Scuff Marks, Tiny Rock Chips
Scuff Marks, Tiny Rock Chips Hey Guys,
I bought my car used about two months ago, and there are very tiny rock chips in the headlights covers on my 2000 Silver T/A. Also there are some "scuff marks" on the bumpers that I just think scuffed the clear coat b/c they look white and are hard to notice. But the fact is, I know they are there, and it really chaps my ***. So any suggestions on how to get these out of my car would be great!!! I am considering just having a detailing shop do it, because I am unfamiliar with products/tools needed to get my car back to showroom shine.
Thanks,
Kevin
I bought my car used about two months ago, and there are very tiny rock chips in the headlights covers on my 2000 Silver T/A. Also there are some "scuff marks" on the bumpers that I just think scuffed the clear coat b/c they look white and are hard to notice. But the fact is, I know they are there, and it really chaps my ***. So any suggestions on how to get these out of my car would be great!!! I am considering just having a detailing shop do it, because I am unfamiliar with products/tools needed to get my car back to showroom shine.
Thanks,
Kevin
I had a few scuffs before I bought my Porter Cable 7424. Now they're gone. If you head over to www.properautocare.com, they have all kinds of great guides on how to handle just about any problems with your finish.
-Mike
-Mike
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,764
Likes: 208
From: Eastern MA
Here is an exerpt from a post I made about rock chips:
If the scuffs are light, you can buff them out with 3M PerfectIt-II. I always do it by hand, but if you feel confident, you can use a buffer.
To start off:
* Give the car a good wash (probably with a good car wash soap or with Dawn, but you must be sure to wax)
* Use Bug and Tar or some other stronger, yet clear-coat safe, cleaner to get the left over bug bits and other stuck on stuff.
* Use a clay bar (I use Mothers)
For the rock chips and pits, this is what I do:
* I use the small bottle of touch-up paint that came with the car (it has a built-in small paintbrush)
* You want to layer the touch-up paint until it matches or exceedes the level of the surrounding paint. It may take 2 or 3 layers. Dont glob it on all at once. Put on a layer and let it dry for 30-60 minutes before the next layer.
* Let it dry overnight
* Wet sand the touched-up spot with 2000 grit sand paper to make it smooth and less noticeable. Make sure not to burn through the paint! The point is to make the damage less noticable. Most of the time you will not be able to make the repairs invisible (but they will be less noticable). This takes some practice, so be careful. Try somewhere inconspicuous first. This step is difficult to explain.
* Then buff the wet sanded area by hand back to a shine. I am using 3M Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound followed by a Meguiar's polish.
* Wash the repaired areas again to get rig of and left over compound/grit/etc.
* Give the car a good wash (probably with a good car wash soap or with Dawn, but you must be sure to wax)
* Use Bug and Tar or some other stronger, yet clear-coat safe, cleaner to get the left over bug bits and other stuck on stuff.
* Use a clay bar (I use Mothers)
For the rock chips and pits, this is what I do:
* I use the small bottle of touch-up paint that came with the car (it has a built-in small paintbrush)
* You want to layer the touch-up paint until it matches or exceedes the level of the surrounding paint. It may take 2 or 3 layers. Dont glob it on all at once. Put on a layer and let it dry for 30-60 minutes before the next layer.
* Let it dry overnight
* Wet sand the touched-up spot with 2000 grit sand paper to make it smooth and less noticeable. Make sure not to burn through the paint! The point is to make the damage less noticable. Most of the time you will not be able to make the repairs invisible (but they will be less noticable). This takes some practice, so be careful. Try somewhere inconspicuous first. This step is difficult to explain.
* Then buff the wet sanded area by hand back to a shine. I am using 3M Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound followed by a Meguiar's polish.
* Wash the repaired areas again to get rig of and left over compound/grit/etc.
Last edited by VIP1; Aug 20, 2004 at 06:12 PM.
