
 
If you can feel the scratch it can not be repaired without adding Paint.

If it is a swirl type mark I.e. swirl mark removers will remove it.

Coumpounds are for use on wet sanding marks and heavy swirls.

HTH
 
How do we remove scuffs from the cladding? I have small scrape on the right front, as well as a couple of small ones on the cargo covers.
 
There are a few threads about removing scratches in the cladding.

Heat gun and Steel wool are mentioned. I suggest you read them and see what fits your needs first.
 
None of the scratches on the body of my Avalanche can be felt. I am taking my Avalanche in for detailing this afternoon and hope that all of the scratches disappear.

One thing that WON'T polish out though: I went out to my parents' place for Easter and when I went out to the truck in the morning, someone had egged it. Where each egg hit, paint is chipped off, down to the primer. The police indicated that several other vehicles were hit that night and they are looking into it. Now I have to see if my comprehensive coverage covers vandalism.

The dealership I bought from offers lifetime chip and scratch touchups, but I will have to get their advice first.

What a way to celebrate a birthday.
 
I have my first complaint against my dealership.

It was stupidity on my part to get close enough to trees to cause minor scratches on the paint to begin with. They were small enough that polishing should remove them, and I took the truck to my dealership to have it power polished. Viola, the scratches disappeared.

Until I washed it.

Now, the exact same scratches are back, leaving me to wonder what the dealership did. It appears that they might have used a wax-based filler or something similar and it has now washed away. I do not know what to feel at this point, but I am extremely upset. A power polish is something that should last several weeks or months, not two weeks. Even the bodyshop department recommended the power polish to remove the scratches, but now that the scratches have returned, I would be curious of their recommendation now.

Assuming that I make no progress with the dealership tomorrow, does anyone have any recommendations for dealing with the scratches? There are two going down the front fender, one across the rear fender, and one going across the side edge of the hood. I am willing to put a lot of elbow grease into this, but do not know if there is a product that is Avalanche-friendly that will help me with this problem. I know that several threads along thing line have evolved in the past, but I do not ever recall seeing concrete suggestions or answers to this problem.

I would be thankful for any help that is offered. I am also open to any possible techniques that other bodyshops may have, so long as the solution is permanent and not another wash-off one.

Thanks in advance.
 
I could type for days on how to remove swirls....Look into Swirl Mark Removers and maybe an orbital buffer.

They can be removed.
 
Thank you for your input. While the marks are scratches and not swirls, they are primarily the same thing, so I will see what I can find. Money is a bit tight, but I did see a small buffer on sale for $39 last week. The smaller size should make it more difficult for me to damage things further.

Thanks again!
 
ygmn,

You spoke about an orbital buffer. Have you used one in the past? Do you presently use one with your Zaino products?

If you say it's good and doesn't leave swirls then I'm going and getting one immediately and save what's left of my one good arm. I have severe arthritis in my right arm from an old football injury and now it just basically balances my left side.
 
Orbital for abrasives only in my book.
 
If you can feel a scratch it is almost impossible to remove it since it has cut through the clear coat and a repaint may be required to properly fix.
 
Zaino by hand as it is very easy to apply and remove and you will not waste product.

Sorry for mulitple posts only way to get them in.
 
Thanks ygmn for the reply.

I agree Zaino is easy to aply but if an orbital worked, well...............
 
I have heard of people using an orbital but I feel it wastes product and gives no real benefit to the look or protection.
 
I'm not a paint guru, but in the process of building my airplane I needed to get smart on primers, paint, surface prep, etc. I can't advise you on your particular problem, but I have a book that has more than I'll ever need to know about automotive paint. It is titled "Automotive Paint Handbook", subtitled "Paint Technology for Auto Enthusiasts and Body Shop Professionals". Author is John Pfanstiehl, publisher HP Books. Look for the 1998 copyright, I think there may be an earlier copy with less of the newer paint products. Cover price is $17.95.
He talks about paint care, spot repairs, "finessing" paint to get maximun shine or remove flaws, as well as a little science of paint products. There is information on basecoat/clearcoat paints.
No, I'm not the author :) nor am I the publisher, seller, etc. The book was recommended to me by an aircraft painter and I bought it. I can't say it's the best book out there, since I'm just an amateur, but it is helpful to me.
I was reading it last nite, since I have a waterspot problem, and one thing he stresses is for amateurs to go very easy with any power buffers, especially near the edge of a surface where material is removed very quickly. Also, heat buildup can be a problem and damage the underlying paint. My advice after reading most of this book is ... get smart before you touch your paint with anything intended to remove or buff out imperfections, especially if what you are using plugs in or connects to compressed air :eek: Not that repairs like yours (and mine) can't be done, just that it can be done wrong very easily. :cry:
Good luck, and keep us posted!
 
I have a slight blemish on my AVY which needs attention. Where do I buy SWIRL MARK remover? Is there a particular brand I should use!

Thanx for any help on this as my AVY is brand new and I didn't notice the blemish until I got home.

Gary
 
What does the bloemish look like? Sometimes they are under the clear because of bad factorty painting and cannot be repaired with out a repaint.

For SMR try 3m or Meguiar's.
 
This may not be on right form or has already been covered
Will a clay bar remove scratchs from shrubs and bushes on the body of my Avalanche :rolleyes:

Corrected spelling in the title to aid in later searches - Jamie
 
No clay will not remove scratches only surface contaminates.

For scratch removal look at abrasives first....

Here is a tip...if you can feel it with finger nail not much you can do since the clear was cut through....also invest in a 30x maginfyer sold at radio shack...looks like a short telescope....and look at scratches and see if they indeed break through clear or color coat.

If you are not skilled in detailing then I say find a good detailer and talk to them.

HTH
 
nfhjr said:
This may not be on right form or has already been covered
Will a clay bar remove scratchs from shrubs and bushes on the body of my Avalanche :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Nelson,

I wish I hadn't ever mentioned Paragon. I think the guides really did a number on you guys. I almost think if there was to be another meet there that a on your own would be much safer. AJ's paint looks like it really took a beating also.
 
Hay bfron you may have suggested it but i made up my own mind to do it.
I did have fun till it started to fall apart about half way through.
AT LEAST I KNOW I CAN DO IT IF I WANT TO ;D ;D ;D :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
HBear said:
AJ's paint looks like it really took a beating also.
Click to expand...

I really don't think so! It obviously shows up much worse on the black paint, and most of the marks shown in that photo have washed off in last night's rain. I will find out for sure tommorrow when I go to the car wash.

In any event, I went to the local Zaino dealer today and bought some stuff. One of the items is specifically for scratches, so we shall see....
 
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