How to remove scratches in car paint?

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Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.

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How to remove scratches in car paint?

One of the most common questions a brand new form member will send me in a PM is,

How to remove scratches in car paint?

The nutshell answer is,

By hand get some Pinnacle Advanced Compound and apply to small sections at a time, about 12" square. Removing scratches out of a clearcoat finish in incredibly hard to do by hand because clearcoat paints are hard.


See my article here,

How to use a hand applied abrasive polish or paint cleaner by hand



The best way which is also the fastest and easiest way is to learn how to machine polish using the most simple polisher on the market, the Porter Cable DA Polisher.


Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher


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This DVD will show you how to do it....



How to Properly Use the Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher Updated!
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Get a copy of my how-to book, comes in three options....


Detailing How-To Book and Detailing How-To E-book by Mike Phillips


Here are the links to get the paperback and e-book versions of the second edition of my detailing how-to book.

Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine Paperback Book


For those that want the e-book verson...

Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine E-book Download


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Then read this article,


Video: Mark your backing plate to make it easy to see pad rotation




Love getting questions via PM but it kind of defeats the purpose of the "forum".


:laughing:
 
People Get his book and how to use the Porter Cable Polisher. I did and it will help you tremendously!!

How to use the Flex for the Flex users.

Thank you Mike!!
 
Here's what to get and it will take care of the paint on any car, truck or SUV guaranteed.

This is the same products I set Wayne Carini's shop up with and his shop routinely works on mega-buck cars and since training this team how to use dual action polishers after any rotary buffer work all their cars come out swirl free and with show car quality finishes.


First... I prefer the Porter Cable over the Griot's Garage DA Polisher. It's been around for probably 30 years and is very well built. A lot of guys like the Griot's Garage DA because it has more power and a lifetime warranty. Here's the thing though,

A: Porter Cable's rarely break and when they do it's usually by abuse and punishment.

B: As long as you use THIN pads, around 5" in diameter and hold the pad flat to the surface like you're supposed to, the PC will maintain pad rotation without any problems. I've been using the PC since Meguiar's introduced it to the paint polishing world around 1989 or so.

I went to work for Meguiar's in 1987, possibly it was 1986 I don't remember for sure, so I've been using this tool and showing others how to use it since it was introduced to the paint polishing world. The Porter Cable is responsible for removing swirls and scratches out of MILLIONS of cars and that's a time-proven history of success that no other tool can claim... yet.​



Anyway, get the PC, or the GG or the Meguiar's G110v2 or the Meguiar's MT300, etc, as long as you use great abrasive technology and thin pads you will get pro results.


Here's your list....


Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher

Pinnacle Advanced Compound

Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish

Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Car Wax (or whatever you want for an LSP)


These are Meguiar's new THIN foam discs. At this time no one else in the market has foam pads this thin. These rotate as good or better than any other foam pad on the market. Removing swirls using a Porter Cable type polish means MAINTAINING PAD ROTATION so thin is in...

Meguiars 5 Inch DA Foam Cutting Disc - 6 each

Meguiars 5 Inch DA Foam Polishing Disc - 6 each

Meguiars 5 Inch DA Foam Finishing Disc - 6 each


If a person is BRAND NEW to machine polishing, the Lake Country THIN foam pads are only about a 1/4" thicker than the Meguiar's thins foam discs and these also rotate very well on free spinning PC type tools. The benefit to these pads is if you're brand new to machine polishing having a little more cushion in the way of a "little" thicker pad makes buffing more Bubba-proof. With the Meguiar's thin pad you do want to always be watching what you're doing when you're buffing.



Lake Country's thin foam pads.


Orange Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad - 6 each

White Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad - 6 each

Black Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad - 6 each


And if you want a DEDICATED WAX PAD - no matter which of the above pads you go with, Meguiar's or Lake Country, then get one or two of these soft blue foam pads. These are what I use to machine apply waxes and sealants to boats and cars after all the correction and polishing work is over.


Blue Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad 1 or 2 pads


Besides the tool, the pads and the products you're going to need high quality microfiber towels. And not just one or two. What I teach people is purchase enough towels to make a small wash load and then DEDICATE specific towels for specific jobs and then TAKE CARE OF THEM.

This means have a dedicated laundry hamper for ONLY your microfiber towels.

Have a dedicated microfiber detergent to clean your microfiber towels.

Have a dedicated storage bin or place to store clean towels until you're ready to use them.

Think of your towels as fine mechanic tools and just like a mechanic takes care of his tool collection you need to take care of your microfiber towels. If you take care of your microfiber towels your microfiber towels will take care of your car.



You'll also want a pad cleaning brush to clean your pads as you work around a car.

Pad Conditioning Brush



Personal recomendation...
For all the compounding, polishing and future application and removal of the Pinnacle Crystal Mist Detail Spray you really need at least a dozen high quality microfiber towels like the Gold Plus Jr. microfiber towels.

Take my word for it these are nice towels and we go through a LOT of them for projects like these and to take care of just one car for a project like these a dozen would be the minimum amount. If you want to be stocked up so you never run out of clean towels in the middle of the project then get 2 dozen.

The other benefit is you only want to wash like towels with like towels, with a dozen or two it makes it practical to run your towels through either a small or medium size wash load all by themselves. Treat your high quality towels like any of your prized tool by taking care of them and in return they will take care of your car's finish.


Gold Plush Jr. Microfiber Towels 12 Pack - Wiping off compounds and polishes

Super Soft Deluxe Green Microfiber Towels with Rolled Edges - 12 Pack - wiping off waxes and sealants


You'll love the glove!
And get some microfiber gloves too... once you wear microfiber glove ONE TIME to grip and hold your microfiber towels you'll never want to wipe wax off without them.

Just like these guys....

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Microfiber Gloves - 6 pairs




Hope that helps...


And using all of the above, no matter what you're working on... new Honda or new Chevy or new Ford... you'll always get show car results. Always.



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1971 Dodge Charger R/T - 1940 Oldsmobile Streetrod shine by Pinnacle



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