Scratch X the entire car?????

[YarisSedan]

So. over the past year my car has developed many minor scratches in the clear coat. Nothing visible unless you look at it up close at a angle. I know scratch x would be able to take them all out. But would probally require the entire bottle to do the whole car. Do you think its worth it. Knowing how thing our clearcoat is im afraid to do it since ive had cars in the past with clearcoat peel since the clearcoat got thin enough that water started to leach through and pull up the clearcoat from underneigth

I dont want this to happen to my yaris.

[jinxor]

It is quite the painful task of trying to remove scratches and blemishes from the whole surface... But scratch X isnt a 100% proof. It is diminish the scratches a significant amount but will not give you the perfect scratchless surface.....
I guess for that, you need a good quality RO with cutting compound (which I dont know how to use)

[YarisSedan]

I made the stupid mistake of using a microfiber cloth that i dropped on the floor. It removed the wax of my car alright but left scratches all over the paint.

[ezhacker1]

i had to remove 4 scratches on my brand new yaris ...of 1 day. Thats what i get for parking in college lot clearly showing that it is a new car...

scratches were deep, i could see white, scratch x fixed it up good. Went from wtf is that white line on my car to slightly there. But i am worried now that you brought up how damaging it could be to ..damage the clear coat in this manner.

after seeing those scratches, i questioned if i should have gone with white cuz scratches were deep enough to show white underneath.

[tomato]

^ if you had gone with white, you'd be cleaning that car constantly or else it would show dirt right away. Silver is a good compromise, shows less dirt. Plus it's a real sexy color on a car, especially the Yaris.

Hey, don't complain :smile: my car is Absolutely red, so believe me, every scratch shows!! The first thing I do when I get back to my car is go around and inspect it for new dings. :iono:

To the OP, sorry I don['t know.:iono:

[ezhacker1]

my heart sank when i saw 4 noticeable scratches all forward of the side mirrors above the wheel. I see there is the new Scratch X 2.0 I still have 90% of the original one...man i wish i will never have to use such a big tube of it.

[tomato]

Hey, the first day I had to leave my car at a BART station, I came back to a bent and scratched up side mirror. :rolleyes: FIRST DAY!!

I know how you feel. The first ding really hurts :frown: (and yours is on a brand new car, too! :mad::mad: )

[jambo101]

On a recent trip south i noticed that many of the bigger car washes had an additional electic buffing and polish option,the few i saw were charging $40-$50 for the process,the cars i saw in the parking area that had been finished looked really good,no swirl marks anywhere on the car and a beautifull glossy finish.Might be worth the $$$ to have your cars finish brought back to professional standards every couple of years.

[MadMax]

jambo101

That is my plan, but I also have a few small scratches I would like to remove before then (the car isn't even six months old yet!).

And anyone who is complaining doesn't know what they are talking about until they've owned a black car...it is the absolute worse for showing dirt and scratches. However, they do look great when clean and polished! :thumbsup:

Cheers! M2

[Klink10]

Scratch X 2.0 would be the 3rd most aggresive new tech product from Meguiars. The list from most to least being....M105, Ultimate Compound*, ScratchX 2.0*, SwirlX*, M83 Dual Action Cleaner Polish and M205 Ultra Finishing Polish.

Those with * can usually be found at local outlets familiar to everyone. (Wal mart, auto parts stores).

Forget 105 and 205 if you are not or don't have machine skills.

I am in the same boat though not as bad as you describe. My plan is to wash (don't ask what method), clay, wash again, then with machine start with Swirl X on a test spot using a very mild cutting pad to see what results I get. If that doesn't work I will only change product and go to ScratchX 2.0 followed by Ultimate Compound.

My point here is start with the least aggressive method and product to achieve what you are looking for. After which use whatever sealant (sp) and or wax to protect.

I have used the Scratch X 2.0 on some noticeable scratches on my bumper following the directions to the letter and it did work.

By the way, the scratches etc that I'm going after were put there by me during previous wash and dry sessions. Needless to say I've adopted a new method and acquired a bunch of stuff to avoid doing that again.

It is said that most of the damage done to our paints finish is self induced. Change your technique to offset the majority of it.

Good luck.

[YarisSedan]

Yeah most of my scratches were product by me. Makine stupid mistakes like reusing microfiber clothes thinking i can just throw them in the wash even though they fell on the ground and collected dirt. Also cleaning the dust off my car with a rag without using any detail spray.

Ive since recently bought the entire meguires full line. step 1-3 as well as thier own microfiber clothes and waffle drying cloths.

Plan to do a full detail once verything comes in. I think step 1-2 should give me the results i want being the least aggresive and since most of my scratches are very minor. Afterwards i will inspect it and maybe can just spot treat with scratch x. and then finally lay down my sealer

[jambo101]

I just recieved a magasine from Club Toyota and evidently for a price the dealer will make your car look new again,involves professional detailing inside and out.

[Klink10]

YarisSedan...sounds like a plan.

Jambo...was detailing bikes...expanded to cars now. A quality detailer will work miracles.

[keesue]

Howdy in Milpitas. If you follow this procedure using your Megs, you'll be a happy camper. It takes a bit of work and patience but it is well worth it.

1. Wash the car and rinse it well

Take a break and drink a beverage.

2. Clay the entire car (use concentrated soapy water while you do. Don't forget the windows and the wheels)

Take a break and drink a beverage.

3. Re-wash and rinse the car well.

Take a break and drink a beverage.

4. Inspect and use Scratch-X where you need to. Do it by panel and use elbow grease with fast back and forth motions. You may have to do it a few times depending on the scratch.

Note: Drink beverages in between panels so you can chill and recoup.

5. Use the paint cleaner afterwards on the entire car.

Take a break and drink a beverage.

6. Seal it with Megs sealant 2.0. (don't forget the wheels)
(Repeat step 6 to insure even coverage).

Take a break and drink beverages for the remainder of the day and chill out.
(Note: Due to the nature of my beverages, "I ain't going anywhere at this point") :w00t:

7. Wax it twice the next day after the sealant sets up, again, to insure even coverage.

Finish the windows and wheels and you're good to go.

http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr151/keesue55/YarisandVolvo005.jpg

[Klink10]

keesue....yours looks very nice.

Can I ask what you are treating your black trim with. It shows well with your body color.

[keesue]

Hey, thanks. I use Armor-All tire gel for the tires and trim too. The trick is to let it dry then lightly buff to the shine you want. I keep it that way so that the next coat has the base already there.

[Slick]

I love Meg's Scratch-X. I have a single cab 99 chevy that I thought was black until I used S-X. From years of "careful" cleaning my clearcoats had more fine scratches than a year old cell phone. I did a little portion of my hood and it looked so good I finished the whole hood. I stood back and decided that it looked so good that I did the entire truck and man did it make a difference. Course, I clayed it before using S-X. I used a little less than 2 tubes and I used about 20 Meg's yellow pads and roughly 10 cloths. But it was well worth it. So YarisSedan, if you use a little S-X on your hood and it makes a great difference, I highly recomend doing to your entire vehicle. My 2 cents.:thumbup:

[keesue]

Yep! I used a terry cloth towel - old school style - and MAN did my car come alive! The trick is to drink beverages while you do it. Heh...

[Slick]

Yeah, but I also found that my beverage of choice eventually makes all the scratches disappear! :drinking:

[Dave]

How much pressure are you supposed to apply when you're using Scratch-X?

I tried some on the trunk a couple months ago, and you could barely even tell it had been polished. I applied it by hand, without pressing very hard. Do you have to work it in before it hazes up?

My Yaris is dark blue and all the little scratches are very visible.

[keesue]

You gotta use elbow grease and a terry towel. It takes pressure and rubbing vigorously (which is why I recommend the beverages to stay hydrated).

[keesue]

Yeah, but I also found that my beverage of choice eventually makes all the scratches disappear! :drinking:

Hahahhaahaaaa...yeah.

[Slick]

All I would do is take a Meg's yellow pad, (any pad will do) squirt about a 1" circle of Scratch-X, then make a swirl pattern on a 1 foot by 1 foot square. I would apply about a medium pressure and hard pressure on extremely visible scratches. I believe that the directions on the S-X says to let the area dry and then buff off with a terry towel.

About 6 months ago I was researching this. I read that S-X uses a special abrasive that evens out fine to light scratches. The trick to the abrasive is that as you rub it into the paint it slowly dissolves, which is why it is safe for any paint. There is almost no way to buff a "blur" into your clear coat using normal muscle power.

[firemachine69]

NO. Scratch-X is a hand buffing abrasive. You will end up with a VERY uneven surface.

Get the entire car professionally buffed if it's that bad. :thumbsup:

[Slick]

firemachine69

This is from Meg's forum Admin

"The trick is to work the product in until it just begins to disappear and to apply more than one application. You see, the ScratchX, like all Meguiar's Paint Cleaners, contain a diminishing abrasive, as you work ScratchX in, the microscopic diminishing abrasives gently abrade the surface removing small particles of paint. But as you work it in, these diminishing abrasives breakdown. Thus, they quit abrading the finish and actually polish the finish to a clear, high gloss. This diminishing action turned polishing action is a benefit to you because it enable you to work out defects without leaving scratches behind."

I know for a fact from experience there is no way S-X by itself will damage your clear coat. I did an entire truck, no problems, only satisfaction.

[keesue]

I agree with Slick. The citation from Megs is correct.

I've used this product on my cars as well as others with no ill effects. I also have a DA and a rotary with Megs professional products; but, for spot work by hand or when I don't feel like pulling out the hardware, Scratch-X is why Meg's designed the product. I have been able to remove swirls in isolated areas - from someone brushing up against the car - with Scratch-X perfectly.

I've gotten the best results with a terry cloth towel which cuts down on the number of passes.

[Arkhangel]

my car from the lot with a deep gouge on one of the side mirrors :( luckily the dealer changed it, lol what they did was take a mirror of one of the cars in the lot and put it on mine, so i guess either there is a car at there lot still with a damaged mirror or someone didnt notice it when they bought there car lol... sorry if anyone here got it:redface:

[tomato]

I just recieved a magasine from Club Toyota and evidently for a price the dealer will make your car look new again,involves professional detailing inside and out.

Does anybody know how much it costs?

[ezhacker1]

entire car, i wouldnt do, but this stuff is great for surface scratches, i found a pretty big one today, but less than a minute work and its gone. Really helps that color is meteor metallic, but even deep scratches i got to only slightly visible.

[Aothachos]

i got my first major scratch this past winter. i came home and my hood was still hot from driving it around and a stray cat came over and climbed on top of my hood for warmth because it was cold and it was falling off and one nailed clawed a nice scratch on my hood, scratch X did nothing so i got touch up paint, did a crappy job but the scratch isn't there anymore....


i kno what had happened because there was dirty paw prints all over my hood lol