Best way to get scuffs, and scratches out?

[Chad L.]

Guys,

I have a 2006 four door Tacoma and was wondering if you guys could recommend a way to get scratches and scuffs out? Seems the clear coat is very soft and wax and elbow grease will not remove them.

Anyways, this weekend, I hit a branch, and it gave me a good scuff in the clear coat. I tried just a bit of wax, but still there would like to get it out before the wife flips! She pays, I drive.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Chad

[JCahill4]

Rubbing compound, its near the wax in the store. Just be sure to wax over the area after the scratches are gone!

[Chad L.]

Thanks for you help! I'll take a run to the store today.

Chad

[tguil]

Meguiar's ScratchX rather than rubbing compound.

Tom

[Mike-in-WV]

If the scratch is deep in the clear coat you are toast. All any of the scratch stuff does is fill in the scratch, not remove it. If you use light rubbing compound made just for scratches and then use a good cleaner and several coats of wax you may hide it but you will not get rid of it unless you know what your doing. Some with good experiance can use steel wool to help remove the upper layer of the clear coat right at or across the scratch. If your good you can do this without removing all the clear coat.Then you want to polish and wax the spot real well. If your good your wife won't see the scratch unless your really looking for it. The wife should never see it or at least you can lie and say "maybe it was on there when we got it Honey", Lol. Mike

[JaredPointer]

For the sake of your finish, I would advise to go over to someplace like DetailCity.org - Auto Detailing Enthusiast Forum Home Page or Autopia and get some real detailing advice. Sometimes it scares me what some of the suggestions thrown out on this board are.

And just in case you can't take the time to one of those I would agree with tguil. Try Meg's ScratchX first. Always, always, always start out with the least aggressive option available that you think will attain the desired results. Rubbing compound is pretty aggressive, and more than likely will leave hazing that will need to be removed by another type of polishing.

[TacoGuy]

Originally Posted by Chad L.

Guys,

I have a 2006 four door Tacoma and was wondering if you guys could recommend a way to get scratches and scuffs out? Seems the clear coat is very soft and wax and elbow grease will not remove them.

Anyways, this weekend, I hit a branch, and it gave me a good scuff in the clear coat. I tried just a bit of wax, but still there would like to get it out before the wife flips! She pays, I drive.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Chad

SHOW the wife the scratch BEFORE you try to fix it....and suggest that maybe SHE was the one responsable for it. When you try to fix it, and it comes out really GOOD, you're a hero. If it doesn't work out so good...well, she shouldn't have scratched it in the first place. TacoGuy

OH: FIRST: I use "3M Marine Cleaner & Wax" (#09009) available at West Marine stores. It may take 3 or 4 applications (Elbow Grease) to get the results you want. I've used it on my wifes Camry a few times for scratchs and it WORKS. If it doesn't work, you havn't made it any worse.

If you're in a big hurry and are more adventurous, use "Polishing Compound" BEFORE you use the much more agressive "Rubbing Compound". Always wax afterward.

[b-rad]

Originally Posted by Chad L.

Guys,

I have a 2006 four door Tacoma and was wondering if you guys could recommend a way to get scratches and scuffs out? Seems the clear coat is very soft and wax and elbow grease will not remove them.

Anyways, this weekend, I hit a branch, and it gave me a good scuff in the clear coat. I tried just a bit of wax, but still there would like to get it out before the wife flips! She pays, I drive.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Chad

dont park next to my neighbor. i have five, yes i said five, dings from his friggin old jag. all show on my black tacoma, and all are down to the primer. burns me up...

[SOSHeloPilot]

Originally Posted by b-rad

dont park next to my neighbor. i have five, yes i said five, dings from his friggin old jag. all show on my black tacoma, and all are down to the primer. burns me up...

Door dings make me crazy ..

I would have .. "RPG-ed" .. his Jag ..

SOS

.

[tguil]

Here's the "scoop" on ScratchX

Meguiar's Online - Working with ScratchX by Hand

Tom

[JCahill4]

Originally Posted by JaredPointer

For the sake of your finish...it scares me what some of the suggestions thrown out on this board are.

Thanks for tossing me under the bus! Geesh, you could have made you suggestion without stomping on mine. Rubbing compound always has worked for me, just waxed over what I "lightly" rubbed out.

But cheers mate, whatever works for ya.

[JaredPointer]

Originally Posted by JCahill4

Thanks for tossing me under the bus! Geesh, you could have made you suggestion without stomping on mine. Rubbing compound always has worked for me, just waxed over what I "lightly" rubbed out.

But cheers mate, whatever works for ya.

Not specifically directed at you, but from some of the things I've seen posted at this board related to detailing matters leads me to believe that a lot of the people doing the posting don't know what they're talking about. Kind of like trying to kill a fly with a bazooka would be a starting out a little on the heavy side, so would trying to polish out a clear coat scuff with rubbing compound. There's a place for wetsanding, rubbing compounds and more aggressive methods, but you don't always have to start out with the "big guns" to solve a minor problem. Sorry you got your undergarments in a wad and got upset.

I just wanted to try and save the OP some heartache from following advice that could possibly worsen his problem. As I said before, head over to one of those detailing sites I mentioned and see what I am talking about. Very good advice, and usually thoroughly explained.

And, FWIW, wax won't remove the hazing left by rubbing compund either.

[tguil]

Jared and I are pretty much on the same page. I have made *big* messes with both rubbing compound and wetsanding (and I sort of knew what I was doing when I messed up). By all means check out the detailing sites Jared suggested. I have found this to be the ultimate scratch repair website:

Repairing Chips & Scratches

By the way, I have been messin' with scratch removal for 48 years, Yeah, I'm and old guy, but being old is better than the alternative.

Tom

[Reelgator]

Yesterday I had mine waxed with a Teflon wax and every single little scratch is gone, and on the speedway blue paint, every scratch shows up big time, they where driving me crazy. I have no idea what brand, was what the detailer suggested to hide the scratches.