New to detailing, need some quick polishing advice

[IceWeasel]

Hey everyone! I was referred here by a friend from Slickdeals.net after posting about removing some scratches in my car.



I just finished reading the "Polishing Paint to Perfection" portion of the detailing guide, and I think I need to purchase some Sonus SFX-1 Restore Polish and, possibly, Sonus SFX-3 Final Finish Polish for my car. I suppose I should explain my problem first though!!



I have a 05` GTO with the Phantom Black Metallic paint that an acquaintance decided to write "WASH ME" in while it was dusty. For the last 3-4 months I`ve been driving around with it still written in my car, because it hasn`t come off with my normal wash or wax job. It`s a very light scratch on the clear coat, and you can only really see it when the light hits it at the right angles.



I also have some other scratches that are a little deeper, from buttons or keys brushing up against the door around the handle.



If you could offer some advice on what products to use to get these out, I`d most appreciate it! I was originally going to pay someone to do this, but then I realized that I could do it myself! I will be doing this by hand, because I have no machine available to me!



I suppose I could throw it out there that I`m in the Alpharetta, GA area if anyone wants to offer hands-on advice! :clap:

[MatrixXRS]

Welcome to Autopia!



If you`re doing it by hand, the best alternative for deeper scratches would probably be Meg`s ScratchX. The Sonus polishes will work significantly better when applied by machine (because the polishes will fully break down), so if the defects are particularly bad, you may need to step up to a Porter Cable Dual-Action Polisher.



If you choose to stick with the Sonus polishes and work by hand, it`s not likely that you`ll need the SFX-3. In my experience SFX-2 finishes out LSP (last step product) ready, negating the need for any finer polish afterward.



Hope that helps. Good luck!

[IceWeasel]

Thanks! I went out and got some Meguiar`s ScratchX (as you recommended) :) I`ll take a shot at applying it tomorrow

[MatrixXRS]

Take a look at this before getting started:



How To Apply ScratchX by Hand to Remove Swirls, Scratches, Etchings and other Below Surface Defects

(http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/post/6900.aspx)



This should get you pointed in the right direction...

[IceWeasel]

thanks for that link as well! I`m a little behind in my detailing learning, so i`m going to get working on this ASAP! i used the ScratchX and it had some positive results, but i definitely need to work on my technique (and get a better applicator pad)