Swirls/Hologramming on Rear Bumper ONLY - What Would You Use?

[AfroPope]

Well this is a bit of a bummer.

Got out of the car at the grocery store last night to notice these on my rear bumper:











They`re very hard to see if not under DIRECT sunlight at the right angle, but it`s particularly troublesome because the rest of the paint is in pretty damn good shape for an economy car that gets parked on the street in a major urban area:



I`m not really sure how I got them or when. I had the rear bumper replaced about a year ago, but I haven`t noticed them until just now and the car has been washed/waxed/polished many times since then. They are limited to the rear bumper and, in the right light, are on most of the rear bumper, but nowhere else. I don`t do that part of the car last when I wash, dry or wax. I use a two-bucket method with a foam gun, good quality products, and plenty of clean, high-quality microfibers and wash mitts. Again, the rest of the paint is in very good shape.

In any case, what would you use to get them out?
I have both Meg`s Ultimate Compound and Either 205 or 105 (I don`t remember which) and plenty of foam applicators. I also have this kit, though the included pads were different colors when I purchased it: https://www.autogeek.net/3d-cut-buff-protect-kit.html and a PC 7424XP.

Thanks!

[JustJesus]

To me, that looks like scuffing from someone or something rubbing up against it.

Try clay first. If not satisfied, try M205. If some of the scratches are deeper, you may need to learn to live with it.

[AfroPope]

To me, that looks like scuffing from someone or something rubbing up against it.

Try clay first. If not satisfied, try M205. If some of the scratches are deeper, you may need to learn to live with it.

Thanks! It is a high-traffic area, but I`m usually pretty careful. I do get "tapped" a lot parking on the street, unfortunately.

205 by hand or machine? If it helps, the scratches are NOT deep enough to be felt by hand.

[Fishroes]

Could be a shopping cart. Are the scratches at the right height for one? If you can’t feel them with your fingernail they might come out. I would use the pc

[AfroPope]

Nah, mostly shin/knee height (which i guess could be shopping cart height if you`re a real big fella, but i`m not) - they`re present on a lot of the bumper, oddly enough, but most visible on the very back, though that could have just been the lighting.






As an aside, I have no idea why my work computer is doing this with my apostrophes. They`re showing up fine when I type but as soon as I hit post they turn backwards. Hmm.

[Accumulator]

AfroPope- Sorry to see what happened!

The paint on plastic bumper covers is often both softer and thinner than the paint on the rest of the car so it`s easy for them to get marred up anyhow. Gotta take it easy when correcting them, especially since the plastic doesn`t absorb heat the way metal will (making it easier to have an "oops!").

IF your pads really are 7" I`ll be surprised if they`re effective (or at least time-efficient) on the PCXP, and pads that big will 1) tend to quit rotating and merely "jiggle" (upside being "ineffective" usually = very gentle), and 2) be kinda hard to use on smaller areas without working adjacent areas that don`t need it.

I`ll also be surprised if the M205 is aggressive enough. Even if not trying for full correction (err on the side of caution! settle for "better" instead of flawless) I bet you`ll end up needing the M105. You might do the M105 by hand so its use is limited to the specific areas that need it, and so you have greater control over what`s going on. Yeah, that could take quite a while, to put it mildly. Then follow up with the M205, being sure to strip its Polishing Oils so you can see the true condition of the paint (easier said than done IME).

Be sure your Inspection Lighting is just right so you truly *know* what`s what and avoid surprises later after you`d thought it was all done.

And yeah, this site has a glitch that [messes] with apostrophes; it`s not your computer, it`s Autopia.org.

[AfroPope]

AfroPope- Sorry to see what happened!

The paint on plastic bumper covers is often both softer and thinner than the paint on the rest of the car so it`s easy for them to get marred up anyhow. Gotta take it easy when correcting them, especially since the plastic doesn`t absorb heat the way metal will (making it easier to have an "oops!").

IF your pads really are 7" I`ll be surprised if they`re effective (or at least time-efficient) on the PCXP, and pads that big will 1) tend to quit rotating and merely "jiggle" (upside being "ineffective" usually = very gentle), and 2) be kinda hard to use on smaller areas without working adjacent areas that don`t need it.

I`ll also be surprised if the M205 is aggressive enough. Even if not trying for full correction (err on the side of caution! settle for "better" instead of flawless) I bet you`ll end up needing the M105. You might do the M105 by hand so its use is limited to the specific areas that need it, and so you have greater control over what`s going on. Yeah, that could take quite a while, to put it mildly. Then follow up with the M205, being sure to strip its Polishing Oils so you can see the true condition of the paint (easier said than done IME).

Be sure your Inspection Lighting is just right so you truly *know* what`s what and avoid surprises later after you`d thought it was all done.

And yeah, this site has a glitch that [messes] with apostrophes; it`s not your computer, it`s Autopia.org.

Sorry, looks like those aren`t the right pads in the ad, either. It`s those polishes, though, but they`re 6" pads like the PC uses. Got some heavy cutting ones, lighter-duty polishing ones, and final polishing ones. I`ll try M105 by hand, see how it looks, maybe hit it with M205 by hand, and re-assess after that.

[Accumulator]

Afropope- Gotta say that *IMO* the 6" ones are awfully big for that too, but anyhow...yeah, I`d pick one of the not-so-awful areas first and see what the M205 does, then, assuming the M205 proves to be pretty mild, I`d try one of the bad areas and see how a few goes with the M105 work out. That way you`ll have a feel for what you`re dealing with in both cases and with both products.

Remember that those products don`t break down, they just dry out. And that means that M105 is always aggressive stuff, so buff it off as gently as you can. It`s less of an issue with M205 since it`s milder and so oily.

Oh, and a very belated Welcome to Autopia! I don`t believe we`ve shared a thread before...