wkndskier

Hey guys,

Someone hit my drivers door with a shopping cart and it left a 5 inch long 1 1/2 wide black plastic mar (scratch) on top of the paint. I scratched at it lightly with my fingernail, but its on there pretty good. I need some advice on "how to" approach removing this without damaging the paint. (and no the p*?:k didn't bother to leave a note offering to pay for his/her mistake ). Thanks for your time to read this and any advice given will be greatly appreciated.

wkndskier

joe3906

Take it to a body shop and ask them what's the best route to take, and take what they say under advisement, and repeat, until you get a reasonable good answer. Then, it's decision time. Good luck! I hate going to supermarkets or any large parking lots. I always park 30 or so lanes away from the farthest car to my destination.

96vetteLT4

1) You need to post a picture of the damage so one can see how bad or light the damage is, also if you go to the car care section you will find a lot more of these type of cosmetic fixes ,the wax and shine section will be most helpfull....G

corvetteronw

WD40 to the rescue. I understand it is fish oil based and won't harm paint. I have used it in the past to remove bug guts with great results.

pkazsr

I used SoftScrub with finger pressure to remove a similar mark.

pologreen1

wd40 lightly or something with very little potencey, also that is why I never take mine wny where than out to eat or something, Ionly drive it or take it out by friends, the first day I took this to the dmv, I was parked in by a crack head with a huge prostreet hoodscoop on a 90+ buick. LOL

CorvetteMike2024

Need pics .

JMO....... If the black mar scratch is on top of the paint, I would use a medium range solvent with a soft rag to see if it will lift the scratch up. Do a test area first, like on a spot way low on the body to make sure the solvent isnt to hot to damage the paint. If the paint is fairly old I would even try some L.T. on it.

If that didnt work, wet sand 2000 grit wet on a rubber block. Re buff shine back.

Good luck!

Mike

kenmack

Ever hear of Brasso,yes the stuff to polish brass in the little tin can.
Available in the home cleaners section most supermarkets.
Use a facecloth with a rough nap and lotsa elbow grease.Straight strokes not round and round.
This will remove the coloured mark but won't obviously repair any damage to the clearcoat.
The only problem is you may have to do the entire panel cause this stuff really cleans and shines.
Apply wax after your finished.
I guarantee you will be impressed !!!!! Post some before and afters PLEEEEEEAS

C4boy

You can try a bug and tar remover, a paint cleaner like Mothers or Meguiars, or decent light polish that doesn't contain fillers. WD40 can work, but it will have to sit and dwell on the paint spot - usually it just drips down.

There's no need for any heavy abrasives, polishing compounds, or anything not made for an automotive finish - all you'll do with them is damage your clear coat and then it will need to be buffed out with a rotary.

wkndskier

Thanks for all the great tips. I will start with the least abrasive method and work my way up from there until get it restored. I will post some before and after pics as soon as it stops raining here. Probably going to be Saturday. I tried to get a pic in the garage last night but didn't have enough room to get a good one. I stopped at a restaurant that is in the same parking lot as a "Big Lots" and parked way out at the end and someone still found a way to damage my car. I was nearly a 100 yards from the shopping center yet I had a cart lodged in the drivers door when I came out. Thanks again. I will post the results very soon.

tomtom72

Just a fwiw, you could try Meguire's ScratchX. It's a liquid, with not much abrasive action or if you have any Klassie AIO that works well on surface scuffing like I think you have going on here. I mostly use the AIO, can't live without it. Use a microfiber applicator and a microfiber towel. JMHO.

NEVRL8T

What would a crack head be doing at the DMV? You think they would spend money on tags?

M.J.L.

No crackhead would be at the DMV. They are riding dirty.

M.J.L.

So true. So true.

kenmack

BRASSO isn't intended for an automotive finish but after 30 years of using it for concours ready paint prep I guarantee results.Wax only required after you take off the mark !!!!!!!!!!

C4boy

Ken, I couldn't disagree more. Brasso is an abrasive and chemical cleaner designed to clean and polish metal, not automotive clear coat. For every home remedy there's already a product designed specifically for the job and safe for auto paint. Just because bleach cleans well, doesn't mean I should take a bath or wash my car with it.

ED77KATR

Good advice above!! WD40 is amazing stuff. Tar remover good also.

kenmack

Geeez Let the guy try it !!!!!!!So you are telling me that what has worked incredibly well and has won me paint trophies in concour after concour for 30 years DOESN'T WORK
Are you basing this on personal experience or the fact that yes WD40 that well known paint cleaning product ??????? has worked for you in the past.
I would never suggest this remedy much less guarantee results if I didn't have proof POSITIVE that it works better than 20 other products I've tried designed for painted and clearcoated surfaces.

C4boy

Nope. I'm saying it will be a cold day in hell before I ever recommend or use Brasso on my car's paint or a customer's car. Especially when there are so many other products that are designed for use with auto paint. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Brasso contains silica powder, amonia, isopropyl alcohol, and oxalic acid. That tells me it's physically and chemically abrasive. It's a METAL polish!

kenmack

Perhaps but none of those ingredients seems to bother automotive clearcoat.
They just do a spectacular job of removing tar / marks and any other debris stuck on the clearcoat.
For 13 years I owned a bright blue 87 rdstr.
Every spring I brought it out of storage.
Every spring I used Brasso / damp cloth and polished the entire car I then waxed it (usually Meguiers).
I sold the car 2 years ago and the older gentleman who bought it,asked me if the paint was new and what my secret was to keep the 20 year old original paint so spectacularly shiney.
Try it you'll Like It !!!!
P.S. I thought WD40 was a water displacer with minor lubricating properties.
Nuff said ??????