So I Made a Stupid Decision

[sdouglassjr]

Hey,



I own a 1981 Checker Marathon decided to give her a little scrubbing today. There was so much dirt and road grime and scuffs from cars knocking the side of my car that i thought it was going to be a good idea to use a scotch-rite pad to blast this stuff away. it did just that, blasted everything off i could imagine. then once the car dried i noticed there were noticable scratches everywhere and it was very faded every where i used the pad. I was wondering if anyone knew how to get rid of these scratches. i used some scratch remover and it did a little help, not much. so i used a little wax and that took some of the fading away but its still not looking great. Does anyone have any tips for me?



p.s. i know that was a total noob move to use a scotch-rite pad so lets keep the criticism to a minimum.



thanks, steven

[BobD]

Wax won`t do anything. You`l want to use a good polish. Depending how bad you might need a machine as well.

[sdouglassjr]

i think i will need a buffer, i was using some elbow grease and little progress was made. what kind of polish do you recommend? i was using McGuires x-spot, think i should put a couple coats on?



thanks

[tom p.]

p.s. i know that was a total noob move to use a scotch-rite pad so lets keep the criticism to a minimum.



thanks, steven



Steve, while I don`t know how precious such a car is, would it make sense to take the car to a professional at this point in time and permit them to deal with it?





Welcome to Autopia-land!

[sdouglassjr]

well to start of with, the car is near and dear to me. its a beast on the streets and i have put that thing through its paces. the exterior and interior isnt in pristine condition but i do my best to keep it looking nice so it wont rust away. so to answer your question, i would rather not take it to a professional cause i dont want to spend the money to be honest, im OCD when it comes to my car and i cant stand for things to be out of place on it. I took it to Mr. Pride once to get them to clean it real good for me, that was a joke. the waxer did a horrific job, they didnt do anything noticable on the interior.

[02zx9r]

p.s. i know that was a total noob move to use a scotch-rite pad so lets keep the criticism to a minimum.



thanks, steven



:dig



try meguiars swirlx or scratch x or ultimate compound to get the swirls/scratches out.

[Dsoto87]

Well if it really is that precious to you you should look for an autopian by you.



Since we have no pictures to judge how bad the damage is, it is possible to do it yourself by hand, but this will take a reaaaaal good amount of time.



If you don`t have experience using the products to fix it, you might make it worse than it already is.



Save yourself the time and money and bring it a professional near you. By professional I don`t mean someone who will wash wax and buff your car for $35.



Your going to have to spend some money now but it will save you the headaches.

[BobD]

i think i will need a buffer, i was using some elbow grease and little progress was made. what kind of polish do you recommend? i was using McGuires x-spot, think i should put a couple coats on?



thanks



You don`t "coat" polish. You might have to go over the area a few times or use different levels of polish. You might just need some more elbow grease. ;)

[BigJimZ28]

just a friendly little F.Y.I.

by the time you buy EVERYTHING you will need to do the job correctly



it will cost about the same as it would to have it fixed correctly by a Pro Autopian



also don`t take it to your local "detailer"

they usually make it worse

[imported_Jakerooni]

I have to agree with the masses here. Using a scotchbright is ovbiously one of the most bonehead moves a person can do to their paint. (trust me you`re not even close to being the only one I probably polished out a dozen or so cars last year because of the dreaded scotchbrite pad routine) But once you did that you sanded down your clearcoat like that you really put it out of the normal "hobbiest" level. Find an "Actual" professional detailer that can fix this for you. Unfortuantly you will probably have to pay a pretty penny pending on your location. But doing it youself is going to more than likely do 2 things. 1 frusterate the crap out of you because you can`t get the desired results you`re after and 2 cause more damage due to more aggressive techniques being used which will cost you even more in the long run having it fixed.

[Less]

Mr. Douglass,



You claim to be OCD about your car, yet you seem very unfamiliar with the tools and techniques necessary to do any level of proper detailing. That`s not an insult, it`s just an observation.



I suggest that you carefully read each and every article found here



Auto Detailing and Car Care (http://www.autopia.org/publish/categories/Auto-Detailing-and-Car-Care/)



Once you`ve done that I think you will begin to see the answer yourself. These articles will tell you why you are seeing these problems, what causes them, and how to fix them.



After reading those articles, you will have a good idea of what a basic paint correction regimen looks like. Then do some research using the `search` feature here to get some information on the products that you already have and see where they fit into that regimen.



Then determine what products you may need, post some pics, and ask for some recommendations.

[Murphman]

You claim to be OCD about your car, yet you seem very unfamiliar with the tools and techniques necessary to do any level of proper detailing. That`s not an insult, it`s just an observation.



Couldn`t agree more. As you can see, I don`t post a whole lot on this site, but I read a ton. Others that don`t know a lot about detailing think I`m God when they use me....I know otherwise and second guess my talents from time to time. Areas I second guess are the possibilities of wet sanding, for one. I would love to know and be able to own this skill bc of the money you could make and the beauty that it creates. But I know my limitations. I think you have hit your limitation and you NEED to realize that and move ahead accordingly. Swallow your pride on save your ride... (That was weird, totally unplanned)......



Don`t make it worse brother. If you want to try it later, then go get a crappy old hood from a junk yard and begin bringing things back to life. Find out the easy way how good or bad at repairs you end up being, before you hurt your pride and joy again.

[sdouglassjr]

as for the scotch-brite pad. i used it once before and it didnt do a think, possibly because it was used a whole bunch before. this one was brand spanking new. anyway, what would you guys suggest as a good alternative to a scotch-brite pad, for a novice. i will agree, it was frankly a dumb *** decision. totally regret it now, but live and learn.

[02zx9r]

a nice alternative to the scotch-brite pad would be a microfiber wash mitt, chenille wash mitt, or even the $6 sheepskin wash mitt from walmart

[Dunncsu]

Post up your area and maybe a fellow member can meet up with you inspect the car and give you some advise on how to proceed.