Getting rid of key scratches

gym**rat

gym**rat

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Psycho ex-wife keyed my girlfriends car. A couple are down to primer but many others are not very deep. Any recommendations on a polishes/compounds to work out most of the scratches? I have a Flex 3401 and a wide assortment of LC pads. Some polishes but probably nothing abrasive enough to get the scratches out. Meguiars M205 is the most abrasive. I just don't want to use something too abrasive because it is a black 2008 Honda Accord. Thank you in advance.
 
Sounds like you need to start with wet sanding and work your way up to compounding and polishing.
 
Short of a re-paint, nothing will ever be perfect looking I think no matter what.

Your plan of first polishing I think will be the first step that will have to be taken. You could try a more aggressive compound first prior to finishing with M205. That might eliminate "some" of the damage.

While this product isn't ideally recommended for such, about the easiest and fastest fix IMO for "hiding" damage that won't come out, I might suggest Dr. Colorchip as one remedy to fill and hide.

The beauty of Dr. C-Chip is that due to how quickly it sets and dries, it has a tendency to stay put on vertical panels such as Doors-Fenders.

That with repeated applications to these scratched areas, this product might be able to fill and protect from the elements such scratches, and be easily smoothed and leveled with the Sealact Solution just mere minutes after application.

That more conventional Dealer and Duplicolor type touch up paints can be very hard to work with, take a long time to set-dry, and have a nasty propensity of sagging-running on such repairs.

I hope these suggestions help you in seeking a relatively inexpensive fix-cure.
 
Hammer77 said:
And a police report...
Click to expand...

I wish I could have her arrested but I never got her recorded on my security cameras. She did it twice in her work parking lot with no cameras and must have followed her the other 2 times. I am just trying to mask the reminder of the pyscho idiot. She has not touched it all winter thank God.
 
MarkD51 said:
Short of a re-paint, nothing will ever be perfect looking I think no matter what.

Your plan of first polishing I think will be the first step that will have to be taken. You could try a more aggressive compound first prior to finishing with M205. That might eliminate "some" of the damage.

While this product isn't ideally recommended for such, about the easiest and fastest fix IMO for "hiding" damage that won't come out, I might suggest Dr. Colorchip as one remedy to fill and hide.

The beauty of Dr. C-Chip is that due to how quickly it sets and dries, it has a tendency to stay put on vertical panels such as Doors-Fenders.

That with repeated applications to these scratched areas, this product might be able to fill and protect from the elements such scratches, and be easily smoothed and leveled with the Sealact Solution just mere minutes after application.

That more conventional Dealer and Duplicolor type touch up paints can be very hard to work with, take a long time to set-dry, and have a nasty propensity of sagging-running on such repairs.

I hope these suggestions help you in seeking a relatively inexpensive fix-cure.
Click to expand...

I never saw Dr. Colorchip before. That may be a good option. I am going to get rid of what I can then use that on the 1 or 2 deep ones. What do you suggest using prior to the M205? Thank you.
 
Compound and polish won’t do it.

Damp sanding will improve but not remove the scratches.

The areas down to the primer are a repaint, period.

If you’ve been wanting to experiment with sanding and compounding Now is the time to see what you can do, but not without a body shop appointment on the books.

Without paint measurements I’d get some KXK rid stix and Work from 1500-2000-3000, compound (m100, jescar) and a 3” mf pad, then step up to a med cut (205, menzerna 2500 etc) on a foam but up to a 5.5” pad to ‘blend’, and if needed a third stage with a fine cut.

The impression of the scratch will still be there, but it’ll likely be rounded off or dulled down a bit to where it isn’t quite as ugly except from certain angles.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
JCDetails said:
Compound and polish won’t do it.

Damp sanding will improve but not remove the scratches.

The areas down to the primer are a repaint, period.

If you’ve been wanting to experiment with sanding and compounding Now is the time to see what you can do, but not without a body shop appointment on the books.

Without paint measurements I’d get some KXK rid stix and Work from 1500-2000-3000, compound (m100, jescar) and a 3” mf pad, then step up to a med cut (205, menzerna 2500 etc) on a foam but up to a 5.5” pad to ‘blend’, and if needed a third stage with a fine cut.

The impression of the scratch will still be there, but it’ll likely be rounded off or dulled down a bit to where it isn’t quite as ugly except from certain angles.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app
Click to expand...
:agree:, but would add getting some touch up paint. It will look much better than primer.
 
Sorry to hear you have a psycho for an X. I had one and man it was spooky! I know what the term Bi-polar means. Bi-Polar = Run and never look back! I hope you can fix MOST of the scratches with compounding and polish. You will probably have to wet sand, however, a good way to find out. Again, sorry for your situation especially you girlfriend. Please let us know how you took care of her car.
 
Same exact thing happened to my wife’s good friend. With 1500 and 2500 I was able to wet sand followed by Griots FC and Griots PC and knocked out 95% of it. Was able to round off the deepest part of the scratch as well. She was more than pleased with the results and saved her a costly trip to the body shop for a repaint. Is it perfect? No but it is a daily driver that she puts 40k a year on - so she is just happy not to have to give up her car for a few days.

Others gave some excellent advice - this would be a great opp to try your hand at wet sanding especially if a repaint isn’t out of the question. But you may surprise yourself and be happy with the results.

Good luck
ScottH
 
Wet sanding can get an unexperienced person in deep doo doo really quick! Ask me how I know?

That's the work of a seasoned professional, unless you want to maybe sand through the clear coat, and halfway through the color coat and yet see some more primer.

Other advice like insurance claims might be the best way, "if" you know of a good paint shop that won't turn the re-paint into a mis-matching orange peeled mess.

$60 Clams will get you the Colorchip Kit, and while your at it, order another small bottle of your own car's paint color for a little extra moola, and kill 2 birds with one stone.
 
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