[m6-lt1]

Hi All, 1 month before moving and finally having a garage for my car the below **** happens. I tried rubbing it with scratch remover and even some compound (did not use a device, just a hand pad) and it did not make it less noticeable. Is there anything I can do to make it less noticeable? I do not have the skills to wet sand. Will a detail shop be able to remove this or make it significantly less noticeable? Unfortunately it's on the drivers side so I will see it every freakin time I go to drive the car. I love this car but If I could go back in time I would have waited until I had a garage to buy this freakin thing. People and nature have not been kind to this car while I had to park it outside. Maybe a paint correction is in it's future but I do not want to pay that much money for something I'm only keep 5-6 more years. Thanks for any help.

[m6-lt1]

Also I want to point out, I wouldn't consider this as a scratch, more like a "mark". Not really sure how to explain it. you mostly can't feel it when you touch it except for one small part of it.

[1hprush]

If compound didn't touch it, then it probably is down to the primer, and looking at the picture, it does look that way. If so, touch-up paint would be your best bet. However, if it really drives you crazy, I'd spend a couple hundred and get it fixed right. Regardless whether you garage your car or not, simply driving it makes it prone to further nicks and scratches, you''ll be happier driving your car, then sweating the little inevitable things.

[Allez]

If you're going to pay someone to do it might want to wait until you get your garage.

[m6-lt1]

Originally Posted by 1hprush

If compound didn't touch it, then it probably is down to the primer, and looking at the picture, it does look that way. If so, touch-up paint would be your best bet. However, if it really drives you crazy, I'd spend a couple hundred and get it fixed right. Regardless whether you garage your car or not, simply driving it makes it prone to further nicks and scratches, you''ll be happier driving your car, then sweating the little inevitable things.

You may be right. It’s tough to tell because my car is gray. The thing is though, this mark isn’t really a “scratch “. It’s more so like something rubbed against my car into the paint. My finger nail does not catch in it. The only reasons I think the compound didn’t work was because I applied it lightly by hand and my car is ceramic coated. So my guess is I would have to eat through the ceramic coat first before I can rub it off but I don’t know very much about detailing so I could be wrong.

And I agree man, I’ve actually been less upset about most of the past marks I’ve found on my car lately but this one hurts because I will stare right at it each time I go to get in the car. All the significant marks that have appeared on my car where from people rubbing crap they were carrying against it, or tree branches falling on it (I have a choice of parking under a tree and risking little branches scratching it with less chance of people hitting it while carrying crap to the dumpster). Other marks I think are from squirrels. There’s a 3 foot scratch on the passenger quarter that I’m going to get wet sanded next spring (from someone carrying crap and not being careful when walking by). Just hoping this new one can be wet sanded as well since I don’t really feel it.

[m6-lt1]

Originally Posted by Allez

If you're going to pay someone to do it might want to wait until you get your garage.

For sure. I mainly just wanted to figure out if it’s removable or at least able to get hidden. When I got the car there was a couple similar marks where the quarter panel meets the rear bumper. I got the car detailed 6 months ago and they made it way less noticeable. I’m just not sure if those marks are exactly the same.

[DC5]

Try removing it using a clay bar.

[m6-lt1]

Originally Posted by DC5

Try removing it using a clay bar.

Newb question, can I damage my paint using a claybar if I don’t know what I’m doing? I actually do have one along with the appropriate detail spray.

[m6-lt1]

I double checked what products I used and what I thought was compound was not compound. Hopefully a pro using compound can remove or hide it if I can’t get it off.

[1hprush]

Originally Posted by m6-lt1

Newb question, can I damage my paint using a claybar if I don’t know what I’m doing? I actually do have one along with the appropriate detail spray.

It's time to learn how to do some simple paint correction if you are going to be concerned about imperfections. Use the claybar, it's simple and one of the first steps when correcting your paint. you won't damage it. The only REAL concern with claybar, is if you drop it, it could pick up small containments and scratch your paint if you reuse it.

Originally Posted by m6-lt1

I double checked what products I used and what I thought was compound was not compound. Hopefully a pro using compound can remove or hide it if I can’t get it off.

Compound would be my next step, after using a claybar, I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound and it works pretty well most of the time, but I also use their ScratchX for small imperfections like yours. The key to it's success is by applying at least 2-3 applications before it completely removes the imperfections, if it's on the surface, you may be able to remove it in one pass.

I keep a bottle of it in my glove box so I have it on hand for those quick fixes on the run!

Now get busy...

[m6-lt1]

Originally Posted by 1hprush

It's time to learn how to do some simple paint correction if you are going to be concerned about imperfections. Use the claybar, it's simple and one of the first steps when correcting your paint. you won't damage it. The only REAL concern with claybar, is if you drop it, it could pick up small containments and scratch your paint if you reuse it.



Compound would be my next step, after using a claybar, I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound and it works pretty well most of the time, but I also use their ScratchX for small imperfections like yours. The key to it's success is by applying at least 2-3 applications before it completely removes the imperfections, if it's on the surface, you may be able to remove it in one pass.

I keep a bottle of it in my glove box so I have it on hand for those quick fixes on the run!

Now get busy...

Thank you for the advice! I was thinking about buying that scratch x2 as well. I do have meguiars compound as well. I know I’ll have to be extra careful when using it and polish it afterwards to.

[cdrptrks]

+1 for Meguiars Ultimate Compound. You will likely have to put a lot of force on the pad to remove it by hand. A dual action orbital polisher makes it much easier/faster. I have successfully removed a white paint mark on top of the clear coat that was much larger than yours on black Toyota paint by hand but it took around an hour and my fingers were physically sore during and for the next few days because of the amount of force required.

[WhiteMale]

If it has an edge you can feel with your fingernail its past the paint and you can't buff that out. I've been using the DR ColorChip(???) method that you smear the touch up paint across the damage and then wipe it down with solvent after a few minutes dry time, works like magic, best stuff I've ever used for a touch-up.