Will These Scratches Come Out? :/ : Any Reputable Detailers in MD/VA?

T

theturtle

New member
Mods, if this is in the wrong section, please move.

Pretty effing pissed right now. My friend placed his amazon box (about 1.5 pounds) on the hood of my car to see the contents inside the box. Coupled with the fact that the hood is not flat + windy day had the box sliding slightly.

By the time I got out the car, it was too late. The box had already made contact with the hood and had slid.

I got home and checked the damage. Saw all these scratches where the box was moving. Needless to say, i am pretty effing irked. Does anyone know if a good polish/detailing will get these scratches out or am I stuck with these forever? They slightly catch on my fingernails.

Im already hesitant on doing a polish because it requires shaving some clear coat off but if thats the only way these scratches could disappear 100% then I guess thats the only thing I can do. I really hope these are permanent.

FRACK.

http://i60.tinypic.com/scrzmo.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/bf5ncl.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/2r4jskk.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/292ohoz.jpg

I had a couple questions regarding polishing though. It says on the site that polishing should happen via spot polishing and never the full car. Should I tell the shop beforehand where the damages are and will the polished areas look different when compared to the areas that weren’t polished? The hood and trunk lid (machine car wash swirls) are the biggest areas with scratches. The car is a 2013 so i don’t think my paint has oxidized yet.

Also what are some questions that I should ask the shop (IE. Do you have a clearcoat ruler). Im extremely paranoid that more clear coat than necessary will be taken off (i guess this is a reason to go to a reputable shop than a cheaper one). My last question is, after the wax wears off, will my car look noticeable duller? As in, once the wax wears off over time, will i be able to tell the areas that were polished from the areas that weren’t? This is the first time Im doing something where the clear coat is shaving off so i want to be thorough at the pros and cons.

Contemplating on whether I should just live with those scratches and have a full clear coat or get them removed at the expense of a few mm of disappearing CC.

Lastly part 2, any recommended shops in the MD area? I checked the detailer list but there doesn’t seem the option to choose “Maryland.”
 
It is always harder to tell in pictures than actually seeing the car. However, it looks like these will come out especially considering that it is a light colored car (they may not be 100% gone, but to a point where you will not notice them).
To answer your second question, yes you should specify that you want scratch removal instead of a complete polishing. Show them where the damage is and tell them that's all you want done. If you have extreme swirls all over the car from machine car washes then yes you may notice difference from that spot to the rest of the hood/trunk. Nothing that would stand out because again, it's a light colored car.
I think any reputable shop will know exactly what to do with this and I wouldn't worry about too much clear coat being taken off. In terms of price you'd be looking at $40-$60 but I guess that depends on the demographic.
 
It is difficult to tell how deep the scratches are from the photos but it looks like they should be able to be removed or at least improved. Can you feel them with your fingernail?

When done properly by a quality detailer most of your concerns will be alleviated. Only if a detailer takes a shortcut or isn't really qualified will there be any issues with the looks of the paint in the long run. The only likely issue with the paint looking any different in the polished areas would be that it looks better than the rest. On silver it isn't likely.

A word of caution: just because a shop is big and is "reputable" doesn't necessarily mean you will get the best work. Some of the best detailers do it part time. You should still do your research. I cannot think of anyone in your area I can recommend. Take your time searching for someone. Those scratches are not going to cause any harm any time soon... other than to your blood pressure.
 
Welcome, Turtle.
Even without seeing them in person, they don’t look to be too serious. Silver does a good job of hiding scratches though so it is hard to say for sure. Typically the rule of thumb is that if you can hang your nail then it is past the clear and can’t be fully removed except possibly to the naked eye under normal conditions. Keep searching for a detailer. Find one with a thickness gauge for your peace of mind. A competent detailer will not remove enough paint to cause any issues with your clear. We are talking a couple/few microns of paint (1 micron=1/1000 millimeter). Hope this helps.
 
Hey guys,

Really appreciate the reply. It absolutely sucks that these scratches can't be taken out completely. And yes, my nail lightly can catch the scratches.

I guess there isn't a real point now in getting it detailed if I cant get the scratches completely eradicated. Its already hard to find them unless you know exactly where you're looking and if detailing won't make them disappear, not sure its worth paying 150-200 these shops are charging to make it less visible than it already is.

Needless to say, im just sad that my friend could be so effing negligent that he just put permanent marks on my car. It wasn't even a close friend, just an associate. What a bonafide dick.
 
theturtle said:
Mods, if this is in the wrong section, please move.

Pretty effing pissed right now. My friend placed his amazon box (about 1.5 pounds) on the hood of my car to see the contents inside the box. Coupled with the fact that the hood is not flat + windy day had the box sliding slightly.

By the time I got out the car, it was too late. The box had already made contact with the hood and had slid.

I got home and checked the damage. Saw all these scratches where the box was moving. Needless to say, i am pretty effing irked. Does anyone know if a good polish/detailing will get these scratches out or am I stuck with these forever? They slightly catch on my fingernails.

Im already hesitant on doing a polish because it requires shaving some clear coat off but if thats the only way these scratches could disappear 100% then I guess thats the only thing I can do. I really hope these are permanent.

FRACK.
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Welcome to AutopiaForums.
Polishing paint always requires removing some top material. It's okay though, as paint systems are designed to be polished from OEM.


I had a couple questions regarding polishing though. It says on the site that polishing should happen via spot polishing and never the full car. Should I tell the shop beforehand where the damages are and will the polished areas look different when compared to the areas that weren’t polished? The hood and trunk lid (machine car wash swirls) are the biggest areas with scratches. The car is a 2013 so i don’t think my paint has oxidized yet.
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Not sure where it says that on the site.

Whether or not the paint looks different (better) where it has been polished will depend on how dull the rest of the paint looks. Proper polishing will take the paint back to new standard. If the rest of the paint has degraded do to bad washing techniques, then yes, you might be able to notice a difference.

Your paint won't oxidize for at least another 10 years, if you part it in the desert and leave it unprotected, maybe. Modern base coat/clear coat paints are pretty durable.

Also what are some questions that I should ask the shop (IE. Do you have a clearcoat ruler). Im extremely paranoid that more clear coat than necessary will be taken off (i guess this is a reason to go to a reputable shop than a cheaper one).
Click to expand...

You could ask them to measure the paint before and after. Most new cars will have a total paint thickness between 3.5 and 7 mils (including primer, color (base) coat and clear coat. The clear coat is usually about 50% of the total film thickness, or about a sheet of paper thick. This doesn't sound like much, but it is.

A good polish would only remove a small, almost immeasurable fraction of this.

My last question is, after the wax wears off, will my car look noticeable duller?
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Depends on the skill of the person polishing. If they leave a lot of microscratches in the paint, then it is possible that the wax would fill in these scratches. However, the paint will not look duller because it was thinned to much.

As in, once the wax wears off over time, will i be able to tell the areas that were polished from the areas that weren’t?
Click to expand...

Depends on how much of an improvement polishing the paint makes.


This is the first time Im doing something where the clear coat is shaving off so i want to be thorough at the pros and cons.

Contemplating on whether I should just live with those scratches and have a full clear coat or get them removed at the expense of a few mm of disappearing CC.
Click to expand...

Your paint isn't even a 1/10 of a mm thick, total. Why not settle in the middle. Do a good polish and reduce the scratches, while maintaining plenty of clear coat.
 
Thanks for the answers guys.

As I looked over the car, found another couple of scratches on the back where the trunk lid is.

Oddly enough, I NEVER place anything on that part or even put my feet up to tie my shoes.

Do those scratches look like something a person did? As in "keyed" or could those happen from driving. No one drives my car except me and its garaged when at home.

Maybe I should have just gotten a cheaper car. Then I wouldn't have to worry about all this nonsense.

Still haven't decided if I should take my car to a detail shop yet. Sounds like there is a high possibility that there would be more cons (paint looking uneven after spot polishing, more abrasions) than pros.

http://i57.tinypic.com/2eyg7xe.jpg
 
I know it sucks having scratches but if the car is driven, damage is bound to happen. There's just no way around it. Nice thing is they can usually be removed/knocked down some. How old is the car and what is the make/model?
 
Docpeanut said:
I know it sucks having scratches but if the car is driven, damage is bound to happen. There's just no way around it. Nice thing is they can usually be removed/knocked down some. How old is the car and what is the make/model?
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Yeah I know. It's a 2013 3 series. Sucks that there is so many scratches on a car that's less than a year old with <10k miles
 
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