Poxy mysterious scratch

[ruracer]

Im on day 3 of my new car, I have a small, light scratch about 3 cm long on the rear right door. Now Ive never cleaned/polished/waxed a car, only washed.
So, I have the Meguairs step 1 and 2, and meguairs nxt tech spray wax bought specially for this car.
Should I just locally polish this scratch out or what is the best way to go about it? Its not deep and my fingernail doesnt get caught in it.
Ill post a picture of it later maybe.

The car was delivered washed and waxed, but I dont know if it has been polished before, its shiny but not a major shiny glare like some awsome photos of members cars Ive seen on this forum. So maybe an all over polish is in order or is it too early for a brand new car, 3 days old??

Thanks

[Mr JP]

use autoglym super resin polish, that should get it out, the last thing you want is a product that cuts the paint or removes coats etc, STAY clear or t-cut if you can help it, AG Super Resin will get it out!

[ruracer]

thanks JP . I have the Meguairs step 2 polish, is that ok for it too?
I dont want to buy the AG stuff if I dont have too.

I just dont know what to expect from polishing

[lo/rez]

Originally Posted by ruracer

So, I have the Meguairs step 1 and 2, and meguairs nxt tech spray wax bought specially for this car.
Should I just locally polish this scratch out or what is the best way to go about it? Its not deep and my fingernail doesnt get caught in it.

The NXT spray wax is just a "booster wax" used in between waxes with NXT tech wax to fresh up the shine!!! You can't use it to wax a car. Well, I guess you could but it will not give you real protection for the paint. So after the step 1 and 2 use NXT tech wax!

For the scratch you can try using meguiar's "scratch x", works really good on light scratches.

[lo/rez]

Originally Posted by ruracer

So, I have the Meguairs step 1 and 2, and meguairs nxt tech spray wax bought specially for this car.
Should I just locally polish this scratch out or what is the best way to go about it? Its not deep and my fingernail doesnt get caught in it.

uups, double post, sorry...

[robbo51]

Scratch X is the stuff

[ruracer]

thanks but since i have the step 2 polish already, is that good enough to either cover it up or remove it? do i really need to buy scratch x?

And should I do the whole car over with step 2 or just do a local application on the small scratch?
considering the car is only 6 days old?

[lo/rez]

Well, step 2 is a non-abrasive polish, so it will not help very much with the scratch. It contains mostly oils that nourish the paint to give it that wet look and shine. To remove the scratch (if that is possible at all by hand) I would try the Scratch X.

If you want to do the whole car with Step 2 go ahead, it will look better! It all depends on how much time and money you want to spend on your paint. When I picked up my Civic I did not know what the dealer had put on before delivery and I did not think they would put as much effort in it as I would myself. So on the third day of ownership I washed the whole car with dishwashing soap (safely removes any polish) and put two layers of Meguiar's NXT tech wax on. Have been doing that about every month now and it shines really great!

I don't think you can polish too much, as long as it is non-abrasive, so it takes none of the paint off. If you really want to go all the way, you can get the worlds most expensive polish, it's a bargain at around £ 3500 !
Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Zymol-12001-Ro...919764&sr=1-70

[ruracer]

you know what,i might just do that. At 25%off, its a real bargain and free lifetime refills too!, i wont go wrong!

But thanks , illhave to look into the scratchx, my other car is a renault clio that has a few bonnet scratches from kids using it as a blackboard!!! with stones.

I tried out the step 1 and 2 on that, they reduced the scratches after maybe 4 mins rubbing...but they are still visible...maybe i just need to rub longer... or get scratchx.

But a question, how much rubbing does it take to get the car looking like the perfectly shiny ones in the gallery here? I mean, is it 5 mins per panel or 20 done by hand or what?
I havent a clue...?
Thanks

[Fun4Four]

I also developed a mystery scratch, soon after delivery, but on the drivers door. I put it down to where I grab the door when closing (MUCH more carefull now!). Luckily I got my dealer to sort it FOC.

[ruracer]

whats FOC?

I bought the scratchx and tried it out , and used a microfibre to put it on , rubbed it in until it disappeared, then buffed off. The scratch was still there, but less noticeable, so I re-applied more scratchx on it with very small improvement. Should it be better than this?
I think it did very little, nothing better than the tech wax spray did anyway.
So, did I do it wrong or does it need many applications and lots of elbow grease?
Thanks for the help

[lo/rez]

Originally Posted by ruracer

whats FOC?

I bought the scratchx and tried it out , and used a microfibre to put it on , rubbed it in until it disappeared, then buffed off. The scratch was still there, but less noticeable, so I re-applied more scratchx on it with very small improvement. Should it be better than this?
I think it did very little, nothing better than the tech wax spray did anyway.
So, did I do it wrong or does it need many applications and lots of elbow grease?
Thanks for the help

FOC is free of charge, he got lucky...

If the Scratch X doesn't ged rid of the scratch, you will probably not be able to do it by hand. A professional could try it with a polishing compound and a machine.

Concerning the amount of elbow grease needed to get a car shiny, my experience is that the NXT tech wax doesn't need a lot of rubbing because it is not a polish. You put a thin layer on, preferably with a foam applicator, let it dry for about 30 min and then just wipe it off with a microfibre and a little pressure.

The way a car looks on a picture often very much depends on the photographer. You have to have the sun at just about the right angle, make sure the background gives a good reflection on the paint and a bunch of other things. Also some paint colours are better for getting impressive pics than others.

And then there's also the amount of experience you have polishing cars. What I'm saying is, don't give up, keep working on your car, try maybe other brands of towels or products, maybe even change the way you rub the stuff off, you'll get there eventually!

P.S.: also try this link: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php
there's lots and lots of information there!

[ruracer]

thanks,
ive been reading these detailing forums for ages. I guess ive got to work at it, it is only a small scratch barely noticeable, I just got out of my car and had to bend down and get within 3 inches of the door to see the scratch.... good going i suppose but im a perfectionist, very particular.
Im the only one who will notice it and therfore know its there...
yeah so on my wash next week, ill give it a decent go with the scratchx, and nxt tech spray wax.
BUT 30 mins!! for drying, i have the spray version of megauirs tech wax. That doesnt need 30mins does it, it goes hazy in about 5mins, depending on the panel being in shade or not.

[Mr JP]

autoglym super resin polish!

[lo/rez]

Try the autoglym, why not? I never used it before, if others achieved good results with it, it's worth a try.

About the NXT spray wax again, it is not made to be used as a stand alone wax for your car! First you have to use the NXT tech wax to build a primary layer of polymer protection for your paint job! After the tech wax has been applied, you can use the spray wax after each wash to "boost" the shine and gloss. I know it seems expensive to go and buy another wax but the tech wax is really economical to use, one bottle lasts for at least 8 to 10 wax jobs. Since you will not be doing that too often (because you use the spray wax in between) the bottle will last you quite long. I also thought it is a bit pricey, but since I use it I never want to use anything else again!

[ruracer]

the spray is working fine for me so far. ill waste it before i get anything else.

[lo/rez]

Originally Posted by ruracer

the spray is working fine for me so far. ill waste it before i get anything else.

I did not mean replace it but get a base coat of NXT tech wax on the paint before using the spray wax. Check out: http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/fo...ead.php?t=3316
If you want to do it right, you'll have to use the products for the purpose they have been designed for, otherwise you won't have real protection for your paint!

[kai_j]

not sure if you got your scratches fixed yet but i know a company that is really good in fixing scratches and dents. Plus you can call them out anywhere and they come and fix it for you...


heres the link http://www.chipsaway.co.uk/repair/chipsaway.asp

[ruracer]

ah thanks, kai j but im in dublin, dont think they will come over water...
the scratch is almost covered ill get it soon enough on the next wash!

and lo/rez, yep thanks for the link, see im using it on a new car surface properly prepared so im getting the results so far, once it starts to go, ill look into the "proper" tech wax. I was following advice given on this forum that both types of the tech wax are of the same composition and just have a different consistency, so I figured that the spray would be easier and quicker too.

[kai_j]

hehe i don't know about that.. but they might have shops in dublin though