Hi. I have a black Camaro and somehow I put a couple of small scuff marks on the rear bumper. It's not a metal bumper, I guess it's some kind of plastic. Anyhow, I took it back to the dealership to have them fix it up for me. They ended up wet sanding it and while the scuff is gone, there's a nice little haze from the wet sanding marks. The area is smooth to the touch so I guess it's just superficial , but I was wondering what the best way to get rid of that would be? According to Consumer Reports, Quixx is the best scratch remover but I don't know if I need anything that strong. I've been buying Meguiar's products but I read in that same article that their scratch removers tend to haze as well. Do I even need a scratch remover to remove wet sand marks? I'm sorry, this is my first new car and the first one that I actually care about keeping nice, I have no prior car care experience and just don't know much about detailing cars. I wish I had a camera so that I can upload a photo but I don't. The haze is not something you'd really notice unless you're looking at it up close, but I know it's there and it really bothers me. It seems as though it shouldn't be too hard to get rid of it, especially since the surface feels smooth to the touch. Thank you in advance for your advice!
Removing Wet Sand Marks?
- Thread starter mcpp66
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Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
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Wet-sanding marks are scratches in the paint and can be difficult to remove depending upon how hard the paint is and how deep the scratches are.
The way you remove them of course is you must remove enough good paint surrounding them until the highest points of the surface are level with the lowest depths of the deepest scratches. This is where you can get into trouble if the paint is thin.
The fastest and most effective way to remove the sanding marks is with a rotary buffer but the dealership should have done this since they're supposed to know what they're doing and have the right tools for the job.
Sorry to say it's hard to get quality work that meets your expectations from a lot of body shops. See this recent thread,
Have to vent.....
Consumer Reports shouldn't be looked to as the be-all, end-all expert at paint polishing, take their 'opinions' with a grain of salt.
I've removed #2000 grit sanding marks with Ultimate Compound with no problems but I'm pretty good at rubbing paint out by hand.
Don't know what you know about clear coats but generally speaking they tend to be pretty hard and this could be why dealership couldn't get them all out in the first place, paints hard, person doing the work either not qualified or doesn't have the right tools for the job.
You can try UC by hand but it will take multiple applications. I've typed about how hard clear coats are as compared to old fashioned lacquers and enamels for at least the last 10+ years so you can take my word for it or do your own searching on "Paint Hardness".
Also, if you have to start out working the spot with a lot of pressure you may in fact remove the scratches but leave the area still hazy and/or dull. Remember, polishing paint is an art form, not just a grinding process, tackle the area again and use less pressure.
Clear coat paints are hard to work on, that's why dual action polishers have become so popular as well as classes like we're ramping up to teach here at Autogeek's Garage!
Detailing Classes Starting Up at Autogeek's Garage!
It's a lot easier when you have someone showing you what to do.
The way you remove them of course is you must remove enough good paint surrounding them until the highest points of the surface are level with the lowest depths of the deepest scratches. This is where you can get into trouble if the paint is thin.
The fastest and most effective way to remove the sanding marks is with a rotary buffer but the dealership should have done this since they're supposed to know what they're doing and have the right tools for the job.
Sorry to say it's hard to get quality work that meets your expectations from a lot of body shops. See this recent thread,
Have to vent.....
Consumer Reports shouldn't be looked to as the be-all, end-all expert at paint polishing, take their 'opinions' with a grain of salt.
I've removed #2000 grit sanding marks with Ultimate Compound with no problems but I'm pretty good at rubbing paint out by hand.
Don't know what you know about clear coats but generally speaking they tend to be pretty hard and this could be why dealership couldn't get them all out in the first place, paints hard, person doing the work either not qualified or doesn't have the right tools for the job.
You can try UC by hand but it will take multiple applications. I've typed about how hard clear coats are as compared to old fashioned lacquers and enamels for at least the last 10+ years so you can take my word for it or do your own searching on "Paint Hardness".
Also, if you have to start out working the spot with a lot of pressure you may in fact remove the scratches but leave the area still hazy and/or dull. Remember, polishing paint is an art form, not just a grinding process, tackle the area again and use less pressure.
Clear coat paints are hard to work on, that's why dual action polishers have become so popular as well as classes like we're ramping up to teach here at Autogeek's Garage!
Detailing Classes Starting Up at Autogeek's Garage!
It's a lot easier when you have someone showing you what to do.
- Thread starter
- #3
Well, I know nothing about clear coat paints, auto detailing, or anything else relating to cars. It sounds like I'm going to have to find myself a good detailer who would be willing buff the area with a dual-action polisher. If I do use something like Meguiar's UC, is it possible for me to screw it up even more or is that stuff pretty safe to use? Also, the haze is near a lot of edges and I'm told that you shouldn't use buffers and polishers around edges, so with that being said should I apply Ultimate Compound by hand? Lastly, how would I really know what to use? I mean, there's SwirlX, ScratchX, and Ultimate Compound, what criteria should I use in making my choice?
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
Clearcoat paints can be tricky to work on plus they're pretty thin so there's not a lot of room for error.
If the dealership already sanded and buffed then they've already removed some paint, the next guy to work on it, whether that's you or someone else will now have to be more careful.
Anyway to make the dealership accountable? Maybe ask to talk to the owner and show him the quality of work his team is putting out and ask him he would accept this kind of repair if the Camaro was his car?
The new ScratchX and Ultimate Compound use the same type of abrasive, UC is more aggressive so if you want to play it safe pick up the ScratchX and some foam or microfiber applicator pads and maybe just work the affected areas enough to bring back the gloss. You can try to remove them 100% but again, factory clear coat paints are thin, so you need to use your own judgment as the color coat underneath will be dull and the only way to fix it if you go past the clear layer is to have the area painted.
We have a lot of talented detailers on this forum, if any of them live in your area maybe they would take a look and give you their opinion. If you lived close to Stuart, Florida I would encourage you to bring it to our Thursday Night "Open Garage" class and I would fix it for you.
Another dealership horror story...
If the dealership already sanded and buffed then they've already removed some paint, the next guy to work on it, whether that's you or someone else will now have to be more careful.
Anyway to make the dealership accountable? Maybe ask to talk to the owner and show him the quality of work his team is putting out and ask him he would accept this kind of repair if the Camaro was his car?
The new ScratchX and Ultimate Compound use the same type of abrasive, UC is more aggressive so if you want to play it safe pick up the ScratchX and some foam or microfiber applicator pads and maybe just work the affected areas enough to bring back the gloss. You can try to remove them 100% but again, factory clear coat paints are thin, so you need to use your own judgment as the color coat underneath will be dull and the only way to fix it if you go past the clear layer is to have the area painted.
We have a lot of talented detailers on this forum, if any of them live in your area maybe they would take a look and give you their opinion. If you lived close to Stuart, Florida I would encourage you to bring it to our Thursday Night "Open Garage" class and I would fix it for you.
Another dealership horror story...
- Thread starter
- #6
Let me ask you this........is there a way to just bring back the gloss and shine without using anything abrasive? If I try to buff it out myself I'd have no idea how far is too far until it's too late. Maybe something like ColorX or Color Magic?
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
Sure!
If you haven't already, rub the affected areas with the Ultimate Compound.
You can remove sanding marks using Ultimate Compound by hand, it might not be quick and easy and will take a number of applications but I've done and others have to.
UC finishes out glossy so in most cases you can go to wax right after the UC.
Note that if rub hard with any product you can get dulling and even finger marks, but in these cases just do some finishing polishing, that is use the same product but do a step where you're not rubbing as hard. Polishing paint to a clear, high gloss is an art forum, not a grinding process.
Pick up some foam wax applicator pads and maybe a couple of microfiber applicator pads, start with the microfiber and the for your final passes switch to foam. Then apply wax.
Please update us to your progress.
- Thread starter
- #8
Mike, thanks a lot for your help! Instead of going with the most aggressive solution I decided to start with SwirlX and worked great. The wet sand marks are mostly gone. All it took was a little SwirlX, a lot of elbow grease, and some Color Magic car polish. Regarding SwirlX, I learned that when the label says to apply a small amount it really means to apply a small amount. It seemed as though it was more effective that way as compared to when I put a little more on the foam applicator. Anyhow, thanks for all of your help!
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6