View Full Version : Scratches on (Klassed) trunk...
E46 in Philly
07-15-2002, 12:31 PM
I recently discovered a series of fine scratches on the trunk of my relatively new BMW 330cic. The scratches are white against black paint, and are deep enough to be easily felt with a fingernail. I`ve been using Klasse on the paint, which looks fantastic with exception to these blemishes of mysterious origin :mad:
I`m hoping for some advice on dealing with the scratches. Will I need to strip the whole car of Klasse and start the detailing process anew after polishing the damaged area? Or, as I hope and expect, can I just polish the affected area somehow (after removing Klasse from that area), without bothering to strip the whole car.
As my questions may indicate, I don`t have a lot of experience with self-detailing. Prior to purchasing Klasse a few months ago (AIO and High Gloss Sealant) I had mostly used - GASP - automated car washes. As such, I appreciate any guidance I can get with this problem. What products will I need to deal with the scratches? What the best process to try?
Bing999
07-15-2002, 01:06 PM
well, Philly, I`m no expert by any stretch, a raw rookie at best, but I don`t see why you would have to strip the entire car. The trunk is the affected are, you should be able to strip the entire trunk lid and begin fixing the problem. Now what you do to fix it is best left to the experts prowling the forums, not me. Scratch X is recommended by man folks for rounding the edges and hiding most of the scratch. Make sure to go with the scratch, not against it.
Thats all I can offer, hope it helps.
Darcy
imported_rwisejr
07-15-2002, 01:12 PM
I`d be interested in this as well...I have a dark blue car and have some scratches on my trunk as well. They stand out even more after Klasse!!!
Lemonxxs
07-15-2002, 01:41 PM
Just start using your abrasive products on the areas...the klasse will be removed by them and if not just wash and then re-apply Klasse.
PS if you can feel the scratch it weill be difficult if not impossible for you to remove them....
imported_rwisejr
07-15-2002, 02:18 PM
Is meguiars swirl remover abrasive enough you think?
Thx
Ger
E46 in Philly
07-15-2002, 03:18 PM
Thanks for the thoughts so far. In retrospect it was pretty silly of me to be thinking about de-Klassing the whole car to deal with a problem on the trunk. So, if the idea is to concentrate on the affected area, what products might do the trick (allowing for the fact that some of the scratches may be too deep for me to deal with)?
Another question: should I use clay before trying a polish or swirl remover? If so, would it be best to clay and/or polish the whole trunk top or just the affected area?
chevyguy28
07-15-2002, 03:46 PM
You can use clay if you`d like, but this process would have nothing to do with the scratches. Clay is for removing impurities in the paint and providing a smoother surface.
As far as your scratches, it doesn`t sound like a swirl remover will even touch them. I`d be interested in seeing what would work, so I`ll let someone else give a recommendation.
E46 in Philly
07-16-2002, 07:34 AM
Originally posted by JustinTRW
You can use clay if you`d like, but this process would have nothing to do with the scratches. Clay is for removing impurities in the paint and providing a smoother surface.
As far as your scratches, it doesn`t sound like a swirl remover will even touch them. I`d be interested in seeing what would work, so I`ll let someone else give a recommendation.
Thanks Justin. I`m going to try a polish and see if I can`t take out some of the finer scratches (there are a series of scratches in varying degrees of depth). After that I`ll reapply Klasse to the area. I`ll post my results.
imported_BretFraz
07-16-2002, 08:03 AM
Remember, if you can feel the scratches, they are thru the clearcoat. I don`t think you will remove them by hand with any products unless you are super-human.
Have a look at them using a magnifying glass or loupe and get an idea of how bad they are. A rotary buffer used properly will "level" the scratch, making the sides of the scratch smooth instead of sharp. Maybe a local body shop can help.
Anything you can do by hand will only be cosmetic.
E46 in Philly
07-16-2002, 08:10 AM
Originally posted by bretfraz
Remember, if you can feel the scratches, they are thru the clearcoat. I don`t think you will remove them by hand with any products unless you are super-human.
Have a look at them using a magnifying glass or loupe and get an idea of how bad they are. A rotary buffer used properly will "level" the scratch, making the sides of the scratch smooth instead of sharp. Maybe a local body shop can help.
Anything you can do by hand will only be cosmetic.
The magnifying glass is a good idea. I`ll take a close look (and feel) to determine which scratches to take a run at and and which to leave to a body shop. Thanks.
ExplorerXLT95
07-17-2002, 07:54 AM
Hmmm.....what about something like Eagle 1 Scratch Remover??
My approach would be clay, Eagle 1 Scratch Remover, 3M IHG, Klasse AIO, Klasse SG....
...But I`m NOT EXTREMELY experienced with this kind of thing...
E46 in Philly
07-17-2002, 08:03 AM
Originally posted by ExplorerXLT95
Hmmm.....what about something like Eagle 1 Scratch Remover??
My approach would be clay, Eagle 1 Scratch Remover, 3M IHG, Klasse AIO, Klasse SG....
...But I`m NOT EXTREMELY experienced with this kind of thing...
I`ll probably try something along those lines this weekend. Some of the finer scratches may respond, though I have little hope for the deep ones.
I have quite a few scratches on my car here and there, and everything GMN, Justin, and Bret said are true. Claying is a waste of time, they`ll laugh at SMR, and if you can feel the scratches with your fingernail it`s too deep to remove by hand. With a machine attacking it, you risk polishing right through the clearcoat if you try it yourself. All you can do is reduce how noticable they are by working it over with a product like Scratch-X or something similar. It`ll polish and partially fill the scratch, and it does improve the appearance a bit.
I guess you could also talk to a bodyshop and see if they can help. Good luck.
E46 in Philly
07-17-2002, 02:33 PM
Originally posted by 4DSC
I have quite a few scratches on my car here and there, and everything GMN, Justin, and Bret said are true. Claying is a waste of time, they`ll laugh at SMR, and if you can feel the scratches with your fingernail it`s too deep to remove by hand. With a machine attacking it, you risk polishing right through the clearcoat if you try it yourself. All you can do is reduce how noticable they are by working it over with a product like Scratch-X or something similar. It`ll polish and partially fill the scratch, and it does improve the appearance a bit.
I guess you could also talk to a bodyshop and see if they can help. Good luck.
Thanks. I think I`ll just try something like Scratch-X and then re-apply the Klasse products. Hopefully I`ll be able to remove the lighter scratches and perhaps minimize the appearance of the deeper ones until I can have them perfessionally dealt with later on.
nihoole
07-17-2002, 02:53 PM
Sorry to hear about the scratches on your 330Ci.
If all solutions fail and you decide to take it to a paint shop, why don`t you try the touch-up paint and Langka route first? (www.langka.com)
I`d be curious to know if this procedure would fill the scratch sufficiently and be inconspicuous.
Good luck!