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Removing Light Scratches

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Purpose

Not all scratches can be fixed. As a rule, if you can feel the scratch with your fingernail, it is generally not fixable. I have a black C5 and spent part of the winter working out some light scratches and asked a lot of questions of body shop employees and automotive paint supply store personnel.

Items Required

While there are many different products from 3M, Meguiar, etc. my experience has been with 3M products. Others may work just as well. Visit their websites for more info.

• 3M Perfect-It Foam Polishing Glaze Swirlmark Remover
  (P/N 39009 for Dark Colors, P/N 39109 for Light Colors)
• Clean terry cloth towels

Directions

1. Before you start, make sure the car is clean.
2. Unless you have a rotary buffer and have some experience, I would suggest working by hand to remove any scratches. Apply the 3M Perfect-It Foam Polishing Glaze Swirlmark Remover to a clean towel. Use a small amount, possible the size of quarter. Use a back & forth motion when removing the scratch. Use moderate to heavy pressure. When the polish dries , stop buffing.
3. Inspect your work. Repeat the process. After each application, review the scratched area carefully and look for improvement. Normally, if you are not seeing progress after three applications, you may want to consider a slightly more abrasive compound.
4. If you are satisfied with the results, apply your favorite wax.

If not satisfied, again, using 3M, you will need the following:

• 3M One Step Cleaner Wax-Medium (P/N39006)
• One Step Cleaner Wax (P/N 39066)

1. Apply the 3M One Step Cleaner Wax-Medium to a clean towel. Use a small amount, possible the size of quarter. Use a back & forth motion when removing the scratch. Use moderate to heavy pressure. When the polish dries , stop buffing.
2. Inspect your work. Repeat the process. After each application, review the scratched area carefully and look for improvement. Normally, if you are not seeing progress after three applications, you may want to consider a slightly more abrasive compound. At this point, I would suggest seeing a pro.
3. If you are satisfied with the results, apply the 3M One Step Cleaner Wax, (P/N 39066). Apply your favorite wax.

GO SLOW. Do a small section. Do not exceed anything more abrasive than the products listed. Take your time.

Get to know your local paint store that sells to body shops. These guys are more than willing to assist.

I volunteered to provide this information and will not be responsible in any way for others use or misuse of the information supplied.