scotch brite

[accordmaniac]

ok, the situation is that my dad has taken a scotch brite scouring pad to was his car, thank goodness it was just the hood, but i was wondering is there any way to fix the damage by hand with over the counter products. And has anyone heard of Blue Magic plastic polish, i saw it at a local Autozone and was wondering whether to get it or not, my dad`s car also has some oxidized headlights and the third brake light is heavily oxidized. thanks

[Bill D]

It`s extremely likely that this is more of a job for at least for a PC if not really a rotary. The plastic polish on the headlights can be a very tiring job by hand and may not yield the best results. If you get a consumer level plastic polish I hear the most good things about Meguiars Plastic X

[travisdecpn]

Definately plastX for the lights, and if you are forced to do the paintwork by hand as well, you should give scratchx a try.

[a.k.a. Patrick]

Its all right here.... (http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37149&highlight=scotchbrite)

[the other pc]

Scotchbrite comes in a lot of different "grits". If it was a white/pink "teflon pan" sponge there will be a lot less damage than if he used a green "stainless pot" pad or the dreaded black "BBQ grill" pad. Depending on the severity it may or may not be possible to fix with consumer level products/techniques.



You will probably need to experiment to find product(s)/technique(s) that remove the damage while leaving as much of the finish intact as possible. If the finish is a clear coat you have extra worries because it`s thinner and softer than a single stage finish and shows the smallest scratches (swirls) more readily. If some of the damage goes too deep into the finish it may be best to leave it rather than risk grinding through to the base coat.



Start with the mildest abrasives and work your way up as needed. Get a magnifier if you can and have a good close look at the scratch pattern. Each time you try a new product look close again to see if the previous scratches have been removed or if you just "shined them up".



Good luck!





PC.

[accordmaniac]

has anyone ever seen or used either the 3m rubbing compound or their paint restorer? i was thinking that if Scratch x doesn`t work i will resort to the rubbing compound to at least improve the appearance of the scratches a little. Are either of them safe to use? and how effective is meguiars color x? since its a van i didn`t want to use a cleaner, a polish, and a separate wax.

[Asonyexec]

This reminds me of when I went to visit my parents only to find my mother`s 9 month old wine red altima looking like it had been parked in the middle of a sandstorm for 40 minutes. Seems that ol` pops decided to use some rubbing compound (brick color, in a white plastic tub) instead of wax.



Well I read him the riot act, told him to get the car to a detailer to get out the swirl marks (and swirl is putting it lightly) he made. Now moms is under orders not to let him put anything on the car other than water, car wash and a towel. I took charge it`s paint protection --- what the hell? I dont mind having another car to practice on. :scared

[foxtrapper]

Originally posted by accordmaniac

has anyone ever seen or used either the 3m rubbing compound or their paint restorer?

Yep, I use this sort of product for these jobs. They work great for it. I happen to use the Mequires Diamond Cut, their super aggressive one. Works great by hand, or with a PC type buffer.