Renewed puzzlement re fine white scratches on Black Magic

RechtsFahren · Jun 12, 2003

OK, until recently, I just accepted the fact that any scratch on my Black Magic car seems to be unfixable. Any scratch that occurs seems to be white. Nothing I do 'polishes it out'. I've tried mild cleaner, I've tried Mother's 'scratch remover'. Scratch remover just seems to fog up the clear coat and it doesn't remove these fine white scratches.

Yesterday, while parked in a lot, some cluck opened their door against mine and then sat down in their car. The result was this little constellation of semicircular scratches in my paint - again, all white - that do a semicircular jiggle, up, then down, as their door rocked against my car when they sat down.

Anyway, later I was remarking about it and someone suggested that I really ought to be able to 'polish that right out.'

Has anyone actually succeeded in polishing out these minor scratches, without doing more damage (hey, :lol: no more belt sander jokes, OK!! :weirdo: )? What is this white stuff anyway? Is it damaged clear coat refracting light, or is it the primer coat, or the rust proofing coat?

Jesstzn · Jun 12, 2003

[quote=" What is this white stuff anyway? Is it damaged clear coat refracting light, or is it the primer coat, or the rust proofing coat?[/quote]

Are the scratches ( white areas) deep enough too follow with your fingernail? If so maybe through to the primer. Or they surface. Do they occur all over the car or just on doors? I have easily polished out the surface paint left by the inconciderate idiots that open the door on yours and leave it there when they get in .. If they went throught the clear to the base or primer your sort of scooped. If just through the clear or on the surface I have used McGuires #2 fine cut cleaner to remove them then #9 scratch and swirl remover to clean up the fogging left by the #2 then wax. Of deeper you can fill with brush on touch up. There was a good posting in here or VWVortex/detailing in the last few days on the steps.

Tyrannosaurus · Jun 12, 2003

I have those damn scratches too...interested in response.

dac2800 · Jun 12, 2003

One possible solution, and the one I tend to go with, is to call up Meguiar's and ask them what to do. They are very helpful over the phone, their number is:
1-800-347-5700
Hours: M-F 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Pacific)
Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Pacific)

Photonz · Jun 13, 2003

I buy all of my detailing chemicals from www.properautocare.com. Great site with lots of helpful tutorials and top-notch products. My brother has a custom bodyshop and is very partial to 3M products. I've used 3M swirl mark remover for dark colors#39009, followed by 3M imperial hand glaze, and finally the wax of your choice. The swirl mark remover is a very light color-specific polish that removes swirl marks, spider webbing, and minor scratches. You could try something harsher, but I would play it safe at this point. You've more than likely just have scratched the clearcoat. If you were through the clear and the base color you'd have a deep scratch you could physically feel.

Renewed puzzlement re fine white scratches on Black Magic

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