Cat Scratch Fever...!

[OpenRoad]

While visiting a friend this weekend, a neighborhood kitty leapt up on the hood of my car. When Cat landed on the angled front portion of the hood, it obviously scrambled like mad, and slip, slided, and clawed away....leaving several scuff marks on the hood. Sigh. Unfortunately, I missed seeing the actual spring, as this would have made for some good video?

I recently applied BF gloss enhancing polish (after stripping car with Dawn & Distilled water). After curing, I applied two coats of BF Wet Diamond, allowing 48 hours, or more, between coats. The final coat was 9 days ago.

Now, my super-slick finish is marred by one panicked kitty. Yesterday, I tried applying one coat of BF Midnight Sun Carnuba Paste W, following a wash,...hoping to hide the scuffed areas (no deep scratches, thankfully). No such luck. Rest of the car looks amazing,...but hood still shows "skid streaks".

How can I repair the damage? Strip the one section of the hood? Or, re-apply polish, then more BF WD? Hoping to not re-do the entire hood. Is there another product that would be better, for hiding the "skid marks"?

Ideas?

[SUPR3M3]

are you applying it by hand or machine?

im new to this but....
check to see if you can feel the scratch with your finger nail. if you cant feel much try a rubbing compound with a wool pad. if that doesnt work then.

add some clear on just the scratch... wet sand it and buff it out to be even with the rest of the surface.

[ihaveacamaro]

are you applying it by hand or machine?

im new to this but....
check to see if you can feel the scratch with your finger nail. if you cant feel much try a rubbing compound with a wool pad. if that doesnt work then.

add some clear on just the scratch... wet sand it and buff it out to be even with the rest of the surface.

I think wetsanding is a bit aggresive as the OP said no deep scratches. I would wetsand only if nothing else worked.

I would try a compound and polish on DA first, if that doesn`t work then go to a compound on a wool pad rotary.

If the scratches aren`t deep, the rotary will be the most aggressive method you have to do.

[OpenRoad]

Thanks, SUPR3M3,..for your input. I have always been a total coward when it comes to using any power tools on my cars. Past and present. In the right hands, power tools are great. In my hands, I might end up with Cat-Scratch Epidemic,...instead of just "Fever"? I have always coveted great microfiber products, and "go lightly" across any modern finish. O.K....I KNOW I`m a wuss.

I can`t feel any scratches with my fingernail. The damage looks like "surface skids", but it certainly "hazed", damaging the super-slick finish. Think... rubbing with the WRONG kind of power buffer.

Were my previous "applied coatings" done correctly? We live in a super-dry clime, with warm temps this time of year.

[OpenRoad]

Thanks... ihaveacamaro. Your post came in, as I was typing back to SUPR3M3.

Still maintaining my cowardice here. Can you recommend a compound and polish, if it can be applied manually? Would this work, with a high grade, "high loft" ultra-fluffy microfiber cloth? I don`t want to end up with more problems than I started out with. Still spooky.

I try to have beautiful cars (finish), but I am NO pro detailer. Gotta keep up my "rep" in the neighborhood, and among car-fiend friends. If you own a nice car, it might deserve upkeep?

[ihaveacamaro]

Thanks... ihaveacamaro. Your post came in, as I was typing back to SUPR3M3.

Still maintaining my cowardice here. Can you recommend a compound and polish, if it can be applied manually? Would this work, with a high grade, "high loft" ultra-fluffy microfiber cloth? I don`t want to end up with more problems than I started out with. Still spooky.

I try to have beautiful cars (finish), but I am NO pro detailer. Gotta keep up my "rep" in the neighborhood, and among car-fiend friends. If you own a nice car, it might deserve upkeep?

I say make the jump to your first DA (dual action orbital buffer)! You just missed some of the best deals year round this past Black Friday, but the 12 Days of Christmas are coming up and you will certainly find great deals there as well.

I understand your concern, but the technology has vastly improved! You can take a Porter Cable 7424 XP, put it on its highest speed, and then put it on your paint as hard as you can push down and it still won`t burn through the paint.

Don`t believe me? Watch this starting at 4:35:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XAqpOe9Zt4#t=4m35s



Hopefully, I have now convinced you to get a DA. Until you get one, slap some glaze on there to fill in the scratches, and when Christmas comes around get yourself a deeply discounted PC 7424XP Kit and take those scratches out! If you can`t feel it with your nails, then it will definitely come out pretty easily!


and no imo, with modern clear coats, hand polishing is a thing of the past. It simply won`t work anymore unless you devote significantly longer to a panel than you would using a machine.

[TacoHerder]

How deep are the scratches? You would be amazed at what a simple polishing compound can remove. I use Meguairs polishing compound which can be found almost at every local pepboys or walmart and get great results even by hand.

[rzatch]

OpenRoad the BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish is a pre-wax cleanser, non-abrasive polish, and glaze combination. It will not remove any scratches but may be enough to remove/hide the scuff marks your seeing. If it doesn`t then your going to need to step up to at least an actual polish, which isn`t bad to have on the shelf anyway for times just like this. If you want to stay with the BF line use the SRC polish. If your not brand loyal then you could always use an over the counter product like Meguiars Ultimate Polish either one will work and can be done by hand. Doing a spot repair is no issue either just go through the same steps as the rest of the car once the damaged area is corrected.

[OpenRoad]

Great link, ihavacamero. Entertaining Dude demonstrating the PC too. You are definitely building my confidence a bit. I agree, that betwixt here and Christmas, there may be some good deals on PC`s. Still cowardly here though. Old habits are hard to change?

TacoHerder...despite all of the feline squirming, there are no deep scratches. No "skipping" by my fingernail (more marks to come?). But the finish is definitely compromised. Thanks, for offering a specific product. No swirl marks, from these "hand-driven" polishing compounds?

Can I ...at least...kill the cat?

[TacoHerder]

Dont kill the animal or the animal gods will have birds crapping on your car after each wash I dont have a machine yet either so I use my elbow grease while I still can. check out what a over the counter product did to my friends horribly scratched Aviator http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/...tml#post454733 took me like 20 minutes to do everything on that panel, not long at all really.

[OpenRoad]

Thanks, rzatch. I had a few minor scratches on the car that came with the purchase from the dealership. Dealership did manage to satisfactorily "cover" the scratches, which tended to surface again later. The BF Gloss Enhancing Polish did cover these flaws though.

I have to admit that I am/was(?) very brand loyal, after using BF products for the past 8 years. That said, I am somewhat disappointed, that a "projectile kitty" could mar the finish that noticeably.

A "spot repair" sounds good to me. Thanks, for a good explanation.

[OpenRoad]

OMG. I is gonna get those dammm little birdies TOOO? YUCCK.

`Come t-think of it,...maybe....hmmm...me should just leave me car parked in de garage totally covered?

NO fun, though. (Although I have one friend that pretty much follows this "prescription" for his Beamer).

Gone...for now.......

[rzatch]

I think the BF did do it`s job. I would imagine the damage would have been more severe if the cat could have gotten a grip and clawed its way back onto the car instead of sliding off.

[Lou Bunn]

Now I got Ted Nugent stuck in my head!

My advice, get a little M105, a nice soft MF towel, and see if the scratches will polish out, of course if like the others mentioned - you had a PC....
But, I`ve had very good luck doing the M105/towel method on isolated scratches. Afterwards, just apply a little BFWD and you`re good.

[Paul Sparks]

A couple of minor scratch removers that can be applied by hand come to mind are Meguiars Scratch-X and Ultimate Compound. A lot of bikers that I introduced to Scratch-X carry a tube with them on the road for minor scuffs and scratches . Use with a little passion and by hand they work quite well.