Scratch Removers

[HEDBNGR]

Does anyone recommend a specific brand? Preferably one you have experience with?

And can someone also help explain how a scratch remover works? Does it really just buff the scratch out? The scratch would have to only be a surface blemish to buff out. I don't expect a scratch remover to magically replace missing paint from a scratch. Or maybe there's something scientific about it that makes the paint "reappear."

Thanks.

[Redlight]

If your fingernail sticks into the scratch, it's too deep.

Other than that, "compounds" will cut a little clearcoat off the surface to make the scratches flush with the rest of the clearcoat.

Generally, for deeper scratches, you would wetsand the area and then buff, but if they are just minor surface scratches, you would only need a polish or light compound.

I'd go on further, but it's 4 am...and I'm beat....

dave.

[DueceCoupe]

Go to WalMart and look for KIT or K.I.T Scratch out.
I was at our local WalMart when a Huge (Im 5'10) burly Guy walked up to My wife,myself and our 6 year old.
I was looking at the wax products....This Guy grabs a yellow bottle and told me flat out that He was a Truck driver.
Every Truck He has ever driven and returned looked like brand new because of this.
I asked him if it was a Wax (as that's what I was looking for) and He told me "Nope,it gets scratches out".
So,I bought it as it was under 5.00
To be honest,I have never seen a product work quite as well.
It wont work for really deep scratches,but on anything less:They vanish.
I have no idea how it works,but it is simply amazing.
After using,You should put a coat of wax over top because if not,the scratches will reappear after awhile.
But its one of the few products I swear by.

[Redlight]

Originally Posted by DueceCoupe

Go to WalMart and look for KIT or K.I.T Scratch out.
I was at our local WalMart when a Huge (Im 5'10) burly Guy walked up to My wife,myself and our 6 year old.
I was looking at the wax products....This Guy grabs a yellow bottle and told me flat out that He was a Truck driver.
Every Truck He has ever driven and returned looked like brand new because of this.
I asked him if it was a Wax (as that's what I was looking for) and He told me "Nope,it gets scratches out".
So,I bought it as it was under 5.00
To be honest,I have never seen a product work quite as well.
It wont work for really deep scratches,but on anything less:They vanish.
I have no idea how it works,but it is simply amazing.
After using,You should put a coat of wax over top because if not,the scratches will reappear after awhile.
But its one of the few products I swear by.

Dude, if the scratches reappear, then you're not getting rid of them. You're just hiding them.

If you have to apply something else over the product you bought to get rid of the scratches in the first place, then how was your purchase worth the money?

The Walmart "carwash" aisle is not a reliable source for detailing information IMO.



If they are just minor swirls, a polish will eliminate them.

Compounds eliminate more aggresive scratches and marring.

If your fingernail sticks in them, they must be repainted.

done.

dave.

[rejectZX3]

Joe, listen to Dave. He does it for a living. If I lived anywhere close to driving distance od San Antonio, all my car's little dings would be gone.

Dave needs to move closer to Jax.

[boostedzx3]

what was it back in the day, one of the first scratch removers. I think it was "GS20" or some gay **** like that. My dad got a bottle and it didn't work for ****. It literally did nothing more then wipe cream on the surface of your paint to then wipe it back off.

[HEDBNGR]

Originally Posted by boostedzx3

what was it back in the day, one of the first scratch removers. I think it was "GS20" or some gay **** like that. My dad got a bottle and it didn't work for ****. It literally did nothing more then wipe cream on the surface of your paint to then wipe it back off.

lol. I'll remember that. thanks.

[HEDBNGR]

I didn't even think to check but I just did and consumerreports.org says the best one to use is Quixx which is what I got.

[Counterfiend]

You want the scratch's gone, do some nice stretching, and have no plans to use those arms for the next day or 2 if your doing it by hand.
There is no product on the market thats a quick "wipe on, wipe off" method to removing scratch's, swirls, holograms, or anything like that.
Even using a DA, you will spend up to a good 2 minutes on a 1'x1" section to get it as best you can with a mild polish alone (if you dont want holograms).
Alot of the problems with OTC products is there are alot of fillers in the compounds themselves. So it looks like your removing swirls and stuff, but the fillers go into the small scratch's and they appear to be gone. Then you wash it a few times, and bam, right back.
When we buff/polish cars, we do test spots with different product and different pads and wipe the test spots down with a 50/50 of alcohol/water mix to remove any fillers taht might be left from the product to make sure we are physically removing the imperfection rather then covering it up.