key marks

[sublime]

some one recently decide to key my new GA. i have marks on the hood the trunk and some on the left side pannels. most of it isnt very deep however some spots are and i dont have the money to throw down for a new paint job so i was wondering if anyone new of any ways i can reapair these marks. i was thinking of touch up paint and the buffing it out but im hesitant because i dont want to have visible line of where the touch up paint is. the car is black and its hard to match black paint. if anyone has any suggestions i would be very greatful.

[JoeyK]

As long as it didn't go through the clearcoat you can rub it out w/ some heavier grit compound & then follow up w/ lighter & swirl remover/ machine glaze. if it went through the clearcaot, sorry to say,... you're hosed. Did't you report this to your ins. company? It should be covered under comprehensive because it's vandalism. If it has to be repainted don't worry, I don't know who mis informed you but black is the easiest to match as there are not many variations of black.

[nadir]

get this product called Scratch-X, does wonders ... if you're fingenails don't get caught in the key marks as you slide across it, then it is repairable. Good luck.

[JoeyK]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rental
[B]get this product called Scratch-X, does wonders ... if you're fingenails don't get caught in the key marks as you slide across it, then it is repairable. Good luck. [/. If you're speaking of the Mcguires product, it will not remove heavy scratches like the ones left from someone keying your car.

[nadir]

Originally posted by JoeyK
[QUOTE]Originally posted by rental
[B]get this product called Scratch-X, does wonders ... if you're fingenails don't get caught in the key marks as you slide across it, then it is repairable. Good luck. [/. If you're speaking of the Mcguires product, it will not remove heavy scratches like the ones left from someone keying your car.

yeah, i'm talking about meguires scratch-x.

like i explained before, if your fingernails don't get caught in them, you have a chance.

before:
http://home.earthlink.net/~doctorkiwi/P1010173.JPG

after:
http://home.earthlink.net/~doctorkiwi/P6160096.JPG

[sublime]

thanx for the help im gonna try that stuff as soon as i gte the chance.......... probably this weekend... ill let u know how it turns out

[Jgut07]

this is what i would do......i would buy some touch up paint and appy it to the key marks...then i would let it dry for like a day..then i would take some high grit sandpaper with soap and water adn sand down the touch up spots....then i would buff it out with some rubbing compound from 3m and then buff it out again with the polishing compound....i can almost garrantee you wont ever know there was a scratch there.....and its not very hard to do...im 16 and can do it

[JoeyK]

That works fine for a chip but for an elongated scratch, it won't work. Ya, it'll seal the body & protect it but you'll most likely still see where the scratch is. By the way, no soap is needed in wet sanding & if you must use it, don't use dish soap! Use something formulated for automotive finishes. Dish soap is bad!

[Jgut07]

sorry to say but my uncle works in an automotive detailing shop and that is what is used...dish soap.....it will not hurt the car in any way.....you probably should use soap in wet sanding unless you want to sand the paint down to nothing...i have done this to my own car so i know it works and will NOT hurt it

[JoeyK]

Sorry to say I have been painting for 17 years now/ it's what I do 4 a living. I've worked & painted for some of the best in racing, alongside of many show pieces as well as paintjobs 4 the average joe. Dish soap is bad for paint. Period. If your wetsanding that area, not a big deal but to continually use dishsoap on good paint, for washing, etc. is bad news. those cleaning agents that are present in most dish soaps to lift & release grease settles into paint & over time softens it. It'll remove your wax in as little as 3 washings.

[JoeyK]

As for wetsanding before paint dishsoap would not work either, by the way. I don't see any use for it wetsanding whatsoever.

[Jgut07]

i dont understand what it matters that it takes your wax off.....your buffing it anyway....if you are sanding it takes your wax off....so what does it matter....you should wax it again after you buff anyway........

[JoeyK]

Wet sanding = carries the water over untouched paint, takes the soap w/it. You get any amount of built up in your paint from that stuff & it can wreak havoc whenever you repaint over that area. I really see no use for it during wet sanding, why would you use it? It's one of the cardinal rules when washing a car, no dish soap period.

[Jgut07]

its so you dont take alot of paint off at one time.....we arent talking about spraying...we are talking about buffing

[JoeyK]

so you don't take alot of paint off at one time? I know whe're talking about buffing. I'm talking about further down the road. If you ever need to repaint that area it could come back to haunt you. In all my years I've never heard of useing soap to reduce the amount of paint you take off while wet sanding?!? that's why there are higher grits of wet/dry paper. If you're worried about being too agressive w/ the paper, go w/ a higher grit. You can use dish soap all you want, you're car your screwin up. But to anyone that's reading this thread, trust me, it's what I do & what I know, - do NOT use dish soap on your car ever. there's nothing good that can come out of useing it on your car. only bad.

[DEMonte1997]

i hate to bring this one back to the top, but what is the difference between wet sanding and compounding? i guess a better way to ask the question is when is it better to wet-sand than to compound?

i had a nasty swipe mark in the front of my car and i was able to get it out using the 3 grades of compound that 3M sells (heavy-fine).